Q: I recently heard an author of a book about yoga say that studies show it helps people relax. So many of our kids get totally stressed during testing, I wonder if yoga would help. It would be more productive than the scary hype and pep rallies we have the week before our big state tests! Do any schools teach yoga to help students chill?

A: A growing number of schools offer yoga. While some do it as part of "the new P.E." that engages kids in physical activities they can enjoy for a lifetime, others do it for the stress-reduction benefits many kids seem to find in the practice.

Several schools in Broward County, Fla., began incorporating yoga lessons into the schedule after seeing how a yoga-based curriculum called "S.T.O.P. and Relax" helped teach self-calming to children with autism spectrum disorders. (Find out more at stopandrelax.net.)

Is there truth behind the claim that yoga reduces tension? Yes, says William Broad, author of "The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards." "If yoga does one thing," he says, "it slows you down. It relaxes you." (To learn more, listen to Broad's interview on NPR's "Science Friday," www.sciencefriday.com.)

Several California schools started incorporating yoga lessons into the school day after a 2003 California State University, Los Angeles, study showed that kids who participated in yoga classes had better classroom behavior and grades. And, based on scores from the annual California Physical Fitness Test, they were more physically fit than the control group.

In visits to elementary schools in Florida, California, Texas and New York, I've observed yoga being adapted and practiced joyfully and confidently by kids of all abilities. The key is crafting a program that fits the culture of the classroom and the developmental levels of kids.

Don't expect to replicate the serenity of your local studio, nor should you envision kids holding poses for long stretches in their Lululemons. Kids are still wiggly, and the "attire" is what they wear to school.

One program many schools follow is Yoga 4 Classrooms, created by Lisa Flynn and piloted for three years at the Central Elementary School in South Berwick, Maine. Flynn's mission is "to teach strategies that help children develop resilience, positive perceptions, good health habits and mindful awareness." YoKid, a Virginia-based nonprofit, offers programs and certifies parents and teachers in the Mid-Atlantic States.

Yoga appeals to cash-strapped schools because it doesn't require expensive equipment or special space. Educators appreciate that yoga can lower tension and help students relax.

"What's not to like about a program that can teach self-calming, reduce stress, improve circulation, flexibility, blood flow, digestion, respiration and posture?" asks a California teacher who leads her third-graders in stretching and breathing poses each day. "Just don't call it yoga or you'll be fighting a religious battle. I learned the hard way, which is why you can't use my name. Now we call it our 'out of seat work,' and it works just fine!"

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My dad gave our third-grade son a Kindle. I'm amazed how much he reads on it! I have two worries. One, does he understand what he's reading on the Kindle as well as he does reading books? Plus, I miss reading books at bedtime with him. Should this matter?

A: With many children getting Kindles, iPads and other e-readers, their transition from reading text on paper to reading on digital devices is happening far faster than researchers can keep up. The only study I've found that addresses your question is by reading expert and education technologist Dr. Michael Milone. He recently found that students comprehend narrative text on an e-reader in almost exactly the same way they understand what they have read in books. The students in the study were in the fourth grade, and the books were popular fiction stories that matched the students' reading abilities.

"When tested on what they had read in both media, the students' scores were virtually identical. So, to answer your first question, you can be confident that your son can understand what he is reading on a Kindle or other e-reader," says Milone. (Find the study at http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R0054730029120B5.pdf. Find a summary at www.huffingtonpost.com/kirk-cheyfitz/teaching-with-tablets_b_1227236.html.)

Milone offers a few cautions. "These findings are based on storybook reading," he says. "They should not be extended to informational texts. Reading nonfiction and studying a textbook are different from reading for pleasure. The task involved in our study was familiar and straightforward and involved answering questions about the books on a computer-based assessment. We need additional research before drawing conclusions about aspects of nonfiction reading on a digital device.

"It is also important to keep in mind that children learn in different ways. Some might do better learning from either a digital device or a standard book."

Your question implies that you miss the experience of a real book and wonder if your son might feel the same way. Those concerns are justified, says Milone.

"I can say with confidence that reading with a child at bedtime is one of the most important things a parent can do," he says. "This will be true as long as there are humans around! I encourage all parents to be sure that our children always experience the joy of turning pages in books.

"Digital technology is convenient and can enhance the reading experience in many ways. But there is something about holding a book and reading with an important adult that is magical. Every young child should have an opportunity to experience this enchantment."

This is not the first time that technology is changing the way we look at the way the world works, Milone reminds us. "One of the most important changes occurred a few thousand years ago when another technology -- writing -- was invented," he says. "Socrates was not very happy about it and thought that writing would create the illusion of knowledge and would make memory less important!"

Reading is reading -- whether on a digital device or in a book. Feel good that you've fostered your son's love of this important life skill.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: I want to link our children's allowances to some real skills, such as math, goal-setting and saving, as well as doing household tasks. What is the best way to do this? My children are 8 and 10.

A: A challenging economy means more and more parents are handing out savings lessons along with the weekly allowances. Gail Karlitz, author of "Growing Money: A Complete Investing Guide for Kids" (Price Stern Sloan, 2010), offers this good advice.

When you give an allowance, says Karlitz, "you're saying to your child, 'You're old enough to learn the value of money and its role in our lives.' The amount depends on what it is expected to be used for. Many people give a dollar each week per year of age."

Karlitz, who leads a popular workshop for parents titled "The Biggest Job ... Character-Based Parenting," doesn't believe in using allowances to pay kids for household chores. She wants kids to develop a sense of responsibility to the household, to feel that all family members should contribute "because we live here. We respect and take care of our clothes, toys, surroundings -- and benefit from a nice, smoothly running household."

She suggests starting by explaining the concepts of "needs" (food, clothes, housing and so on), "wants" (treats, entertainment, things we like but don't have to have), "goals" (things we must save for, such as a new TV), and "giving to others" (church collections, birthday presents or charity).

Give each child a notebook with a section for each category. "Ask them to label the pages in each section, list what they will include in that category, and indicate how much of their allowance will go to it. Explain that Mom and Dad will take care of all the family 'needs' while they are young," Karlitz coaches. "Discuss and decide what is appropriate for their lists. Will they donate a percentage to a charity? If a toy gun or a midriff-baring blouse is not an acceptable goal, let them know rather than face the 'but it's my money' challenge in the store!"

As children receive allowances and cash gifts, they enter the amount going into each category and keep a running total. "The page for 'goals' might show how much more they need to reach the goal," she advises. "They should also enter the amount they take from any category. The entry gives kids a chance to see how the money is adding up. Use a clear plastic envelope, box or jar for each category for each child, so they can see that actual money."

Set reachable savings goals for kids. "If it's too much a stretch," Karlitz says, "consider paying the balance of the cost of an item after the child reaches a targeted savings level."

Karlitz suggests teaching kids to research prices and sources of their goal items. Who has the best price? Is there a difference among brands? "These are great discussions that help young people become savvy savers and careful consumers!" she says.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)