Q: I overheard a mom in a checkout line tell her kids that she had little money for school supplies this year, and they'd have to "scrounge." I wanted to offer to pay for some, but it was awkward. Her comment haunts me. Getting new supplies was always huge for me. How can I donate to help kids in our community get what they need?

A: You've just had a vivid reminder that many children in this country won't head back to school with shiny new pencils and the many other items on their class-supply lists.

More than 16 million children in the United States -- over 20 percent -- live in poverty, says Connie Matthiessen, who blogs on education at greatschools.org: "Poverty is defined as income below $22,811 for a family of two adults and two children. Many more Americans who don't fit this definition are, by any measure, very poor."

Matthiessen says the crisis has turned the back-to-school season into a season of giving: "Around the country, organizations, schools, churches and individuals are donating clothing and school supplies so low-income kids can start the school year with plenty of pencils and notebooks -- and maybe even a brand-new outfit or two."

If you want to make a difference at a particular school, what works best is to contact the person who heads the PTO or PTA, says Tim Sullivan, publisher of PTO Today (ptotoday.com).

These organizations often work with a school guidance counselor or resource officer to coordinate getting supplies to kids who lack them. "It makes good sense to keep the volunteers a notch away from the very private information about the neediest of students," says Sullivan. "Once you find the appropriate staff member who can determine who is eligible and be the go-between, this is a great service to families and the school."

If volunteers don't pitch in, many teachers dip into their own pockets for those supplies. Sullivan suggests checking TeacherLists.com, where thousands of teachers post items they know they need that school budgets won't cover.

Matthiessen says you could contribute to a community organization in your area that sponsors back-to-school drives. She cites examples: Each year Northern Kentucky Harvest distributes hundreds of free backpacks filled with school supplies at its annual Backpacks and Breakfast event. In Scottsdale, Ariz., local police team up with a community center to create a back-to-school "store," where 500 students shop for free supplies. In many communities, the Salvation Army operates a "Clothes for Kids" program.

A donation to the Kids in Need Foundation (kinf.org) helps provide free school supplies to many of the nation's lowest-income
schools through a network of resource centers and teacher grants.

Adoptaclassroom.org enables you to supply specific classrooms. At donorschoose.org, you can help fund a learning project that interests you. Once a project is funded, all donors get thanks and photos from the classroom they supported.

Small donations from "citizen philanthropists" like you can provide a big back-to-school boost for many of our nation's poorest students.

(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 14-year-old stepdaughter says she only needs seven hours of sleep, though her moods suggest otherwise. How much sleep do teens need each night, during the school year?

A: If her moods suggest otherwise, more than seven hours! Experts at the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommend that teens get 8 1/2 to 9 1/4 hours, every day of the week. (They recommend 10 to 11 hours for children ages 5 to 10 and seven to nine hours for adults.)

In a recent survey, A-Plus Advice Teacher Advisors said that if there were one back-to-school tip they wish parents would heed, it's "Make sure kids get enough sleep."

"Parents, please establish an appropriate sleep schedule and stick to it," says California educator Marianne Maloney. "Students are more sleep-deprived than ever. I blame our 'rushy-rushy' culture and the fact that they sleep with their smartphones. It's making them dumb!"

When teens don't get enough sleep, their problems can go well beyond the occasional cranky mood or dozing off in class.

According to NSF research, lack of good sleep affects brain development. It impairs students' ability to listen, concentrate and solve problems; it leads to forgetting important information like names and homework assignments. It decreases creativity. It can even cause acne, weight gain or other health problems.

The NSF's studies of teens found that those who sleep less than the recommended time are more likely to express unhappiness or sadness, feel nervous or hopeless about the future, or feel depressed.

Sleep gives the brain a "spring cleaning," says Penelope Lewis, author of "The Secret World of Sleep" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). It helps us filter out unimportant things weighing us down and creates "space" for new brain connections.

Technology can rob teens and children of good sleep, according to a recent study by University of Helsinki researchers. They found that the more children play on the computer or watch TV after school, the later they go to bed and the less they sleep on school nights. They found that having a TV or computer in the bedroom disrupted sleep, especially for boys. They recommend keeping TVs and computers out of the bedrooms of children and teens.

As you establish a sleep schedule for your stepdaughter, try to stick to it seven days a week, rather than allowing late nights and "sleeping in" on weekends and vacations. Trying to catch up on lost sleep can make for worse sleep, not better.

Consistency is key, says Dr. Kristin Avis of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center at Children's of Alabama in Birmingham. "It keeps their clock set so they can go to bed at a certain time, sleep well through the night and wake up well-rested the next morning."

While it's good for teens to participate in a broad range of activities, experts warn that clubs, sports and programs shouldn't come come at the expense of sleep.

Parents need to explicitly teach children and teens how to have healthy sleep. Sit down with your stepdaughter and review the healthy sleep tips here: www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/teens-and-sleep.

(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: We're looking for a preschool for our 3-year-old, Leon. My sister says, "Preschool is the new kindergarten, so prepare him for structure." Leon can hardly sit still! How can we find one that doesn't push him too fast?

A: While some preschools have a stronger academic focus than a decade ago, you can still find programs that match the preschool experience to a child's developmental level.

The educators who direct these programs know that the best starting point is where the child is, not what's in a workbook. Most 3-year-olds need to explore and play; they need time to wiggle, build, sing and shout.

David Elkind, a Tufts University child development expert, says too many preschools today hurry children with inappropriate expectations.

"While some children may be ready for academics," he says, "the vast majority of human brains aren't developed enough to truly learn reading or math concepts until they've reached the age of reason, typically at age 5 or 6."

When we push kids who aren't ready, "we risk killing their motivation for learning, for schooling and for respecting teachers," says Elkind, author of "The Hurried Child" (Da Capo Press, 2006) and "The Power of Play" (Da Capo Press, 2007).

Let your values and knowledge of your son guide you, says California-based early childhood educator Karen Hill Scott. To find a good match, review checklists for quality preschools.

"While a checklist won't make your decision for you, it's helpful to know what quality indicators to look for and how programs are defined," she says. "The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (www.naccrra.org) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org) are useful resources."

Next, make a list of schools to visit. "Concentrate on the Three P's -- People, Program and Place," says Hill Scott. "Meet the director. The quality of the program rises or falls based on a director's competence. Can you relate to him or her? If the preschool were your workplace, would you want to deal with this person every day? Ask about the staff. What is their background? How long have they worked at the center?"

Any high-quality program, whether developmental or academic, should have a curriculum and a purposeful daily plan, says Hill Scott.

"During your visit, look for a clear connection between the activities and the curriculum goals," she says. "Do the activities encourage children to develop creativity, curiosity and problem-solving? Social and emotional skills? Are there abundant books, materials and play equipment? Will you receive regular communications about Leon's progress?"

Finally, consider the physical place. "The room has to feel right to you," says Hill Scott. "Cutesy architectural doodads are less important than having the sink near the bathroom so hands get washed, or creating a quiet corner so kids can curl up with a book. Look for the relationship of the space to safety and flow of activity."

After your visits, rank the programs in terms of the three P's. Then consider location, fees and hours of operation.

"You may not find perfection, but thanks to your homework, you'll find the best fit," says Hill Scott.

(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.)