Q: Our school district is offering a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) summer camp for students. I didn't enroll our kids due to the camp schedule. What are they missing? Can we do STEM activities at home?

A: Are you ready to unleash your imagination, embrace trial-and-error problem solving and tolerate the wonderful mess of making stuff? Then set up a STEM camp at home, says Nancy Bourne, a STEM resource teacher in the Palm Beach County (Florida) School District.

"The STEM movement is all about encouraging kids to see these subjects as fun tools that help them make sense of the world," she says. "Kids are extraordinary thinkers and doers. Good STEM activities encourage kids to think, ask 'what if,' use their creativity and enjoy learning.

"STEM projects should be about delight and discovery. You want kids to develop a positive mindset about these subjects that will carry thoughout their lives."

Let these rules guide kids, Bourne advises:

-- Dream big. Ask questions. Take notes. Write down what you want to know more about.

-- Try new things. "Remember, failure is OK!" she urges. "I tell kids that FAIL stands for 'First Attempt In Learning.' You want them to venture their ideas."

-- Be open to what is around you. Observe carefully. "Wonder how to fly? Look at a bird. That is what the Wright brothers did and they invented the airplane," says Bourne.

She further suggests organizing three types of STEM activities:

-- Make and do. Plenty of websites support the "maker movement," an initiative to stimulate kids' imaginations with more hands-on activities.

"Find a space at home to invent, construct and get messy," Bourne advises. One of her favorite sites is Design Squad Nation at pbskids.org: "The directions are good. In no time, kids start creating their own engineered fun."

Other sites she likes that you might want to browse for more resources include edutopia.org, drawastickman.com, abcya.com/animate.htm and makesomething365.blogspot.com.

-- Explore STEM resources nearby. Check out free and inexpensive offerings at science centers, parks, children's museums and the like. Go geocaching and search for hidden caches using GPS. Try a variation called EarthCaching, where kids learn about unique geologic features. (For more information, go to schoolfamily.com and search "geocaching.")

-- Read for knowledge and inspiration. "Kids build knowledge in STEM subjects by reading a lot," says Bourne. "There are many excellent nonfiction books in STEM areas that librarians can help you locate."

In addition, the Children's Book Council lists the best science titles at cbcbooks.org. Go to ReadingRockets.org to check out science and math titles and author videos. Kids are encouraged to read such nonfiction magazines as Wired, Popular Science, National Geographic, Time For Kids, SuperScience and DynaMath.

Biographies can also inspire kids to make their mark on the world, says Bourne. There are many excellent series featuring innovators from Albert Einstein to Sally Ride to Steve Jobs. Share videos and TV programs, too.

"Kids need to see people exploring this great globe, solving problems and making new things," she says.

She also suggests watching TED Talks that are appropriate for kids (ted.com). There, Bourne says you can listen to a 2006 talk by English writer Ken Robinson. He calls creativity "as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status."

Make that your STEM camp theme.

(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 son, Malik, who is just finishing first grade, and another boy got into trouble at school. Their teacher sort of kicked them to get them to move faster in line and they reacted. Another teacher reported her and the principal got involved. It was stressful because no one believed the boys. The principal moved them to another teacher, whom Malik likes. But now Malik wants go to a different school. While I want to support him, and it would just be a transporation issue, should I let him?

A: I'm sorry Malik experienced this unfortunate incident in first grade. While he learned a couple of life lessons (even when we tell the truth, sometimes the adults we trust don't do the right things), those alone don't give a rising second-grader the wisdom to decide where to enroll in school.

It sounds like the principal acted decisively and Malik ended the school year in good hands. Meet with the principal, if you haven't already; discuss Malik's overall performance, your expectations for him and what teacher he'll have in the fall. This lets the principal know you want to stay closely involved, if you decide to keep Malik in this school.

Assuming that apart from this encounter you've been happy with the school, turn the incident into an opportunity to grow, says Diane Stephenson-Moe, an elementary counselor at Jeffers Hill Elementary School in Columbia, Maryland.

"Unless you've detected a lack of leadership or a pattern that suggests a troubled school," she says, "I don't see why one bad experience should be a reason to uproot him. When we allow children to run away from something unpleasant, it doesn't teach them skills such as resilience and problem solving."

Several factors should go into a decision to change schools. First, compare available options. How do they compare on academic performance and other factors that matter to you?

"Think about your child's needs and your family's needs and values," says Bill Jackson, the founder and CEO of GreatSchools. "Consider Malik's personality. Would he be better in a smaller school ... one with a special program that might engage him more fully? Does location matter? What are your before- and after-school care needs?"

List the pros and cons of your decision. Find further guidance at greatschools.org/gk/articles/choosing-a-school.

Life always throws us undesirable situations, "but we have to learn to deal with them," says Stephenson-Moe. "I understand that parents want to support their child -- that's good -- but I'm not comfortable giving a child this much say in such a big decision. Parents can oversupport to the point where we do children a disservice. We can't rescue and shield kids from every unpleasant experience in life."

Whatever you decide, take some time to help Malik reflect and put first grade in perspective, suggests Stephenson-Moe. Help him consider the year. What was his proudest moment and his toughest challenge? What was the most fun? What was something hard that he had to learn that he's now mastered? Who are the new friends he made?

All of this will help him see what he did to get better this school year and what he wants to get better at next school year.

(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 son's first-grade teacher suggested that we have him tested for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even though he's well above grade level. He has a hard time paying attention. She says he doesn't listen, talks with classmates and sometimes makes them mad. My cousin says he needs more discipline. I worry about him taking ADHD drugs. Should we test him?

A: When a young learner exhibits troubling behavior, parents encounter many perspectives on testing for ADHD -- from teachers, learning specialists, pediatricians or other parents. Everyone's got an opinion, some more helpful than others.

Your son's teacher is concerned about his ability to function socially and be successful in school. Most children get better at paying attention as they age, so if he's not showing progress, she's right to alert you. Making a diagnosis and coming up with a plan to modify the behavior is time-consuming and often a trial-and-error process.

First, do your homework. Websites like understood.org can be valuable resources. Many books also offer advice. Start with "Taking Charge of ADHD, Third Edition" (Guilford Press, 2013), "Smart But Scattered" (Guilford Press, 2009) and "Raising Boys With ADHD" (Prufrock Press, 2012).

Two, use any techniques from his teacher or from your research that might be helpful in managing his behavior, such as:

-- Make sure your son is close to you during activities like reading aloud or playing games, to make it easier for him to pay attention.

-- Give immediate and frequent consequences for negative or positive behaviors.

-- Give tangible rewards like tokens or play money that can be redeemed for cool stuff.

-- Break all tasks, especially projects, into smaller chunks. Describe concrete steps to him (e.g., how to tidy a room).

-- Use prompts and reminders, especially for rules and time intervals.

Three, prepare him for possible testing. An ADHD test usually involves observation forms completed by parents and the teacher and a visit to a pediatrician, who does an assessment and makes a diagnosis.

Many parents think ADHD means medication. Not necessarily. Attentional problems should always be addressed first through behavioral and environmental modifications. The doctor may make a recommendation for medication, but the decision to act on it always rests with the parents.

Before you consider any testing, document your son's behavioral patterns in various settings with a range of people; note differences where there may be different expectations or different stimuli. Observe him in restaurants, shopping malls, after-school activities or friends' houses. Can he read social cues from peers in these settings? Such difficulties can be signals for learning differences besides ADHD.

Parents must know their child well enough in different contexts and advocate for what he needs to do his best, says Susan Henry, a National Board Certified primary teacher in Massachusetts.

"Your goal, once you learn what factors help him pay attention and what sets him off, is to find ways to modify his activities, put in place counseling and other supports and reinforce appropriate behavior. This could include drug therapy."

But, she maintains, "Your intervention now will pay off later."

(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.)