(Family Features) Throughout the pandemic, teachers have gone above and beyond for their students, becoming not just educators, but also counselors, role models and friends to their students by supporting their overall well-being.
Even so, only 52% of teachers feel valued by their communities, according to PDK International, a professional association for educators. What’s more, teachers are more burnt out than ever, with 81% reporting their workloads have increased and 55% sharing they have less time for planning than before, according to a State of Teaching survey conducted by Adopt a Classroom.
Heading back to school means stocking up on supplies, updating wardrobes and planning new routines for hassle-free mornings. This fall, as you prepare for the new school year, consider these ideas for supporting your children’s teachers, too:
Volunteer in the Classroom With the extra roles and responsibilities many teachers have taken on in recent years, there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete special projects or keep up with certain tasks. Ask teachers how you can lend a hand. That might mean spending some time physically in the classroom, or there may be ways you can support your children’s classes from home, such as assembling instructional packets or researching field trip ideas.
Recognize Teachers Who Go Above and Beyond Chances are good you know at least a few educators who have gone beyond the call of duty and made an exceptional impact on their students. Honoring their contributions shows appreciation for all they do. One way to demonstrate your gratitude is by nominating educators for Staples’ fourth annual #ThankATeacher contest, which recognizes 20 stand-out educators who go above and beyond for their students. Winners’ schools will be awarded $5,000 in classroom essentials for the upcoming school year. Learn more about how to nominate a teacher at staplesconnect.com/thankateacher.1
Be a Partner in Your Child’s Learning at Home Supporting teachers isn’t just about the classroom and supplies; you can also provide a helping hand by creating good habits and modeling the importance of education at home. Actions like creating routines that keep students on a comfortable, familiar schedule help teachers manage classrooms more effectively. You can also make communication with your children’s teachers a priority so you’re aware of concerns and can help address them early.
Donate School Supplies Often, teachers dip into their own income to create fun, engaging learning experiences and supplement student supplies when they run low. In fact, the average teacher spends $745 on supplies for their classrooms that are not covered by school budgets. According to Adopt a Classroom’s State of Teaching survey, 71% of teachers spent more of their own money on classroom materials in 2022 than during the previous year.
You can ask teachers what supplies they need, or you can give back to teachers through Staples’ Classroom Rewards program. Join for free and earn 5% back on every qualifying purchase for you and 10% back of qualifying purchases to donate to local teachers. The program helps reduce teachers’ out of pocket costs for their classrooms by allowing them to earn up to $2,000 a year.
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Attend School Board Meetings and Voice Support Keeping tabs on the issues affecting your school district and teachers is an important part of monitoring and advocating for your children’s education, but it’s also a way for you to lend your support on topics affecting teachers. Stay informed about issues that matter to your children’s teachers and support school board policies and actions that serve teachers’ best interests.
1NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to 50 U.S./D.C., 18 or older as of date of entry who possess a web-enabled mobile device as of July 24, 2022. Begins 12:00 am ET on July 25, 2022 and ends 11:59 pm ET on August 15, 2022. Sponsored by Staples® the Office Superstore, LLC. For complete rules and eligibility, visit staplesconnect.com/thankateacher.
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Rebecca Jo is a mother of four and is a creative soul from Phoenix, Arizona, who also enjoys new adventures. Rebecca Jo has a passion for the outdoors and indulges in activities like camping, fishing, hunting and riding roller coasters. She is married to Rod Washington
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Rebecca Jo is a mother of four and is a creative soul from Phoenix, Arizona, who also enjoys new adventures. Rebecca Jo has a passion for the outdoors and indulges in activities like camping, fishing, hunting and riding roller coasters. She is married to Rod Washington
(Family Features) Learning to write is one of the defining milestones of early childhood, but it doesn’t happen all at once. Children build writing skills over time, from indecipherable scribbles to writing letters and words. While children progress at their own pace, families can help foster early writing development.
Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer at The Goddard School, and Dr. Sonia Cabell, professor of reading education at Florida State University and member of The Goddard School’s Educational Advisory Board, provide this insight and guidance for families.
Early Writing Milestones
Writing begins in early toddlerhood, around 18-24 months. The earliest developmental milestone is when children scribble on paper with a crayon.
By 2-3 years old, children often draw shapes and narrate their writing. Parents should show genuine interest to help build confidence and interest. Ask your children to read what they write, as this helps make the connection that marks on paper represent thoughts and ideas. It’s not expected for children younger than 3 to write identifiable letters. Instead, encourage them to make marks on paper without constraint, allowing them to freely express themselves.
Around ages 3-5, children begin to move from writing (making marks) to handwriting, which is the formalized motion of making numerals and letters in recognizable forms. It’s vital for parents to value their children’s writing no matter what appears on the paper and provide opportunities for them to regularly engage in writing. Children at this age tend to write letters in different ways. It’s common, for example, for letters to appear backwards or from right to left. These are not causes for concern; this is a natural part of the development process.
Writing Supports Reading (and Vice Versa)
Reading and writing skills develop in tandem, reinforcing each other. Through writing, children experiment with how written language works, learning English moves from left to right and top to bottom. By estimating spelling – using their knowledge of letter shapes and sounds to attempt to write words – they are beginning to break the code of reading. Moreover, when children are composing stories, they are supporting comprehension and oral language growth, which are critical for reading development.
Encourage Writing at Home
Make writing part of everyday life. While ensuring paper and writing utensils are accessible is a start, materials alone won’t spontaneously create writing experiences. Children naturally want to engage with things they see, so parents and older siblings should serve as writing models. For example, when writing a grocery list, ask your children to write their own lists. When you’re writing a thank-you note, have them write their own.
The development of fine motor skills is also essential. One way to do this is provide tools like chopsticks or tongs that require them to use their forefinger and thumb in a pinching motion; this strengthens the hand muscles that are used to write. Also encourage play with small toys like blocks or beads that engage the hands in different ways. As fine motor skills improve, it becomes easier to grip writing utensils and write for extended periods.
Writing Tools
From apps to workbooks, countless tools and resources tout their ability to help children learn to write. Be wary. Typing on a tablet or computer is no substitute for learning to write by hand. Multiple studies have shown that writing – not typing – better promotes cognitive and literacy development.
Avoid activities like workbooks that require repetitive writing of letters over and over, as this inhibits creativity and experimentation. These activities can cause children to fear making mistakes, which can lead to anxiety, frustration and a loss of interest. The best tools are often the simplest: a small writing utensil (not big or bulky; children have small hands and need appropriately sized utensils) and a blank piece of paper.
Remember, children develop at their own pace. Provide encouragement and focus on effort, not perfection.
To watch a writing webinar featuring Loquasto and Cabell and access additional parenting resources, visit the Parent Resource Center at GoddardSchool.com.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:The Goddard School
(Family Features) Play is a universal language spoken by people of all ages. Through play, children learn to forge connections with others, build a wide range of leadership skills, develop resilience, conquer fears and navigate relationships and social challenges.
For babies and toddlers, play is about far more than just having fun; it’s about learning and building important skills, from cognitive and physical to emotional and social abilities. As children get older, play helps reduce stress levels, process difficult emotions, promote problem-solving and build confidence – skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Despite its importance, play is often undervalued and overlooked due to busy schedules, lack of resources or misconceptions about its benefits. Approximately 4 in 10 children ages 2-4 do not get enough responsive interaction or stimulation at home, based on estimates from UNICEF, and roughly 1 in 8 children under age 5 don’t have toys or playthings at home.
To overcome these barriers, it’s essential for parents and caregivers to recognize the value of both structured and unstructured play. Simple, everyday items – like kitchen utensils, cardboard boxes, leaves and stones – can be tools for imaginative play. Setting aside dedicated time for play, even in short intervals, can make a difference.
In honor of International Day of Play, consider these ideas to turn everyday activities into playful learning opportunities from UNICEF, which recognizes play as an important means to help children by providing access to evidence-based parenting programs and working with governments to prioritize play-based teaching and learning practices in schools and other learning environments.
Turn a grocery shopping trip into a scavenger hunt to teach kids about different foods, counting and categorization.
Role play or act out different scenarios you read in books or see in movies to help develop social skills and emotional understanding.
Make important language connections when getting dressed, such as identifying different articles of clothing and teaching colors.
Use bathtime to explore buoyancy and water with floating toys.
Play “I spy” while driving in the car or going for a walk around your neighborhood to help kids identify different animals, shapes, colors and elements of nature like trees, clouds and more.
Explore the kitchen through tasks such as choosing ingredients, measuring them and keeping time while cooking.
Use puzzles and building blocks to help develop problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.
Stimulate senses and promote fine motor skills through play with materials like sand, water or crafting dough.
Make sorting laundry educational by asking children to match socks by color or size, reinforcing their understanding of sorting and categorization.
Take turns doing the feeding at snack or mealtimes to build hand-eye coordination.
Find more ways to engage your children in fun, engaging play at unicefusa.org/play.
SOURCE:UNICEF
Parents can enhance their children’s screen-time value by choosing high-quality media – that is, content with educational benefit. PBS Kids has many popular shows, from “Nature Cat” to “Sid the Science Kid,” that would qualify as educational.
Two other elements contribute to the quality of screen time.
First, screen content should be age-appropriate – that is, parents should choose shows, apps and games that are specifically designed for young children. Using a resource such as Common Sense Media allows parents to check recommended ages for television shows, movies and apps.
Second, parents can look for shows that use evidence-based educational techniques, such as participatory cues. That’s when characters in shows break the “fourth wall” by directly talking to their young audience to prompt reflection, action or response. Research shows that children learn new words better when a show has participatory cues – perhaps because it encourages active engagement rather than passive viewing.
Many classic, high-quality television shows for young children feature participatory cues, including “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Dora the Explorer,” “Go Diego Go!” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.”
Point out basic concepts, such as letters and colors.
Model more advanced language using a “think aloud” approach, such as, “That surprised me! I wonder what will happen next?”
No. 3: Connect what’s on screen to real life
Learning from media is challenging for young children because their brains struggle to transfer information and ideas from screens to the real world. Children learn more from screen media, research shows, when the content connects to their real-life experiences.
To maximize the benefits of screen time, parents can help children connect what they are viewing with experiences they’ve had. For example, while watching content together, a parent might say, “They’re going to the zoo. Do you remember what we saw when we went to the zoo?”
This approach promotes language development and cognitive skills, including attention and memory. Children learn better with repeated exposure to words, so selecting media that relates to a child’s real-life experiences can help reinforce new vocabulary.
No. 4: Enjoy screen-free times
Ensuring that a child’s day is filled with varied experiences, including periods that don’t involve screens, increases language exposure in children’s daily routines.
Two ideal screen-free times are mealtimes and bedtime. Mealtimes present opportunities for back-and-forth conversation with children, exposing them to a lot of language. Additionally, bedtime should be screen-free, as using screens near bedtime or having a TV in children’s bedrooms disrupts sleep.
Alternatively, devoting bedtime to reading children’s books accomplishes the dual goals of helping children wind down and creating a language-rich routine.
Having additional screen-free, one-on-one, parent-child play for at least 10 minutes at some other point in the day is good for young children. Parents can maximize the benefits of one-on-one play by letting their children decide what and how to play.
Even in small doses, parent-child playtime is important.Vera Livchak/Moment via Getty Images
A parent’s role here is to follow their child’s lead, play along, give their child their full attention – so no phones for mom or dad, either – and provide language enrichment. They can do this by labeling toys, pointing out shapes, colors and sizes. It can also be done by describing activities – “You’re rolling the car across the floor” – and responding when their child speaks.
Parent-child playtime is also a great opportunity to extend interests from screen time. Including toys of your child’s favorite characters from the shows or movies they love in playtime transforms that enjoyment from screen time into learning.Erika Squires, Assistant Professor, Wayne State University and Lucy (Kathleen) McGoron, Assistant Professor of Child and Family Development, Wayne State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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(Family Features) Learning to write is one of the defining milestones of early childhood, but it doesn’t happen all at once. Children build writing skills over time, from indecipherable scribbles to writing letters and words. While children progress at their own pace, families can help foster early writing development.
Dr. Lauren Loquasto, senior vice president and chief academic officer at 
Encourage Writing at Home
Make writing part of everyday life. While ensuring paper and writing utensils are accessible is a start, materials alone won’t spontaneously create writing experiences. Children naturally want to engage with things they see, so parents and older siblings should serve as writing models. For example, when writing a grocery list, ask your children to write their own lists. When you’re writing a thank-you note, have them write their own.
The development of fine motor skills is also essential. One way to do this is provide tools like chopsticks or tongs that require them to use their forefinger and thumb in a pinching motion; this strengthens the hand muscles that are used to write. Also encourage play with small toys like blocks or beads that engage the hands in different ways. As fine motor skills improve, it becomes easier to grip writing utensils and write for extended periods.
Writing Tools
From apps to workbooks, countless tools and resources tout their ability to help children learn to write. Be wary. Typing on a tablet or computer is no substitute for learning to write by hand. Multiple studies have shown that writing – not typing – better promotes cognitive and literacy development.
Avoid activities like workbooks that require repetitive writing of letters over and over, as this inhibits creativity and experimentation. These activities can cause children to fear making mistakes, which can lead to anxiety, frustration and a loss of interest. The best tools are often the simplest: a small writing utensil (not big or bulky; children have small hands and need appropriately sized utensils) and a blank piece of paper.
Remember, children develop at their own pace. Provide encouragement and focus on effort, not perfection.
To watch a writing webinar featuring Loquasto and Cabell and access additional parenting resources, visit 
(Family Features) Play is a universal language spoken by people of all ages. Through play, children learn to forge connections with others, build a wide range of leadership skills, develop resilience, conquer fears and navigate relationships and social challenges.
For babies and toddlers, play is about far more than just having fun; it’s about learning and building important skills, from cognitive and physical to emotional and social abilities. As children get older, play helps reduce stress levels, process difficult emotions, promote problem-solving and build confidence – skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Despite its importance, play is often undervalued and overlooked due to busy schedules, lack of resources or misconceptions about its benefits. Approximately 4 in 10 children ages 2-4 do not get enough responsive interaction or stimulation at home, based on estimates from UNICEF, and roughly 1 in 8 children under age 5 don’t have toys or playthings at home.
To overcome these barriers, it’s essential for parents and caregivers to recognize the value of both structured and unstructured play. Simple, everyday items – like kitchen utensils, cardboard boxes, leaves and stones – can be tools for imaginative play. Setting aside dedicated time for play, even in short intervals, can make a difference.
In honor of 
Erika Squires, Assistant Professor, Wayne State University and Lucy (Kathleen) McGoron, Assistant Professor of Child and Family Development, Wayne State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
