Our curated list of kid-related news for August 12, 2016.
- By
- Parker Barry
- 1. What the Olympics can teach your kid. The Olympics are a very exciting time for many reasons, one of those being your kid! As you sit down to watch the Olympics your kids, here are eight lessons that you can teach them as you watch the athletes go for gold.
- 2. Study finds like between video games and test scores. An Australian study with high school students found a link between playing video games daily and high test scores in science, math and reading. Although the study does not prove that video games were the direct cause of higher performance, Albert Posso, the study’s publisher, explains that “when you play online games you’re solving puzzles to move to the next level and that involves using some of the general knowledge and skills in maths, reading and science that you’ve been taught during the day.” (Positive link between video games and academic performance, study suggests.)
- 3. Parent-teacher relationship tips. As you prepare to send your kids back to school, you may be thinking about all the questions and concerns you have for their teachers at back-to-school nights. Finding the balance between advocating for our kids and being overbearing can be hard. The author provides some advice to find that balance: Learn about teachers’ communication styles, keep in mind that the they are open to listening, and always remember to be aware of how you are coming off. (Back to school: How to advocate for your child without being “that” parent.)
- 4. Tween motivational speaker shares words of wisdom. Ten-year-old Nyeeam Hudson is touching lives with his positive words. His large social media following, advocate director position for the FP YouthOutcry Foundation/The H.U.B.B. Community Empowerment Center in Newark, and other accomplishments have earned him the “The Youngest Motivational Speaker” moniker. He has even traveled to Africa to spread his positive message. You can find him on Instagram as @kingnahh.
(Need motivation? This 10-year-old kid has words of wisdom to share)
- 5. Schools search for ways to standardize arts testing. Six different states are now doing large-scale arts testings in order to “compare the performance of schools and districts” in different states. What sets this project apart is that the assessment is all based on creativity. The hope is that this will show that arts are an important subject “that can and should be tested” because “research has shown that arts education can improve student achievement in reading and math, as well as increase critical-thinking skills and engage students in school.” (Grading Creativity: Can a standardized exam save arts education?)
