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Continue reading →: Mistakes Welcome: Raising Growth-Mindset MathematiciansMy dad can work “math rules the world” into almost any moment. Negotiating allowance? Math rules the world. Perfect pancake flip? Math rules the world. Last weekend he said it to each of my three kids… twice… and then to me, because fairness. It’s funny what we carry from our…
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Continue reading →: When Achievement Isn’t the AnswerThis summer I read a book titled Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic and What We Can Do About It. The inside cover opens with this line: “Today’s children and teens are under increasing pressure to excel in all areas of their young lives—academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities—often at…
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Continue reading →: Raising Human Explanation Points and Impulse ControlTaylor Swift once described Travis Kelce as a human exclamation point. I would use the same description for my middle sister, both as a child and, if I am honest, still today. She was loud, joyful, dramatic with her arm movements, and impulse control was not her strongest skill. I…
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Continue reading →: The Mystery of the Missing Backpack: How Working Memory Shapes Your Child’s DayI know I cannot be the only parent who lives this scene more mornings than I would like to admit: “Alright, we are going to be late. Go get your socks and shoes, coat and backpack… oh, and did you brush your teeth?” Fast forward five minutes and a child…
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Continue reading →: When Kids Can (and can’t) Sort BooksWhen my oldest was four years old, she spent the day with me in my office at the University of Delaware. At one point, she wandered into the office of a colleague who holds a Ph.D. in mathematics. My colleague asked her to arrange the books on the bottom shelf…
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Continue reading →: When the Conductor Takes a Sick Day: Raising Kids with Executive SkillsLast week, one of my children, who shall remain nameless, had a full-on meltdown that ended with him declaring, “I’m going to fail, be held back, and become the oldest person in my grade!” The cause of this tragedy? He had forgotten most of the materials he needed to complete…
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Continue reading →: September Is the Real New Year: Goals and MotivationLast week, Mr. Simmons wrote about how, for students and teachers, the new year doesn’t really begin on January 1. It starts on September 1. That feels true in my house, too. With each new school year, I find myself setting goals, not just for my own time management (“This…
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Continue reading →: Dr. Wagner’s Weekly Message: Summer JittersIf you ask any of my children if they’re excited about summer, they’ll let out a dramatic groan,“YESSS,” then immediately ask how many days are left of school, or provide a minute countdown. If you stick around a moment longer, you’ll hear them start fighting over absolutely nothing. One will…
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Continue reading →: Dr. Wagner’s Weekly Message: What Should My Child Be Doing This Summer?The Answer Might Surprise You As we round the corner into summer, I keep hearing two very different versions of the same question: Versions 1: “We are going totally off the grid this summer. My kids need a break. No schedule. No structure. No stress.” Version 2: “My child must…
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Continue reading →: Dr. Wagner’s Weekly Message: Unicorn MathLet’s Talk Math… Yes, That Math New math, old math, confusing math, easy math… math, math, math! However you slice it, math in elementary school looks pretty different than it did when we were students—and we all have feelings about it. And if we’re being really honest, our kids have…






