learning

When President Obama announced the White House's 2014 budget earlier this week, it included an increased commitment to prioritizing early childhood eduction through a new Preschool For All initiative. The program strives to give every child in the US — particularly those in low and moderate income brackets — access to a high-quality pre-K experience. We had the privilege of learning more about the program through a conversation with US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who believes passionately in the government taking a "cradle to career" approach to educating and empowering our youth. Here, the ins and outs of how the initiative could affect your family and your kids' future:

What Preschool For All Entails
One of the president's key themes in his new budget proposal is a focus on the "cradle to career" continuum. "The only way to build, support, and grow a thriving middle class is by providing access to world-class education," said Duncan. This translates to state-level partnerships to provide all low- and moderate-income 4-year-olds with access to high-quality early childhood education.

The initiative is supplemented by investments in home-visiting programs for those families in need, including access to social workers and home health-care aides as needed to improve a child's health, development, and ability to learn.

Click here to learn more about Preschool For All's funding, who it affects, and more.

A major rule change less than two months before the Scripps National Spelling Bee has some of the world's best young spellers all abuzz over the implications.

As Yahoo News! reports, the early rounds of the contest will now include vocabulary as well as spelling questions; in other words, contestants will be required to know the meanings of all those tough words. In the past, spellers could request words to be defined for them, to help them spell the word. For the seriously devoted kids who've been studying for months, this is a major twist.

Keep reading (Yahoo News!)>>

With all the rules and regulations governing today's school systems, it's sometimes hard for parents and teachers to have frank and honest conversations. It's hard on parents, but there are things teachers wish they could say to parents, too.

It's been a while since I've been behind the teacher's desk in the classroom, but in solidarity to my dedicated in-the-classroom teacher friends, I'm sharing some of the things we wish we could say to parents.

Keep reading.

Every kid begs for video games. Parents hear the plea over and over again until they're so worn down they knuckle under and buy one. But as soon as you buy the game, the real trouble begins: junior sits down and won't get up. When he does, he's aggressive, screaming, "But the game isn't finished!" At that point you wonder, "What have I done?"

Electronics are part of your daily life, too. You're reading this online, I just hung up my cell phone, most of your Christmas gifts were probably bought online to avoid the crowds, and soon you'll be hopping over to Facebook to see how things are with your "friends." Like it or not, our children will need to know how to use electronics and computers in order to be successful in this world.

Did you know that the underlying principal for every video game is math, problem solving, and strategic thinking? Those are the skills your child is using and expanding as they play video games. But Circle of Moms member Mell L. still wonders: "With all the new tech out there . . . are we dulling our children's imaginations?"

I ponder the same thing as Mell. No matter what the researchers say about video games, I still wanted my kids outside, reading books, and using their imagination. Because of that, we locked horns, a lot.

Then one day at work, while the tech was fixing my computer, again, I asked, "How did you become a computer tech?" His answer rocked my world: "I played video games." Turns out playing video games benefited my kids, too. They both work in the computer industry today. But I made sure there were limits.

Here, we're sharing eight limits to set for video games so that your child's electronic world is balanced with creative outdoor play.

Keep reading.

Straight after school, after a break, following dinner . . . what's the best time for children to do their homework? With the new school year getting into swing, many moms are wondering which study routines work best. Here, Circle of Moms members share perspectives on the best time for getting the day's homework done.

Keep reading.

Here's a post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we bring you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post about television and kids.

We've all heard the warnings about TV time for kids: Introduced too early it can have a negative impact on your children's development, allowed too often and their behavior, attention spans and even waistlines may suffer.

Related: Why Can't I Fire My Inner Supermom?

A new study, however, takes a different approach to the hot topic of kids and television.

"We often focus on how much kids watch and don't focus enough on what they watch," says Dr. Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute and the study's author. "While too many children watch too much TV, this study shows that content is as important as quantity."

Dr. Christakis' team studied 565 families with children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. Half of these families received a "media diet intervention," receiving advice on how to substitute violent programs like Power Rangers for "prosocial and educational" ones such as Dora the Explorer, Imagination Movers, and Sesame Street. The other half, those in the control group, didn't receive this guidance.

(Confession: My gut reaction to this premise was, 'Why is a 3-year-old watching anything but prosocial and educational shows?' Then I guiltily remembered how my own standards have slipped since having my second child. At 2 years old, she already knows the theme song to her older sister's favorite show, Spongebob Squarepants. If you've ever seen Spongebob, 'educational' probably isn't the first word that pops to mind.)

The families who took part in this study remained in regular contact with the researchers for a year after the media intervention diet was introduced and "the children in the intervention group demonstrated significantly less aggression and more prosocial behavior compared to the control group, and the effect lasted throughout the 12 months."

"It's not just about turning off the television. It's about changing the channel," concludes Dr. Christakis. He urges all parents to stage a similar media diet intervention by keeping a diary to track what kids are viewing, choosing less violent programming and watching alongside their children so that they're aware of show content.

I usually brace myself for bad news when I read studies on TV time, but this one actually helps ease my guilty conscience. Like most kids, mine watch their fair share of TV. While I'm not always militant about cutting their screen time, I do try to keep a close eye on what they're watching, making sure it's not scary or violent or — particularly for my 6-year-old, who's starting to show some interest in Hannah Montana and the like — just too mature. And every time my girls tackle a problem with an Imagination Movers-inspired "idea emergency" fix, I like to tell myself that TV may not be all bad.

Do you see anything positive about your kids' favorite TV shows?

More great reads from BabyCenter:
Kim Kardashian Braves a Pregnant Bikini Photo Shoot
Would You Leave Your Child Home Alone?
10 Secrets to Raising Awesome Kids
A Love-Hate Relationship With Pregnancy
Is This What We Want Motherhood to Look Like?

Not all parents believe you should pay your child for good grades (see related article: Should You Pay Your Child For Good Grades?), but Circle of Moms members say that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reward them. Here are some ideas of how to celebrate a good report card without forking over any cash.

1. Let Them Eat Cake

Around here we celebrate good grades — and pretty much everything else — with cake. It’s a way of letting our kids know that we're proud of the hard work they’ve put in and that we think it’s worth acknowledging. They like cake, but the reward isn’t so great that they’re relying on external rewards for getting good grades. 

2. Have a Kids' Choice Family Night

Like me, Circle of Moms member Lysha J. doesn’t believe in paying for good grades, but she also doesn’t think any other material rewards are a good idea, either. Instead, she suggests doing something as a family, something that the kids choose, like going out for ice cream or renting a movie.

3. Go to the Museum

Mom Christine H. thinks as kids get older and school work gets harder, it can be motivational to reward kids with activities for continued good grades. She and mom Autumn B. both suggest a trip to a museum, which can be both fun and educational.

4. Buy New Books

A number of Circle of Moms members say that good grades earns their child a trip to the bookstore or a chance to choose something from the latest book order form. As one member named "Fluffy Bunnies" points out, if the reward is educational, you’re encouraging his interest in education.

5. Use a Cumulative Reward System

A few moms mention that instead of paying for good grades, they use a sticker chart as a cumulative reward system. Chantelle P. says when your child gets to a certain number of stickers, you can take them to buy a small toy. Belinda P. uses a system in which five stickers is equal to a dollar, which can be saved up for a wanted item. 

6. Go Out for Ice Cream

I remember this report card reward from my own childhood, as does mom Jen B., who says it was a big deal to go out for ice cream when she was a kid. That’s why she’s carried on the tradition with her son, who is so excited about it that he even shows his report card to the server!

7. Give Out "Lego dollars"

Instead of paying in real dollars, mom Sherry M. rewards improved grades with what she calls “Lego” and “craft” dollars. It’s a great idea; it makes the reward a favorite recreational activity and doesn’t involve cash.

8. Eat Out as a Family

I love Theresa K.’s reason for taking the kids out to dinner to celebrate good grades. "We reward our children with a family dinner out. It gives us a great opportunity to talk about their grades and the comments from their teachers," she says.

9. Give an iTunes Gift Card

Circle of Moms member Candace says she sometimes gives iTunes cards as a reward for good grades, but she mixes it up with other rewards, too. When her oldest child made the Dean’s List for the third time in a row, she got to go horseback riding!

10. One-on-One Time

Don’t forget that sometimes just a little time alone with you is a treat for your child. Mom Wendy L. says one way she rewards her daughter’s good grades is by planning a special outing just for the two of them.

Image Source: iStockPhoto

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

School-based tragedies like the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT have prompted outpourings of support and even efforts to help heal our country through random acts of kindness. 

They have also prompted schools to take a look at the security measures they have in place and to practice those protocols. This means kids across the country are practicing lockdown drills, a safety measure with which not all parents are comfortable. 

We asked mom bloggers and members of the Circle of Moms Facebook page to give us some insight into how their families are coping with lockdown drills. Here’s what they had to say.

Just Another Drill

An article in the Boston Globe addressing myths about mass shootings questioned whether lockdown drills are effective, suggesting that they are more traumatizing than instructional to children. While there may be truth to that, many of the moms we talked to said that their kids see lockdown drills as a routine part of school life.

Meredith, blogger for From Meredith to Mommy, says as a former teacher she must have practiced lockdown drills at least 25 times. "For the most part, the kids are used to them," she says.

Mom Dale M. agrees. On the Circle of Moms Facebook page she was one of many moms who said their children don’t see lockdown drills as being any different than fire drills or, in some cases, earthquake and tornado drills.

Kids Worry About Being Left Behind

There’s a difference, though, between a fire drill in which everyone is evacuating the building and a lockdown drill in which classroom doors are locked against intruders. For some kids, the idea of being left behind and locked out is very scary.

In fact, when Circle of Moms member Lorie T.’s son was in pre-kindergarten, during his first experience of practicing a lockdown drill, he was left behind in the school bathroom. He was OK, but being left outside of locked doors is a fear that many kids share.

One mom of three from New York says her daughter was so afraid she'd be caught in the bathroom during a drill or real emergency that she wouldn't leave for school in the morning "until she had done her business."

Both she and Lorie addressed their situations with the school and, in the latter's case, made a plan with the school nurse to help her daughter feel more secure about what to do if she was in the bathroom during a lockdown.

Moms Worry About Being Left Out 

While some kids are feeling anxiety around lockdown drills, moms seem to be having an even harder time. Circle of Moms members certainly worry about the effect lockdown drills have on their kids, but more prevalent are their concerns that parents are being left in the dark about when and what procedures are taking place.

Nikki B. says her children’s school sends text messages to parents letting them know when a drill begins and ends, a practice mom Angela G. says she wishes her child's school would adopt. That's something that would probably go a long way in allaying Nicole D.'s fears. The Tiny Steps Mommy blogger says the only text she’s received about a lockdown was from her son when he was in the middle of one that wasn't a drill. She thinks (and other moms agree) that there's a valuable lesson to be learned from her experience — maybe some schools need to loosen their texting bans for students to make everyone feel safer. 

Parental resources from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP):

• Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers
• Identifying Seriously Traumatized Children: Tips for Parents and Educators

Image Source: zalouk webdesign via Flickr/Creative Commons

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.