What exactly is artificial intelligence? And what are the best AI tools for K-12 students?

Parents, buckle your seatbelts! Over the past few years Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown so rapidly that your high school child can now produce an essay for their English class in less than 60 seconds – not with a command to a Genie or some science fiction contraption –  but with one simple visit to ChatGPT. The essay will be well written but may contain a few factual errors. (More on that later.) 

Let’s try to understand exactly what Artificial Intelligence is and what it is not. According to Google, AI is a set of technologies that enable computers to perform a variety of advanced functions, including the ability to see, understand, and translate written and spoken language, analyze data, make recommendations, and more. A calculator is not AI because the user must input numbers for the calculator to process the result. The calculator will not “learn” from each entry and predict what the user will enter next. AI will.

Like many industries, education is grappling with the presence and disruption of AI. Some schools and/or teachers are prohibiting its use. Other more progressive schools and/or teachers are acknowledging its existence and are embracing its powers to help students learn. 

While there are many viewpoints about AI’s use in educational settings, there are some objective positives and negatives to its place in schools and classrooms. 

Positives of AI in education

• According to Forbes, AI-powered educational tools can analyze data on student performance and provide tailored support to improve their grades.
• AI can also provide instant feedback. For example, AI-powered educational tools can provide students with immediate feedback on their work, allowing them to identify and correct mistakes quickly.
• E-learning Industry says AI can personalize learning by tailoring lessons to individual students’ needs, providing immediate feedback, and offering guidance.
• Gamification or the use of game scenarios that interest the students can provide immediate feedback and boost engagement.
• 24/7 access to technology can meet students when and where they are ready. 
• Virtual Speech reports that some neurodiverse students who may struggle with traditional settings or learning methods thrive in AI powered environments.

Negatives of AI in education

• Forbes shares that while AI can provide personalized learning and instant feedback, it cannot replace the human and emotional support that students need to succeed, and relying too heavily on AI-powered educational tools may impact students negatively.
• Educators Technology states that plagiarism and factuality of information are also two serious concerns underlying the use of AI technologies in education.
• Privacy concerns proliferate the use of AI – or any internet visit – as students’ personal information can become at-risk.
• Cost of implementing AI in schools can be prohibitive for many districts and schools.
• Some teachers view AI as a threat to their job and may not embrace its true power out of fear for their continued employment.

Best AI tools for students

Now that you have your Cliff Notes version of AI, what are some tools that your child could benefit from using? Below is a wide range of AI apps, websites and programs that can support and enhance your child’s progress in school. Perhaps they are already using some these.

Slidesgo creates slide shows out of Google Slides or Power Point from student content. There are many themes and styles to select from that will “jazz up” any presentation, great for the non-artsy student. Best is that it is free.

Otter.ai records lectures and transcribes them into text in real time. It can even join Zoom sessions and record the meeting. There is a free option or paid options with more features.

Duolingo is a researched-backed approach to learning a foreign language. With bite-sized lessons students earn points and unlock levels, like a video game. And it is free.

Girls Who Code- Code at Home Program is an organization that allows girls to learn computer science and coding- and it is free.

Speechify coverts just about any text to speech. Students can choose from over 100 different voices including Snoop Dog. Prices vary.

Knowji is a tool that helps students learn vocabulary words in a fun and effective way. Using a built-in memory coach, Knowji ensures that each word you learn is maintained and stored in your long-term memory. Students preparing for the SAT or ACT may benefit from this program. Price $9.99.

Cognii: is a virtual learning assistant with conversational chatbot replies. They purport personalized deeper learning and intelligent tutoring among some of the features. Students can ask questions and receive immediate responses in a variety of subjects. Pricing not available. 

Plaito is another learning assistant great for homework help and studying. There is a free option.

Hello History allows a user the opportunity to chat with a historical figure or fictional character that responds in their voice and style. It is great for research and learning more about a person. Cost not available.

ChatGPT is perhaps the best known AI tool due to its proliferation in the media. It is a form of generative AI, which means it literally generates responses based on the input. As mentioned at the beginning, ChatGPT can write an essay or tell a joke. There is a free version.

Concluding thoughts

No matter where you sit on the AI knowledge continuum, the education field is being transformed from the various AI applications available to both teachers and students. Like all new and innovative developments, there is a scary element to it along with a wide range of feelings and opinions about it. Positives include the efficiency in which AI can analyze a large set of data and and transform it into recommendations and feedback for student learning. Negatives include the lack of personal connection and emotional support that a teacher or tutor would provide. Whether your child’s school prohibits or embraces AI, these 10 applications are worth reviewing and sharing with your child.

If you have questions about AI or how it could be better harnessed to help your child with their schooling, contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to learn more about these fascinating programs.

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How is ADHD actually diagnosed? And what are the most effective treatment approaches?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD can look different. Perhaps your teenage son’s bedroom looks like a Category 3 hurricane blew through it and he has a magnifying lens on all his emotions. Or your 4th grade daughter seems like she is always daydreaming and needs constant reminders to complete even simple tasks. And of course there could be your middle school son who simply cannot sit still and blurts out information like Alexa on auto repeat, even when not asked.

October is ADHD awareness month (though if your child has it you are probably aware of it 12 months a year!), so Engage the Brain is focusing on sharing some facts, debunking some common myths, and detailing some typical – and not so typical – treatment options.

Dr. Ned Hallowell, a well-know psychiatrist who specializes in ADHD, says, “The ADHD brain is like a Ferrari engine with bicycle brakes.” If your child is like the active – and verbose – child described above, clearly you can relate to this quote. The thinking, processing and output cycle in individuals with ADHD can be disrupted and often times yield undesired consequences.

Types of ADHD/ADD and statistics

According to the CDC, there are three different ways ADHD presents itself, depending on which types of symptoms are strongest in the individual:

• Predominantly Inattentive Presentation: It is hard for the individual to organize or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted or forgets details of daily routines.

• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation: The person fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long (e.g., while doing homework). Younger children may run, jump or climb constantly. The individual feels restless and has trouble with impulsivity. They may interrupt others a lot, grab things from people, or speak at inappropriate times. It is hard for the person to wait their turn or listen to directions.

• Combined Presentation: Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in the person.

According to CHAAD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), ADHD runs in families with a heritability chance of 57% for a child if a parent has ADHD and a 70%-80% chance for a twin if the other twin has ADHD. The Centers for Disease Control estimated the number of children aged 3–17 years ever diagnosed with ADHD, according to a national survey of parents, is 6 million (9.8%) using data from 2016-2019. This number includes:

• 3–5 years: 265,000 (2%)
• 6–11 years 2.4 million (10%)
• 12–17 years: 3.3 million (13%).

Additionally, according to a national 2016 parent survey, 6 in 10 children with ADHD had at least one other mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder:

• About half of the children with ADHD had a conduct problem.
• About 3 in 10 children with ADHD had anxiety.

Myths about ADHD

Like so many conditions and diseases and maladies, there is a plethora of information available just a few finger clicks away on the internet. Hello, Dr. Google! While some of that information is truthful and perhaps even helpful, much of it is wrong and can be even dangerous depending on the disorder. To help parents sort through what information belongs in which category, what follows are several common myths about ADHD and related facts.

Myth: A child’s environment is the main cause of attention deficit disorder. If you make changes to the home environment, the condition will solve itself.

Fact: ADHD is a legitimate brain processing condition. The environment could be perfectly set up to support a child with ADHD and there could still be challenges.

Myth: ADHD is not a real medical condition.

Fact: Understood states that The National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Psychiatric Association all recognize ADHD as a medical condition. Imaging studies show differences in brain development between people with ADHD and people who don’t have it.

Myth: All children with ADHD are hyperactive.

Fact: As referenced above, there are three ways the condition can present itself. One is predominantly inattentive. Think of the daydreamers or child who needs multi-step directions repeated numerous times.

Myth: Children with ADHD will outgrow it.

Fact: According to the Child Mind Institute, about two-thirds of kids with ADHD will continue to meet the criteria into adulthood. But the symptoms can change. Often the hyperactivity component can lessen as a person matures into an adult.

Myth: Only boys have ADHD.

Fact: Twice as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD than girls. That typically is attributed to girls not being hyperactive, which tends to be more visible – and disruptive – in childhood. Often with girls the symptoms are missed or overlooked by classroom teachers who are not trained or experienced in working with students with ADHD. 

Diagnosing ADHD

There’s no single test to diagnose ADHD. A psychologist or psychiatrist or a primary care provider such as pediatrician can diagnose the condition. According to Wedmd, doctors rely on several things, including:

• Interviews with the parents, relatives, teachers, or other adults
• Personally watching the child or adult
• Questionnaires or rating scales that measure symptoms of ADHD
• Psychological tests

ADHD ratings scales are commonly utilized during the diagnosis process. Parents and teacher(s) will be asked to fill out a questionnaire. Healthline has some great information about the rating scales and what to expect when completing them.

Treatment options for ADHD

Just as no two people with ADHD share the exact same symptoms, there is no universal treatment perfect for all. According to Nemours Kids Health, treatment for ADHD usually includes:

• Medicine. This activates the brain’s ability to pay attention, slow down, and use more self-control.
• Behavior therapy. Therapists can help kids develop the social, emotional, and planning skills that are lagging with ADHD.
• Parent coaching. Through coaching, parents learn the best ways to respond to behavior problems that are part of ADHD.
• School support. Teachers can help kids with ADHD do well and enjoy school more.

While medicine, therapy, and coaching are the most common approaches to addressing ADHD, there are alternate treatment options.

• Diet: The Feingold Diet is an elimination diet, which strives to remove certain foods to help reduce hyperactivity and increase focus.
• Exercise: CHAAD states that 30 minutes of aerobic work: running, biking, swimming can be as effective as taking medication. 
• Yoga: My Yoga Teacher shares ten poses to help with focus and attention.  
• Meditation: Five techniques to get started by Choosing Therapy.

Final thoughts

ADHD is a legitimate brain condition which can present in three different ways: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive and impulsive, or a combination of the two. Diagnosing it requires a medical professional such as a pediatrician or psychiatrist who will use a variety of techniques including observation, interview, and rating scales. Treating ADHD is most effective when employing a holistic approach, using a combination of tools including medicine, diet, and exercise. Perhaps the most important action to take when a child has ADHD is to surround them with the right support system. Dr. Hallowell, the psychiatrist who focuses on ADHD, says, “You need to give what’s best in you a chance to grow with the right gardener, one who sees that you’re a special plant, not a weed.”

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD or you believe your child is struggling with symptoms similar to it, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discover how a Learning Specialist may be able to help provide your child with strategies and techniques to help them thrive in the classroom and life and blossom into the best versions of themselves.

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What are the benefits of creating an after-school routine for children? Some include lower stress levels for kids and their parents. Here is a how-to for creating one that works for your family.

When kids arrive home after school, things can go a lot of different ways. Some children have a supportive parent waiting with a healthy snack and an eager ear to hear about all the wonderful things that they learned in school that day. Other kids wander into an empty, silent house, due to both parents working to make ends meet. And of course there is the child who may (or may not) have kept it together all day at school, only to arrive home to a parent who knows the meltdown is coming once their child is safely in the home.

No matter what your after–school time looks like in your family, there is a secret to a successful transition for your kids from school to home: establish an after-school routine.

Why establish a routine

There is a lot of research that supports how beneficial it is to create a routine for children to follow. According to the American Psychological Association, a recently published review of 50 years of psychological research shows that even infants and preschoolers are healthier and exhibit better-regulated behavior when there are predictable routines in the family.

Penn State University adds that children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. Structure in the form of routines can reduce struggles and provide a safe and secure environment for children.

Doesn’t this sound enticing? Less stressed kids and fewer struggles with chores and homework!  In addition to these fantastic benefits, children will develop skills and responsibilities. While your child balances completing homework, chores, and any extracurricular activities, they will also be practicing an important Executive Functioning skill of time management.

How to make an after-school routine

If the word “routine” makes you shudder due to its rigidness and connotation of falling in line, then consider creating an after school ritual. Dr.Erika Bocknek, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at Wayne State University, discusses the importance of creating a routine and ritual. Dr Bocknek says, “Rituals give children a growing sense of themselves as a member of a greater whole which promotes positive developmental outcomes. In addition, the joy that families experience inside of rituals together can leave an ‘emotional residue’ that children keep with them to cope during stressful times.”  She cites examples of rituals such as Taco Tuesday or a bedtime routine of reading a favorite story.

Where should you start? Do not Google “after-school routine” looking for an easy one already created by some super mom who blogs about how wonderful her family life is and offers free downloads if you enter your email address. Do not do this because your kids are not her kids! Every family is going to have unique needs and the after-school schedule you create must work for your home.

First, let kids help make the routine; they will be more likely to follow it. Of course you will drive and steer the process so that the schedule includes all of the necessary ingredients discussed below.

Next, include a snack time. Depending on the age of your child, lunch at school could be extremely early and they may have not eaten in hours. Of course you will want to offer healthy choices to refuel their bodies and minds.

After that, it is homework time. Having a predictable homework time and location to complete it reduces fights and pleas to skip it. If your child is older and has hours of homework – (yikes!) – break up the homework time with brain breaks and maybe even with some exercise, which is discussed next.

Add in exercise and/or movement. Many students simply need to move to get out some excess energy. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates that only 1 in every 3 children in America participates in physical activity every day. It is important to note that these pieces of an after-school routine are not necessarily listed in order. If your child needs to exercise immediately upon arriving home from, honor that need and allow it.

Allow time to decompress. All students benefit from time to just chill. Discourage screen time and video games during this part of the schedule. Simply relaxing and doing nothing can actually spark creativity and recharge the batteries. If your child needs to move, encourage yoga as a way to decompress yet still reap some physical benefit.

Finally, provide screen time and access to video games. If your child has accomplished all of the above steps in the routine, then they have earned some time to play a video game or watch a show on tv, if those are activities that interest them. 

Make sure to post the routine so everyone can see it and follow it. Printing out and posting the routine in a high visibility location such as the kitchen or an entry way is great idea and reminder that there is a routine to be followed. Remember: Kids need support while learning the new routine(s); don’t expect them to magically just follow along. Look for small improvements and praise the effort, not the result.

One final note: Children’s Hospital of Orange County reminds parents to look out for your well-being too. Parenting can be both wonderful and stressful. Establishing a family routine will help you too!

Final thoughts

When children come trudging into the house after school, things can go many different ways. Some kids are exhausted and are looking for a comfy place to crash, while others are wound up like a spin toy with the spring about to pop. Whatever your child looks like when they arrive home from school, having an established and well rehearsed routine will help with the transition from school to home. While the exact order of the schedule does not matter, the important components include a snack, homework, exercise, downtime, and finally access to screens if desired.

If your child struggles with transitions from school to home – or struggles with transitions in general – contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discuss how an Executive Function Coach may be able to help.

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What exactly is a growth mindset? And 5 strategies for parents to develop one in their child.

“One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.” —Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist and mathematician. But with this quote he could have defined what a “Growth Mindset” is years before the term became popular in education circles.   The concept of growth and fixed mindsets was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

According to Dweck, a Growth Mindset is the belief that a person’s most basic abilities can be developed through dedication, hard work, and practice. On the other hand, people with fixed mindsets believe that intelligence and skills are innate, and that whatever strengths or deficits you are born with, stay with you for life.

Put another way, people with a growth mindset understand effort is required to succeed, they accept (constructive) criticism, and persevere during times of struggle. Those with fixed mindset characteristics fear failure, avoid challenges, ignore feedback, and give up easily.

Parents: which better describes your child? 

Dweck says, “If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning.” 

What the research says

One can go down the proverbial rabbit hole when researching any topic, from what the Baywatch beauties look like today to whether Big Foot was actually spotted in the Oregon woods. But the research on the effectiveness of growth mindsets is fascinating. Perhaps a good place to start is with a definition of intelligence. If you define intelligence as brain processing speed and memory, then those particular cognitive abilities tend to stay fixed. However, if you choose to broaden the definition to include knowledge and skills, then we can improve these commodities.

Intriguing is the research into brain plasticity, which is a process that involves adaptive structural and functional changes to the brain, according to the National Library of Medicine. In an article on Mindset Works, it states: “Research on brain plasticity has shown how connectivity between neurons can change with experience. With practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses. These neuroscientific discoveries have shown us that we can increase our neural growth by the actions we take, such as using good strategies, asking questions, practicing, and following good nutrition and sleep habits.” This is a significant piece of research worthy of sharing with children: Your brain can change!

Finally, research shows that developing a growth mindset and building grit is critical to success. In fact, according to the researcher Jennifer Bashant, grit and perseverance and self-discipline are better predictors of success in college than SAT or IQ test scores. 

Strategies and techniques to develop a growth mindset

Now that you are 100 percent on board with the importance of creating a growth mindset in your child, what follows are some researched-back strategies and techniques to help guide you.

1. In Big Life Journal there is a wonderful article dedicated to teaching about neuroplasticity. Some of the suggestions include: 

• Teaching your child about the brain and its basic functions. This video is a great place to start.
• Sharing amazing facts such as there are as many neurons in the brain as there are stars in the Milky Way: about 100 billion!
• Celebrating mistakes because this is how the brain grows!

2. Another powerful way to develop a growth mindset is to use certain phrases with your child while avoiding other ones. Positive Psychology has a complete list of suggestions that includes:

• Instead of saying “You are so smart!” say “You worked so hard!”
• Instead of saying “You are so clever!” say “I like how you persevered on that problem.”

3. Remember to be a role model. Think aloud how you problem solve or work you way through a concern in your life. 

4. When your child is struggling with a problem or situation, ask questions. (Avoid being the bulldozer parent who jumps in solves the problem.) Ask: What is your brain saying? What is the hardest part? What are some challenges you have already overcome?

5. Introduce the Power of Yet. Yet is a small word but packs a punch with possibilities:

• I can’t do this… yet.
• This doesn’t work… yet.
• I am not good at this… yet.

Final thoughts

Fostering a growth mindset in your child is critical for both their school success and, more importantly, for your child to thrive as an adult 10 or 15 years down the road. Inevitably, the ups and downs of life are going to come and confront your child. Armed with a growth mindset, your child will have strategies and techniques to address these challenges and thrive in the face of adversity. By teaching your kid about brain plasticity, carefully wording your praise, and employing the power of yet, you will put your child in the best position to flourish now and in the future as a positive contributing member of their adult community.

If your child struggles with a fixed mindset or you need help developing a growth mindset in your child, contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discover how a Learning Specialist could help.

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How can parents help their child avoid summer learning loss? By engaging in the following fun reading, writing, and math activities.

Well parents, we have reached the middle of the summer, a time of reckoning for many caregivers. That relaxing schedule and family time you were craving back during the school year has come in earnest. Some of you may even be peeking ahead and secretly hoping August arrives soon, bringing with it the start of the next school year. While the summertime daily routine is hopefully more laid back, many of you may be staring at your kid(s) – and perhaps at an adult beverage off in the distance –  and asking, “How do teachers do it all day with 20 of these in the room?” 

Engage the Brain is here to save the day – and your sanity – by offering up some educational activities to keep your child’s brain sharp and to help avoid the dreaded summer slide or learning loss that occurs when kids do not engage in reading, writing, and math over the summer months.

There are a slew of studies and statistics to support this. A Brown University study revealed the average student in grades 1 through 8 lost 17% to 34% of the prior year’s learning gains during summer break. Another study conducted by Brookings found that math declines were sharper than reading, with the extent of loss being more significant at higher grade levels. And children from low-income families are nearly three grade equivalents behind wealthier students in reading by the end of the fifth grade due to summer learning loss.

Of course summer ought to be a time to ratchet down schedules and structured learning, but that does not mean to turn it off completely. Asking a child to read during the summer can become a battle, especially with competition coming from screens and peers.

So what is the answer? How do you stave off summer learning loss and give your child time to recharge their learning and personal batteries? By presenting fun activities that mask the learning and sneak in skills your child will not realize they are practicing or will be having so much fun they will not care.

Engage the Brain scoured the Internet and curated the best summer learning activities and divided them into three categories: reading, writing, and math. They can be selected a la carte, and most require little preparation. Grab your child, pick a subject and an activity, and enjoy!

Reading activities

Keep a loose schedule: While it is summer, it is easier for your child to fall into a routine if you plan to have a reading time at about the same time every day. Perhaps there is a comfy area in the house where your child can sprawl out, relax, and read for 20 to 30 minutes.

Be a good role model: Try to set a good example by putting your phone down, stepping away from the computer, and picking up a book or magazine to read. It truly is powerful for children to see you doing what you are asking them to do.

Weekly trips to the library: Make a trip to the library extra special by pairing it with a festive treat after selecting books. Each week could be a different type of treat, such having a picnic lunch (in the family room, if needed, to beat the summer heat), stopping at a comic book shop, breaking out brand new sidewalk chalk for some driveway/sidewalk art, enjoying homemade smoothies or ice pops, or going home to build a fort to enjoy family reading time in.  

Read aloud: Not every reading session needs to be your child reading by himself. Children of all ages – yes, even middle schoolers! – enjoy listening to a story. Ask about characters, setting, and the problem of the story as you read.

Partner read: Similar to reading aloud, take turns with your child reading a story. You read one page, and she reads the next. As mentioned above discuss the story elements.

Have your child read aloud to someone else: Sometimes reading aloud to someone else is motivating for a child. With FaceTime and Zoom easily accessible, set up a time for your chid to read to a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or heck, even their pet. 

Try nonfiction topics: Not every child likes fiction. Introduce nonfiction topics your child is interested in learning about. Biographies of famous people from an area your child is interested in can be good choices. Pro athletes, scientists, history of tanks, rock stars, all make good reading topics.

Play board games: There are many great games that promote literacy and vocabulary development that kids love to play. Several examples are Scrabble, Boggle, and Bananagrams.

Children’s Cook Book: When this writer was young (and hated to read) my mother bought a Winnie the Pooh cook book, which contained some delicious recipes with easy steps. Sneakily, she asked me to read the directions while we prepared a snack – no doubt something with honey. Whatever your child’s interests are- from Minecraft to Harry Potter to Star Wars to science experiments- there is certainly a cookbook associated with it.

Audio books: Audio books have their place, especially if your child has a learning difference. It is recommended that you have the physical book so your child can read along, matching the sounds of language to the printed word.

Supplement a book with related activities: After reading a book about a specific topic, head out to a location that has some connection. Perhaps you could go to a museum, a park, a concert, or some other place that is related to the book. Help your child connect the written word with the world around them.

Writing activities

Extend the story: They lived happily ever after… or did they?! After finishing a book, challenge your child to come up with a new ending or better yet, extend the story with a new chapter.

Book vs Movie: Comparing a book to its movie counterpart can be motivating to your child. Use a simple Venn diagram to compare and contrast the movie and book. Then have your child draft a paragraph either on paper or on a computer.

Write to a favorite author: Today there are lots of ways to contact an author through their own websites or on social media. Many of them will write back, creating a thrilling keepsake for your child.

Round Robin stories: One person writes the first sentence of a story, then the next person adds one sentence. If there are more than two people, then each person adds one sentence before the story returns the first person, who keeps it going. Review story structure: characters, setting, plot, climax, resolution. Encourage your child to move the story forward.

Social Media journals: Social media is everywhere and your child may either be on one or views one daily. Use this to your advantage. Your child can create posts/updates as if they are the character from a book or the author promoting the book. Look online at examples of actual posts by authors. 

New word collection: A fun way for your child to build their vocabulary is by starting a new word collection. When she reads or hears a new word, she can write the word and a definition in a journal or special notebook. Over time she will have a nice study guide for the SAT!

Create comic strips: Some children will enjoy the creative process of developing a comic strip. He can use existing characters or make up his own. He can use a blank three panel or six panel comic strip organizer.

Write fan fiction: A popular literary activity is for people to write fan fiction. It is essentially a person trying to copy the style of their favorite author. There are websites devoted to most popular writers that your child can read to develop some inspiration.

Create your own MadLibs: Most kids love filling out MadLibs. Ask your child to create her own. It reviews parts of speech and usually ends with a room full of belly laughs.

Math activities

Sidewalk chalk number lines: Get the kids outside and use sidewalk chalk to create number lines. Depending on your child’s age, the lines could count by 5s, 10s, 100’s, etc. For older children, challenge them to divide a line into fractions such as thirds, fourths, or even tenths. 

Lego math: Legos are popular toys found in many homes. Use your child’s natural love of creating with Legos and challenge them to build a structure then find its area (length times width); its perimeter (distance around the outside); and volume (how many Legos they used). 

Math walk: Another great activity to get the kids moving. Take a walk around the neighborhood – or go to a local park – and encourage your child to look for math related concepts. Examples include looking for shapes, angles, symmetry, and numbers.

Grocery shopping: Unfortunately (or fortunately) grocery shopping is a weekly – or more often – task in most households. There are many opportunities to get math involved with the process. Ask your child to look for coupons and calculate the savings. Another fun thing to do is give your child a pretend budget and challenge them to “purchase” items that come as close as possible without going over the budget number.  And yet another math game is to have your child estimate cost of total of the bill. Encourage rounding as a way to base their estimate.

Car trips: Driving in the car can also provide some great opportunities to practice math. Have your child estimate the distance of the trip or predict how long it will take to get to your destination. No cheating with Google Maps on their phone!

Create 2-D and 3-D shapes: Using craft sticks and PlayDoh your child can build 2-D shapes such as rectangles, pentagons, and octagons. Up the challenge and ask them to make 3-D shapes such cubes and rectangular prisms. Discuss faces (the sides), vertices (the corners), and edges (where two sides meet). 

War Card Game: A great way to practice basic math facts is to play the traditional card game War with a twist. To play the game two players split the deck of cards evenly, or 26 cards each. Each flips over two cards facing up. They each either add or multiply the two cards – pick one operation for each round of the game. The player with the higher answer keeps the four cards. Players flip over two more cards each and repeat. If there is a tie or equal answer, players flip over two more cards and the highest total from that flip wins all the cards.

Popular apps and websites: While the goal of this list of math activities is to get your child off their device and explore numbers and math concepts in the real world, there are many wonderful apps and websites that children love to use. A few of our favorites are: Prodigy,  Khan Academy, ReflexMath, and SplashLearn, which is good for K-5.

Final thoughts

Summer learning loss is real and every child experiences it unless they engage in reading, writing, and math activities over the summer. Completing a few worksheets does not solve the problem. Children must use critical thinking and truly invest in an activity for it to produce real results. Select an activity each day to enjoy, and your child’s learning loss will turn into a learning gain, positioning them for success on the first day of the school year and beyond.

If you feel your child needs assistance with reading skills, written expression, or math concepts, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discover how a Learning Specialist may be able to help your child prepare for the new school year.

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Does success actually lead to more success? It does, and encouraging your child to find their success has huge benefits.

Childhood is getting harder. Whether it is staring at relentless (and addictive) social media feeds, playing nonstop (and addictive) video games, eating a steady diet of processed (and addictive) foods, or some other unknown conundrum, children seem to be struggling more and more. According to a study in JAMA Pediatrics, rates of anxiety and depression in children ages 3 to 17 increased by 29% and 27%, respectively, from 2016 to 2020. And these numbers are from before the pandemic! More recently, on May 2, 2023, the Surgeon General released Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, noting that the rate of loneliness among young adults has increased every year between 1976 and 2019.

Withdraw and isolation appear to be the norm for today’s kids. How do parents combat this vexing and disturbing trend?

By helping their child find success! 

Children who learn differently often do not experience many successes in their young lives. Whether it is ADHD, dyslexia, or speech-language issue, these afflictions make successes hard to come by. But experiencing one success can lead to another!

A study in the journal Science Daily found that success does breed success.  Another study reported on in Psychology Today echoed the results. Factors such as your child’s special talents and networks of supportive contacts – hello parents and your friends! – are important to success.

Keys to success

Success expert (I did not know there was such a job) Richard St. John says the most important skill for success is focus. He has interviewed people such as Richard Branson and Bill Gates and has given popular Ted Talks on success. Once your child begins an activity, the importance of focus is critical to the learning of this new skill. Put another way, replace the word focus with the phrase sustained and prolonged effort, and one can see perhaps what St. John was referring to. 

According to Claire McCarthy, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing, true success and happiness in life come from being able to create, persevere, roll with life’s punches, and work with others.  To that end, she recommends children practice and reinforce their executive functioning skills. These skills include the ability to plan, manage time, and honestly evaluate one’s progress. She also stresses the importance of letting children be independent and allowing them to fail. There are many famous stories about inventors and creators failing miserably. Children need to learn that it is okay to fail; it is how we learn!

Finally, we need to help children understand that success is more about the process than the destination. As your child acquires new skills, celebrate these little wins along the way. By teaching your child that success is not a final destination, they are more likely to stick to their goal. 

Nurturing your child to help find their activity

A few months ago we wrote about the importance of extracurricular activities. Better grades, more connection to the school community – hello epidemic of loneliness and isolation – and improved self-esteem were all by-products of participation in extracurriculars. In addition, the earned successes that come from these activities are powerful. They can be like rocket fuel for your child, propelling them and motivating them, especially those who have not tasted much success in the past.

At Engage the Brain, we believe every child has special gifts. Some are natural artists while others excel on the playing field in athletics, while still others are gifted performers who can sing and or act. As mentioned above, children with learning differences often do not experience success in any area. These are the kids who need guidance to experience genuine success in their lives. 

There are many great options that exist, though some may not be the most popular. Within sports, some children may gravitate to lesser known activities such as archery or yoga. Perhaps a child is more service oriented and a natural helper. Civic organizations such Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts could be options. The National Wildlife Foundation has a wonderful opportunity with its Kids Garden for Wildlife program, where children plant and maintain a garden to help wildlife in urban areas. The point is children need help to find the activity that best suits them, so each can then apply focus and sustained effort, keys to success and all its powerful benefits.

My child is not interested in finding an activity

Clearly some children will need prodding, pushing, and extra encouragement to keep pursuing different activities until they find the one. It bears repeating that for children who think and learn differently and are neurodiverse, success may have eluded them. So how does a parent walk the line between being demanding and perhaps even called the word that rhymes with glass bowl, and simply giving up and allowing the child to retreat and not participate in activities outside of the required school day? In a word, balance.

One suggestion is to know your child’s friends. What are their interests? Are any of them participating in an activity your child may like to try? Another possibility is to share one of your own passions. If you enjoy photography, bring (drag) your child along so that they can get a sense of the whole process. 

Another option to is be a salesman or saleswoman. Teach your child the benefits of participation. For example, maybe your child will meet new friends who share similar interests. If he shows promise in art, then browse various program options and include him in the decision-making process to identify which activity best matches his comfort level. 

And if your child flat out refuses to join in any type of extracurricular activity? Then it may be time to consult your pediatrician and rule out other more serious issues such as depression and/or anxiety.

Final thoughts

Unlike the chicken and the egg that has been debated on the outer fringes of science and the internet for years, the question of whether success breeds success has been answered. Studies have proven that yes, in fact achieving success in one area is more likely to lead to other successes. With this nugget of wisdom in their parenting toolbox, parents need to nudge their children to find an activity that they can be successful doing. Children who think and learn differently may not have experienced an accumulation of achievements, so extra encouragement and casting a wide net of possible activities is critical.

Once your child selects an activity, fostering focus and extended effort will be important factors in their success journey. Celebrate small wins along the way and remind your child that the path is just as important as the final destination. And once your child gets a taste of success, watch out; a dose of confidence can lead her to great places she never thought she could get to before.

If your child struggles with finding success, contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to learn how a Learning Specialist may be able to help your child obtain the skills necessary to find those elusive successes.

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Children are on screens for up to 8 hours a day. What are the negative consequences and how can parents help their child reduce their amount of screen time?

The typical American household has 22 connected devices, according to Deloitte. That includes televisions, computers, tablets and smartphones. With census information stating there are 2.28 people per household on the low end of homes and 3.09 per household on the upper end, you can do the math: each family member has access to up to seven devices in the normal American home!

That is a lot of screens for the four to six eyeballs in each home.

And as we usher in the month of May – and the end of the school year here in Florida – that means even more time for children to be seeking out those easily found devices and logging hours glued to them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that children ages 8 to 10 spend an average of 6 hours per day in front of a screen, kids ages 11 to 14 spend an average of 9 hours per day in front of a screen, and youth ages 15 to 18 spend an average of seven-and-a-half hours per day in front of a screen.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that kids ages 8-18 now spend, on average, a whopping 7.5 hours in front of a screen for entertainment each day, over four hours of which is watching television. Over the course of a year this equals… 114 full days a year staring at a screen for fun! This does not include screen time for educational purposes at school or completing homework.

What the heck are they taking in for all these hours?! It is a combustible mix of video games, television programming, social media consumption, Youtube, and texting with friends. And of course these same businesses use a sophisticated and eerily successful set of algorithms that keep the kids online and coming back. Whether it is links to other content or suggestions for more viewing, these apps are addictive.

Negative consequences of too much screen time

And like most things that are addictive, there are a host of negative consequences. The National Library of Medicine reports that too much screen time can:

• Make it hard for your child to sleep at night
• Raise your child’s risk for attention problems, anxiety, and depression
• Raise your child’s risk for gaining too much weight

Even the youngest children need supervision with screen time. In a study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the results suggested that using electronic devices to calm youngsters when they’re upset may inhibit their ability to learn to soothe themselves, leading to more frequent, intense emotional outbursts. When children spend too much time on screens it leaves less time for play, where children learn creativity and how to interact with others and develop social skills and learn non-verbal cues.

If all this is not enough to convince parents to monitor screen time, Healthmatters, a publication of NY Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Jennifer Cross, a child behavioral expert, shared results from a study: “Early data from a landmark National Institutes of Health (NIH) study that began in 2018 indicates that children who spent more than two hours a day on screen-time activities scored lower on language and thinking tests, and some children with more than seven hours a day of screen time experienced thinning of the brain’s cortex, the area of the brain related to critical thinking and reasoning.” Looking back at the screen time reported by the CDC, many children’s brains could be in trouble!

What are kids watching 

While there is a plethora of positive programs available to watch both on traditional television and streaming services, many kids are seeking out potentially dangerous content. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry shares the following possible types of online content:

• Violence and risk-taking behaviors
• Videos of stunts or challenges that may inspire unsafe behavior
• Sexual content
• Negative stereotypes
• Substance use
• Cyberbullies and predators
• Advertising aimed at your child
• Misleading or inaccurate information

And social media is another whole topic, but according to the Cleveland Clinic some negative consequences of these sites include:

• Cyberbullying
• Online predators
• Sharing too much information
• False marketing
• Dangerous viral trends

Of course children are going to be online and consume content, so the question becomes: how do parents help protect and teach their kids digital safety?

Helping your child navigate the online world

There are many tools and strategies available to parents to help them guide their children to make good decisions around screen time. Raising Children has some suggestions about how to navigate screen time transitions:

• Set expectations before screen time session begins
• Choose timing to get off screens smartly: end of a show or end of a level of a game
• Give your child a warning about time is about to be up
• Allow them to save what they are doing

Other ways to help your child navigate the digital world include:

• Co-watch a program with your child to help add context and discuss the shows plot lines and character interactions.
• Make mealtime, bedtime, and family time screen free
• Employ active screen time – as a family perform exercises during commercial break: push ups, jumping Jacks, etc.
• Limit your own phone and screen time… modeling digital wellness behaviors for your child is a win-win!
• Emphasize sleep, nutrition, and exercise.
• Monitor your child’s media usage to ensure that content is safe and age-appropriate. This list from Parents: suggests the best apps.

Final thoughts

The numbers are staggering. Children are spending hours upon hours on screens. Whether it is playing video games, watching videos on Youtube, or scrolling through social media sites, children are glued to devices. And the research on the consequences of all this screen time is frightening, including a variety of health issues and even brain deterioration. Parents, we need to take control: setting limits, modeling positive screen time, and monitoring what our child is consuming. 

Engage the Brain encourages all parents and students to practice proper digital citizenship and positive use of electronic devices.

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Has your child suffered learning loss due to the pandemic? Here are 9 strategies to help get them back on track.

With headlines like “The Pandemic Erased two decades of Progress in Reading and Math” by
the New York Times and “Half of nation’s students fell behind a year during COVID-19
pandemic. How do we recover?” by USA Today, some parents may be panicking and wondering
if their child will ever recover from pandemic learning loss.

Emerging Federal Education department statistics and data are frightening. Recently revealed
scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam (NAEP) or Nation’s Report
Card show stark declines in both reading and math. Losing one point on this test roughly
translates to about three weeks of learning, meaning a student who lost 12 points would need
36 weeks or entire school year to catch up – and would still be behind more advanced peers.

And of course students with disabilities fared even worse due to lack of special education
services during remote learning.

Learning loss due to Covid-19 could produce other long term ramifications. Research has found
that learning loss due to COVID could impact kids’ future earning potential by up to $40,000
over their lifetime or $17 trillion in lifetime earnings for the whole generation.
The federal government is trying address the problem through funding.

According to U.S. News and World Report, “The federal government provided $190 billion
through three tranches of emergency aid in an effort to help the U.S. public school system
recover from the coronavirus pandemic. But K-12 funding provided through the American
Rescue Plan – the most recent aid package – only requires districts to spend 20% on academic
recovery.” And diving even deeper into the government funding, Brookings reported that
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) investments from the American
Rescue Plan provided nearly $200 billion to public schools to spend on COVID-19-related
needs. Of that sum, $22 billion is dedicated specifically to addressing learning loss using
“evidence-based interventions.”

And of course none of these statistics begins to quantify the mental health crisis that is raging in
children. Incidences of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges are all up for all
ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, according to the CDC.

What is a parent to do? Sitting back and believing everything will work out is not an option.
Rather, there are strategies and interventions parents can turn to to help their child recover and
come out of the pandemic better than before. More resilient. More confident. And more self-
aware of their strengths and challenges.

Missed learning or learning loss?

There is a battle of semantics taking place in education circles. On one side you have the
“missed learning” group, which believes that students simply missed instruction during the
pandemic, especially while in remote instruction. On the other side you have the “learning loss”
group, which posits that students lost instruction much like during the summer break when
students experience a regression in skills. Honestly, it does not matter which side is correct
because the results are the same… students are behind!

Accelerated learning vs remediate

Another debate, way more important than what we label the academic mess we are in, is the
approach that educators ought to take. One camp believes schools and teachers should push
forward with the curriculum and engage in “accelerated learning.” They essentially believe
students should continue with their current grade level instruction and can be supported in a
variety of ways to achieve success.

The other camp believes remediation must take place in order to create the foundations
students will need to succeed in more advanced classes. They know students need the
instruction they missed. Think math. Math is the ultimate “building block” subject, where prior
learning is required in order to move up the ladder to more challenging concepts.

How to help your child

Now that the “doom and gloom” is covered, what can a parent do to help their child?

First and foremost, stressed out students cannot learn to the best of their capacity. Post-Katrina
studies reveal the importance of building and maintaining supportive relationships with students
(children) following disasters. The connection between children feeling safe, seen, and
connected to the adults in their lives and academic success has been long studied as a
protective factor. Ensure their mental health is healthy.

Ask your child’s teacher exactly how they are doing in class. How did they score on state tests?
How are they performing on class assessments? What resources can the teacher share to help
you support your child? Armed with information is the best way to begin helping your child.

Good grades do not necessarily equate to being on grade level due to the practice of grade
inflation. Some schools or teachers may extend too much grace for late assignments. Others
may allow extra credit projects to boost grades. While still others may (overly) reward
participation. Just because your child has straight A’s does not mean he is on grade level.

Consider high dosage tutoring, which is defined as two to three times per week for a minimum
of 30 minutes per session. It is recommended that you select a Learning Center that has highly
skilled Learning Specialists trained to provide targeted interventions.

Know your child’s reading level and encourage her to read challenging books, not just reread
favorite or too easy ones. States publish grade level book recommendations such as Florida’s
Sunshine State reading list.

Help your child adopt a growth mindset. According to Positive Psychology , children with a
growth mindset outperform those with a fixed mindset and are more likely to bounce back from
failures. One of the keys to developing this is for parents to model a growth mindset. Share
struggles you have had and the strategies you used to overcome the problem. A critical aspect
to promoting a growth mindset is praising effort over ability or intelligence.

Ask your child to teach you what they learned in school today. As all of our lives have become
busier and more hectic, it is important that parents stay well-informed about what their child is
doing in school each day. A wonderful way to do this is to ask your child to teach you something
he learned in school today. This goes beyond a simple conversation. Sit and invest in your child
and let them know you truly want to learn the skill they are presenting.

Create and insist on a routine. Extra curricular activities are great, but insist your child maintain
a routine. Cook healthy meals, ensure there is a homework time, play time, and a consistent
sleep time. Routines provide structure and allow children to thrive, knowing what the
expectations are.

Be patient.. this will take time!

Final Thoughts

Just about every student missed learning – or suffered learning loss – during the pandemic. The
recent flurry of statistics coming out backs this up. However, there are actionable steps parents
can take to help guide their child back to grade level and to a place where they love school
again. By determining how a child is currently performing in school, becoming more active in
your child’s day to day schooling, and ensuring your child’s metal health is healthy, parents will
put their kids in the best position to succeed.

If you think your child is has suffered Pandemic Learning Loss and are concerned about their
progress, please contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discuss how a Learning
Specialist may be able to help.

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