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The Risk of Playing Safe 9 Why children need to take risks when they play
Read All About It 18 Build your child’s literacy ladder from bump to bundle and beyond
Remote Learning Lessons 27 The evolving role of ed tech inside and outside of the classroom
The Bilingual Advantage 32 How parents can cultivate bilingualism in their children, beginning at birth
School Year Jitters? No Worries! 43 Age-tailored tips for helping your child manage back-to-school anxiety
Resource Directory 48
Few parents are asking the question “Is my child getting enough risk?” But maybe we should be.
“Studies have shown overall positive effects of engaging in risky physical play on a variety of health in dicators and behaviors.”
My heart leapt up when I read a New York Times review of a recently published retrospective book titled “Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak,” encompassing six decades’ worth of the virtuoso illustration of the best picture-book artisan of all time.
Early on in our parenting journey, my husband and I made a hard and fast pact about children’s books. We vowed never to waste a precious minute of our time reading a book to (or for that matter, watching a show with) our kids that: a) pandered to or patronized children; and b) failed to entertain us. (Sorry, but life is far too short for “Caillou.”)
We didn’t think to brand it then, but I am hereby anointing this recommended policy as the “Sendak Litmus Test.”
Sendak’s beloved canon truthfully, endearingly and hilariously acknowledges that the experience of being a child is a hero’s journey of beguiling adventure and endless wonderment — one beset by pangs of angst, not to mention a soupçon of unsociable behavior to overcome. Odysseus, meet misan thropic Pierre, misbehaving Max and nudist-baker Mickey ...
Sendak understood that childhood is, as he once so perfectly defined it, “a very passionate, upsetting, silly, comic business.” His stories never trafficked in platitudes or trite untruths about the more difficult aspects of being a child attempting to ex plore and assert their own thoughts, feelings and independent actions in the world. In Sendak’s universe, children perhaps must be wayward in order to grow. They are also endlessly capable of finding their way back home and into the safe harbor of their parents’ loving and unwavering graces.
Most people are quick to cite “Where the Wild Things Are” as Sendak’s peak artistic achievement as the GOAT of children’s book authorship and illustration. But long before the rumpus leading to Max becoming King of All the Wild Things, Sendak’s career in picture books launched in 1952 with what has to be noted as one of the most successful author-illustrator pairings of all time: his brilliant collaboration with children’s literature pioneer Ruth Krauss, “A Hole Is to Dig.”
That gem set a delighting template for seven more titles to follow, each celebrating the facts that children are intelligent; children’s observations and opinions about things matter; and children must never be talked down to.
When you think about it, why wouldn’t you choose books to share with your children that presume their competence to join in on the cosmic joke? Sendak never wavered in his faith in children’s ability to survive and thrive — and we shouldn’t either. Patty Lindley, editor
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LEARNING
PUBLISHER Alayne Sulkin
What is/was your very favorite book to read with your child(ren)?
With everything going on right now — COVID-19 and monkeypox, climate change and gun violence, just for starters — few parents are asking the question “Is my child getting enough risk?” But maybe we should be. Because it turns out that a healthy dose of risk in child’s play — the kind where there is a small but real chance of failure or of even getting hurt — is, well, healthy.
“Risk is a situation involving expo sure to danger or perceived danger,” says Jamie Bonnett, director of education for KidsQuest Children’s Museum (kidsquestmuseum.org) in Bellevue. Bonnett has a professional interest in the way kids play, and she’s concerned about how much it has changed in just a couple of gen erations. Many of today’s parents
Why children need to take risks when they play
are appalled by things that used to be considered normal childhood play: biking around the neighborhood unsuper vised, building forts with real tools and getting creative with playground equipment (e.g., climbing up the slide, standing up in swings). Even the equipment itself has changed, as swing sets, merry-go-rounds and seesaws are conspic uously missing from new playgrounds. These examples of old-school “bad parenting” are presented as recklessness. But in this case, the baby boomers may have been right.
There’s no such thing as zero risk. There are only tradeoffs between risks, and science is increasingly certain that in the pursuit of absolute safety, our society is incurring other risks that may outweigh the potential dangers of physical play.
“It’s all wrapped up in imagination and social-emotional learning. It’s a daisy chain of skills. Whether they succeed or fail, the package of things that you get along with taking risks is what’s so critical,” says KidsQuest CEO Putter Bert. “We tend to focus on the one little dot of danger, dwelling on the negative and not on the package of benefits.”
Risk supports children’s physical, mental and social development.
“If we don’t engage in and take risks, what will be left?” asks Bert. “The alternative is so much worse.”
Absolute safety in play is associated with sedentary be havior and its related health impacts, such as obesity and decreased motor skills. Less obviously, playing too safe ly is associated with anxiety and phobias, and even with decreased social skills. The experiences of trying something scary and succeeding and trying again after failure help build confidence and self-esteem.
Bike helmets and swimming pool lifeguards have undoubt edly saved lives, and everyone would agree that children should never be put in life-threatening situations. But there are myriad benefits to taking smaller risks, and these ben efits are worth the occasional skinned knee. In fact, the skinned knee itself has benefits — including greater physical safety.
Though it would seem counterintuitive, children who engage in risky physical activity are less likely to be injured than those who have been sheltered from such play and thus have not developed the gross motor skills or learned to gauge their own abilities to navigate challenging situations.
“They are actually safer because they’ve prac ticed emotional regulation, trial and error, and impulse control,” explains Bonnett. Studies have shown overall positive effects of engaging in risky physical play on a variety of health indicators and behaviors. One of the biggest benefits to children is that they learn how to recognize and measure their own tolerance for risk.
Playing in the ‘Danger Zone’ “Our mission is to give tools to everybody — adults and children. Risk and danger, those are tools. There is a whole cornucopia of things we learn from a single risky action,” says Bert. Bonnett adds, “We’ve always carried safe risk through the museum, in the programming, in the exhibits we’ve built, and in the activities that we set for parents and children to engage in.” But that safe risk is increasingly absent in the rest of children’s lives. Bert recounts a story about one school-age child who apologized after touching a car door — she had been trained to avoid
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EDUCATION THE POWER OF PLAY touching germy surfaces. Another announced she had never been near enough to a fire to feel its heat.
This year, KidsQuest addressed the growing need for controlled exposure to danger with its new “Danger Zone” workshops. Taking inspiration from Gever Tulley’s book “50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do),” these workshops give children a chance to test their limits with fire, pocketknives, ladders and rocks. (Tinker and engineering workshops this fall will offer more safe risk opportunities; kidsquestmuseum.org/programs.)
The trick to making this training in terror fun and feasible is called scaffolding.
“Scaffolding is setting up a space in which adults can support the learning, but not do the learn ing,” explains Bonnett. So, you don’t offer free play on ladders. Instead, you start by talking about how to climb up and down the ladder, and what to do if you start to feel afraid. (For ex ample: Take deep breaths, then think carefully about your next step.) If a child gets stuck when practicing on their own, you coach them from the ground, or at most, by putting a hand on their back while talking them through the steps. But you don’t swoop in and pluck the child off the ladder. This approach keeps kids as safe as necessary, instead of as safe as possible.
“They could fall off the ladder, but the likelihood of that happening is really low because of how we’ve set it up and how we’ve prepared them,” says Bonnett.
Indications of this sort of intentional scaffolding are evident throughout the museum’s exhibits. For example, tall climbing structures are constructed to exclude parents, encouraging kids to challenge themselves in two ways: climbing high above the ground and separating from their parents.
“It’s building self-confidence for that child. It’s allowing them to see How far can I go before I start to feel a little butterfly in my stomach? Those are feelings we want children to be aware of and then know what to do with them,” says Bonnett. She says that process helps them learn self-regulation.
Exhibits are also designed for nonphysical forms of risk as well.
“The other part of risk is trial and error — taking the risk to make a mistake. So much of school ing is risk-avoidant to ensure the best outcome,” says Bonnett. “It’s important to practice trial and error because it is really important to learn what to do with failure.” Failing and then summoning the courage to try again is the very definition of resilience, and the only way to gain it is to practice it. The museum’s interactive art and play spaces include materials but not instructions, encouraging children to come up with and test their own solutions, even if they don’t work out.
“Risk is personal,” says Bert. “Tasting a new food, for some people, is a giant risk.” Everyone has their own boundaries, and that’s as true for par ents as it is for kids. That’s why KidsQuest offers programs for adults as well as options for kids’ workshops with and without parent participa tion. Sometimes, kids need to be away from their parents before they will start to pay attention to their own instincts. But sometimes parents need to see their kids successfully taking risks to real ize that the fear is their own. “Then it’s about the adults’ self-regulation,” says Bert.
She adds, “I think adults have made children more scared. Not only do we want to encourage children to take risks, but we’re going to need to do that in concert with their adults.” Adults teach children to be afraid when we constantly warn, “Don’t do that, it’s dangerous,” and we can
transmit our fears when we talk to kids about the big issues happening in the world right now. While it is important to talk to children about serious topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and gun violence, Bonnett warns, “Be aware of children’s capacity for understanding to ensure you’re not placing an undue burden of fear on them.”
Seattle-based freelance writer Gemma Alexander focuses on the intersection of parenting and the arts. When she’s not writing for ParentMap, she blogs at gemmadeealexander.com and tweets @gemmadeetweet. 13
You should also avoid the urge to push your children to take risks — forcing them beyond their own comfort zone is as dangerous as overprotection. Instead, the goal is to elim inate boundaries and allow children to discover their own tolerance for risk. Parents can practice the same scaffolding that the museum uses. So, instead of banning your child from the kitchen and childproofing your cabinets, teach your child knife skills and how to safely use the stove. Then, supervise them while they make breakfast themselves. More often than not, they’ll succeed. Try not to freak out if they cut themselves or break a dish; trial and error is a healthy and necessary part of the process.
Managing your fear for your children can be stressful, especially when things don’t work out perfectly.
“We know that play is a stress reducer, not only for children but for adults,” says Bonnett. So, when everything going on right now starts to get to you, go outside — or head to the museum! — to play. ■
Through the power of play and exploration, KidsQuest Children’s Museum is creating learning that connects children to their communities and the world. KidsQuest offers hands-on fun in its 25 interactive exhibits designed for children ages 0–10 and through a variety of unique programs throughout the year, including early learning classes, summer camps, school-age workshops, free art and science programs, plus special events. kidsquestmuseum.org
Sponsored byHelp the climber make it to the cloud basket!*
One of the central tenets of Judaism is doing good in one’s community and in the world at large. Such acts of contribution are reflected in the words of Judaism’s prophets, sages and ancient texts: There’s tzedakah (charitable giving), gemilut hasadim (acts of kindness) and one of the most widely known phrases, tikkun olam (repairing the world). These values are especially important when it comes to fostering the next generation of Jewish changemakers.
Going beyond a focus on academics, Jewish day schools immerse students in a curriculum that nurtures and fosters community-minded en gagement, around the world and right here at home in Washington state.
From providing service to the local community through volunteer work and fundraising to international mission trips to help people in need, Jewish day school students are learning firsthand what it means to be a global citizen.
This past year, after receiving a call from the Jewish Ukrainian orphan age Tikva Children’s Home in Odessa (tikvaodessa.org), seniors from Northwest Yeshiva High School (nyhs.org) took their educational values and translated them into action by flying to Romania with only 10 days’ notice. Their purpose was to support hundreds of children who had been displaced by the war in Ukraine.
The call for help came while the group was on a service trip to New Orleans with NCSY Relief Missions (reliefmissions.ncsy.org), a Jewish teen relief organization. The organization learned that there was a severe shortage of volunteers and staff to work with hundreds of children ranging in age from newborn to 16 years. As a grantee of the Samis Foundation, NYHS immediately reached out for a grant to support as many students as possible with the opportunity to join the Romania mission.
“We’re proud of the students for responding to this call for help, and we, at Samis, were honored to play a small role in supporting the mission,” says Eli Genauer, Samis Foundation board chair.
At the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle (JDS; jds.org), cultivating “upstanders,” or people who will proactively stand up for good in the world, is central to its mission. Teachers at the school lead by example to demonstrate the upstander ethos. JDS teacher Nance Adler spent this past summer as a scholar in residence in Germany. After Adler taught a class on Jewish resistance and the rescue of Jews by non-Jews during the Holocaust, German teachers at the institution highlighted a recent instance of bigotry at the school. Following Adler’s class, the call to be upstanders was invoked in a staff meeting to encour age administration and faculty to take a united stand against expressions of hate and bigotry.
SJCS students plant daffodils to honor victims of the Holocaust and current humanitarian crises today. NYHS students working with Ukrainian orphan and refugee children in Neptun, Romania.When Gov. Inslee’s March 12 announcement prompted school closures across Washington state, local Jewish day schools were already prepared for distance learning. By that day, Seattle Jewish Community School, along with other Jewish day schools in the Seattle area, had soft-launched their remote learning program, seeking feedback from students, parents and teachers and getting everyone up to speed.
“It was like I had hired 12 brand new teachers despite the decades of seniority and experience they had,” says Head of School Ron Waldman. “In this format, all bets are off. None of our educators had ever been trained for this type of teaching and learning, and not all children can easily adapt to continuous learning.” Even though they’ve had their challenges, Seattle Jewish Community School — along with Northwest Yeshiva High School, Jewish Day School and Seattle Hebrew Academy — are making it work, teaching students important lessons and forging strong communities at the same time.
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While global change is impressive, there is also plenty of work to be done right in our own backyard. And Jewish day schools are getting in on the action there, too.
Emerging from the pandemic, local Jewish schools have poured countless hours into building community and offering services to ensure their students and families feel a stronger sense of connection and responsi bility. Providing meaningful experiences through volunteer work is one way the schools are strengthening bonds. Working with the Seattle Parks and Recreation department this past year, students at the Seattle Jewish Community School (sjcs.net) planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs to honor the memory of children who perished in the Holocaust and to call attention to those suffering in humanitarian crises today. Students had the opportunity to aid local wetlands in the process.
It started with surveying everyone’s needs. On their first day, NYHS held an orientation for distance learning, where all classes met for 15 minutes each and there was a check-in to make sure students had access to technology. They also conducted troubleshooting with teachers so that the following day regular classes could start. Schools are continuing to seek feedback throughout this crisis. According to Waldman, SJCS is sending out surveys at least once a week, while JDS is adjusting practices as they go. “We have made revisions to our remote learning schedule and instruction along the way, based on feedback from families,” says JDS Head of School Vivian Scheidt. “Our teachers have reached out individually to each family to get their input on how their child is doing with remote learning.”
At MMSC Day School (mmscdayschool.org), giving back comes in the form of spreading joy. Students routinely craft holiday cards and gift baskets for the elderly and those in need.
As schools try out different modalities for remote learning, they are discovering the value of using a variety of formats, including full class groups, small groups and individualized meetings, as well as instructional goal reassessment. “Beyond the objectives of getting through a syllabus and finals, we are finding that instruction has become learner-centric, with students increasingly driving their learning and building community in a more thoughtful and intentionally deeper way. This has really been the silver lining of distance learning,” says Feld.
According to foundation CEO Connie Kanter, “Our mission is to support Jewish continuity through the education of Jewish youth. Jewish day schools are the most impactful way for us to cultivate future Jewish community members and leaders.”
SHA Head of School Rivy Poupko Kletenik emphasizes that learning is the focus, but community building and engagement are vital as well. SHA has organized a drive-by food drive and held virtual events for Jewish holidays and days of remembrance. Each of the schools is engaging with people inside and outside of their school community by hosting open virtual classes, celebrations and commemorations.
To make Jewish day schools in the Seattle area more accessible to fami lies that are juggling important financial priorities, the program ensures that for families earning up to $350,000, K–12 tuition will not exceed $15,000 per year per child or 15 percent of the family’s adjusted gross income, whichever is lower. This initiative is aimed at aiding families that don’t qualify for traditional financial aid and as a result, are priced out of giving their children a day-school education.
“Our Jewish day school partners have been doing an incredible job making sure students stay connected and continue receiving exemplary academic instruction in these unprecedented times,” says Connie Kanter, CEO of the Samis Foundation, an organization that provides grants to support K–12 Jewish education in Washington state and initiatives in Israel. Samis supports scholarships, tech education, special needs and professional development for seven Jewish day schools in the Seattle area. The foundation has put a particular emphasis on supporting the schools’ technology needs for the past decade. “We hope other educators in the public and private sectors can benefit from our schools’ models.”
Similarly, at Seattle Hebrew Academy (seattlehebrewacademy.org), every year students partner with Jewish Family Service (jfsseattle.org) to combat food insecurity by participating in multiple food drives as part of the school’s mission to prepare future generations to lead lives of service and fulfill mitzvot (commandments) in Seattle, Israel and worldwide. Sharing in this mission is Torah Day School of Seattle (tdsseattle.org) and Derech Emunah (derechemunah.com), where students provide service to the com munity by hosting blood and bone marrow drives.
The schools, which already participated in a tech cohort Community of Practice led by Dr. David Wicks, Seattle Pacific University’s chair of Digital Education Leadership, also made sure they had the right tools to conduct classes, including Zoom, Edpuzzle, Google Meet, Kahoot!, Camtasia, Screencast-O-Matic and Seesaw. Since traditional teaching won’t work on these platforms, NYHS Head of School Jason Feld says they’ve encouraged teachers to come up with exciting new methods. “The charge to the faculty was to be brave in experimentation and to really let learning objectives drive the technology, not the other way around.” Teachers at NYHS have drawn on what they learned during Seattle’s 2019 “Snowmaggedon,” such as using flipped instruction, a blended learning strategy that allows the students to see the material before the class and then dive deeply into it with their classmates during school hours. “That experience really did serve us quite well in preparation for this year,” says Feld.
To increase accessibility and participation in high-quality experiential Jewish education for youth in Washington state, the Samis Foundation launched its Day School Affordability Initiative in 2022.
The opportunity to immerse themselves in their unique Jewish heritage, traditions and community, and emerge with an education that instills the value of giving back from both a local and global perspective, should be available to every student. Ultimately, this is what the Day School Affordability grant program is all about. While it will take a generation for today’s students to grow up and embody the principles of leadership, communal responsibility, charitable giving and the importance of doing acts of kindness in the world, that feels like an outcome well worth waiting for.
While schools and families are taking this tough situation one day at a time, 10 years from now, some are optimistic that students will look back at this moment with reflection. “I hope that they will remember this as a time of personal growth, and as a time where a lot of what we talk about in our dayto-day learning of grit, resilience, kindness and community was tested in a real way during this crisis,” says Feld. “My hope is that instead of feeling isolated, they will have some meaningful memories.”
To learn more about sending your child to Jewish day school and to find out if your family is eligible to receive a Day School Affordability Initiative grant, visit the Samis Foundation website at samisfoundation.org.
THE SAMIS FOUNDATION SUPPORTS K–12 JEWISH EDUCATION IN WASHINGTON STATE AND INITIATIVES IN ISRAEL. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT SAMISFOUNDATION.ORG. SPONSORED BY: JDS teacher Nance Adler in Germany, teaching about Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. NYHS seniors assist with the reconstruction of a home damaged during Hurricane Katrina. The Samis Foundation supports intensive, immersive Jewish education in Washington state and initiatives in Israel. Visit samisfoundation.org to learn more.Get an exceptional, private, Jewish day school education for less than you ever imagined. of your adjusted gross income, whichever is less. Families making up to qualify. Find out if you qualify at: samisfoundation.org/eligibility-estimator Jewish day school of your choice.
DAY SCHOOL INITIATIVE
There’s no question that reading is good for us, no matter our age. From baby bump to newborn and throughout early childhood, even the littlest of littles benefits from being read to. Reading to and with your child creates connec tion and supports language development. With each stage of development that a child progresses through, there are books out there to support their journey to literacy. Whether you’re looking to buy the perfect baby shower gift for a friend or wanting to build out your family’s home library, this list is certain to have a book (or two) for you.
Hello in there, baby! (zygote to birth)
Reading to a giant belly might seem silly, but there are multiple studies that have confirmed the positive impacts reading can have on your gestating infant and their road map to language acquisition. Reading to your unborn child will be relaxing for you as well! Choose a book you enjoy, get cozy and commence reading — remember, all your baby cares about is hearing your voice, so any book will do!
“Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong — and What You Really Need to Know” by Emily Oster Award-winning economist, professor and author Emily Oster uses data to inform and soothe parents-to-be, helping them make the best decisions for their body and baby.
“Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts: A Healing Guide to the Secret Fears of New Mothers” by Karen Kleiman Warm, lighthearted (though occasionally serious), this illustrated resource supports moms, partners and parents through the newborn phase and beyond.
“The Montessori Baby: A Parent’s Guide to Nurturing Your Baby With Love, Respect, and Understanding” by Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike
Brimming with practical ideas for your baby and family that are based on Maria Montessori’s education principles, this book brings the practice of mindfulness to parenting, starting from day one.
“How to Raise a Reader” by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo
As a mom and librarian, I have found this book to be indispensable. Providing spe cific ideas and helpful pointers to assist the development of literacy at each age and stage of development, this guidebook charts the path to raising children who love to read. to and
Let’s get this readathon started (newborn–6 months) Think striking illustrations, crinkly sounds, soft (and even waterproof!) fabric options for this earliest phase of read ing. By engaging all of your baby’s developing senses, you’ll get them excited about the wonderful world of books. Don’t worry about finishing a story if they get bored (consider any reading sesh an utter success if your child falls asleep on you!) — take a break and come back to it later (or even the next day). Books with black-and-white or high-contrast illustrations are go-tos for this stage.
“What Color Am I? Color Magic Bath Book” by Erin Jang
This bathtub-ready classic features six color-changing pages that magically transform when submerged in water. Its small format makes it just right for little hands to seize.
“Sloth, Hurry Up!” by Taggies
This soft book features crinkly pages, a squeaker and plenty of other textures to keep tiny hands reaching for more.
“Baby Sees Colors: A Totally Mesmerizing High-Contrast Book for Babies” by Akio Kashiwara
This attention grabber has everything you could desire for the newest baby on the block: patterns, rhymes and silly sounds galore!
“Tummy Time! A High-Contrast Fold-Out Book With Mirror for Babies” by Mama Makes Books
Tummy time can be tough, but this bright and engaging book makes it fun with its photos of real babies, a mirror and plenty of high-contrast images.
Books they’ll literally sink their teeth into (ages 6–9 months)
This stage is a great time to introduce short and simple stories to your little one. Let your baby explore each book however they want to, whether it be viewing it upside down or backward, or even “reading” it with their mouth. They might try to open and close the book, or start to try to turn pages on their own. Closer to 9 months of age, your baby may begin to recognize certain pictures or stories. Interactive books with mirrors, finger puppets, textures and flaps are all winners for this set.
If you purchase only one book for the new baby in your life, make sure it is from the “Indestructibles” series. These nontoxic, washable, rip- and chew-proof books are perfect for even the toothiest, drooliest tot.
This sweet, fun-to-read board book by comedian and late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon is a hit with all begin ning babblers — it’s also fun to read for parents, too! (A serious bonus, trust us.) Don’t miss Fallon’s other early-reader classics in the making: “Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada,” “This Is Baby” and “Nana Loves You More.”
“Taco Tuesday” by Cottage Door Press
Cottage Door Press publishes a series of finger puppet board books that are ador able, silly and very entertaining to read. Another one of my favorites is “Little Avocado’s Big Adventure.” 206-258-4900
The Children’s School has been serving Seattle families since 1965! We offer classes for children ages 2–6 in the Green Lake neighborhood. We nurture children’s emerging selfreliance, agency, independence and life skills. Small class sizes and low ratios.
“Where’s the Dog?” by Ingela P. Arrhenius
Outfitted with felt flaps and bright illustrations, this board book will become an imme diate favorite in your cutie’s reading rotation. Check out other titles in the series, in cluding “Where’s the Penguin?” and “Where’s the Ladybug?”
“What a Wonderful World” illustrated by Tim Hopgood, based on the song popularized by Louis Armstrong
Cozy up and read (or, better, sing!) this book out loud with your baby while you appreciate all of the wonderful things this world really does have to offer.
Our education programs for ages 6 months to 12 years engage imaginations so children fall in love with learning!
Schedule a Tour Today 360-668-5145 kidscountryinc.com
Your growing child will love rhyming books and stories with repeated phrases. This is a great stage to introduce books featuringphotographs of people, animals and objects that your little one is beginning to recognize from the world around them. As your child nears age 1, you might even start to ask simple questions while you read, such as “Where is the ___?”
This photo-filled emotion guide (which comes with a mirror) will help your child “see” what feelings might look like in their everyday life.
“Eat Your Colors” by Amanda Miller
As your baby begins their gastronomic adventures during mealtimes, this book will help them eat the rainbow as they try new (super)foods.
“If I Were a Lion …” by Jellycat
The happy illustrations and textures found in this series (which features titles about dozens of our fave animal pals) by Jellycat are delighting distractions for brainy babies on the go.
“Global Baby Playtime” by The Global Fund for Children
This is my favorite series for babies, and that’s saying something! These titles intro duce the youngest “readers” to different countries and cul tures through exciting images and positive storylines. Be sure to check out other titles in the series: “Global Baby Bedtimes,” “Global Baby Girls,” “Global Baby Boys” and the original “Global Babies.”
“A Parade of Elephants” by Kevin Henkes
With plenty of cute baby elephants and a dash of count ing, this board book has it all.
“Happy Birthday!” by Little Hippo Books
Happy birthday, dearest baby! This celebratory board book presents (ha!) a handful of tex tures and a perfect theme for any newly minted 1-year-old.
Happy reading! ■
Lindsay Zielinski is a mom, wife and writer living in Tacoma. She spends most of her time in libraries, where she is always looking for her next favorite picture book. a
Get kids excited about reading with this simple and useful app
By Vicky McDonald
Google recently launched a website (readalong.google) to go with its Read Along app, which helps kids learn to read. I have a preschooler and a first-grader, so we road-tested the app to see if it could help us on our reading journey.
The app presents hun dreds of illustrated stories available at four different reading levels. The stories are grouped by topic and level. My kids, of course, opted for the books labeled “funny.” The books were fine for learning, but don’t expect to find any Mo Willems gems or other famous children’s books among the selections.
When you open the app, your kid can select a story and start to read. Diya, the app’s virtual assistant, acts as a reading bud dy. She checks that kids pronounce each word correctly and sounds out the word if they get it wrong. When you correctly pronounce a word, it turns blue and a little star appears on top. If you mispronounce something, the words are underlined in red. You can have Diya read the word for you by tapping the word once. Diya will also pro nounce it more slowly if you tap the word twice. The app offers motivational praise throughout to encourage your kid to keep reading.
Once you have completed a story, you win stars and badges and get to take a photo of yourself. The photo is optional, and I’m not quite sure what the point of it is, but my kids loved this feature. When you sign up, there is a disclaimer that the app will collect information from its users — including name, voice, app usage activity and photo — so be aware of this before signing up.
continued from page 23
When we finished reading our story, we played a game on the app. There are three types of games to choose from: “Jumbled Up,” “Pop the Balloons” and “Speed Read ing.” The games contain words that your child will be familiar with from reading the stories. It’s a good way to keep those new words in their heads. The “Jumbled Up” game helps kids work on their spelling. The “Pop the Balloons” game is focused on phonics.
Stories are available in a number of different languages, including English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Spanish and Portuguese. The goal is to help kids from all over the world learn to read. According to a website statement, “Sixty-four percent of participants from the India pilot study with access to the app showed an improvement in reading proficiency.” You could also use the app to help your children learn to read in another language.
The activity log tells you how much time your kids spent reading and how many stories they completed. My son happily read a few books and played a few games one afternoon while I did some chores. I love reading with my kids and helping them learn how to pronounce words, but on the days when you are short on time, this app is a great assistant to call on for supple mental learning. As kids return to school this fall, the app might just give them a boost and reinvigorate their enthusiasm for reading. ■
Vicky McDonald is ParentMap’s digital editor. When not working, she can be found running after her two kids or cooking up something tasty in the kitchen. SAMENA.COM
By Kate Hagan Gallup
The COVID-19 pandemic utterly derailed the “normal” course of education in 2020, disrupting traditional ways of learning for 1.6 billion students worldwide — and impelling lasting changes within the American education system. The initial response marshaled during the early phase of the coronavirus crisis focused on implementing remote learning modalities as an emergency response. Teachers were asked to become user-experience designers, parents were foisted into roles of tech support and test proctors, and our students were forced to learn an entirely new mode of classroom behavior. While the situation was far from ideal and as mistakes were made along the way, we speedily incorporated and adapted to
The evolving role of ed tech inside and outside of the classroom
new technological skills in our daily lives.
As the pandemic has evolved, so, too, have education responses. While the pandemic’s longterm implications for education are still being discovered, the crisis has given us an unprece dented opportunity to reimagine the traditional model of school-based learning, to acceler ate the development of new technologies and instructional strategies for delivering education solutions at scale, and to reconsider and reform how these new solutions support the collabo rative and intensely human aspects of teaching and learning.
I caught up with Peter Jung, M.Ed., information and resource coordinator for The Arc of King County (arcofkingcounty.org), to discuss his views on the lasting impact of COVID-19 and education technology on the future of learning.
After persevering through the hardest school years in memory, our teachers, administrators and school staff are exhausted — and increas ingly burning out. A 2022 survey released by the National Education Association (NEA; nea.org), the nation’s largest union, representing 3 million educators, revealed that an alarming 55 percent of educators are now indicating that they are ready to leave the teaching profession earlier than planned, due to pandemic stress.
Jung surmises that the reason we’re seeing such significant staff shortages and resulting educa tor burnout is because of how our technology rollout was implemented in 2020. Most educa tors received little guidance on how to provide a page
high-quality digital learning experience — some thing usually initiated after months of intention al collaboration between educators and user experience designers.
“They were trying to replicate the classroom experience over Zoom, which is literally the worst thing you can do. You are [inadvertently] remov ing everything that is good about distance learn ing and trying to put the standards and norms of
in-person learning through that, which is a medi um that just does not work. It’s not effective. It’s nonsensical,” says Jung. To make this point, Jung poses the idea of expecting an 8-year-old to sit still for more than four hours in front of a Zoom screen. As parents, we know this isn’t the best model for most kids.
The NEA notes that a large part of “Zoom fa tigue” stems from the fact that video classroom interactions work differently than in-person education, which is a deeply invested, richer human endeavor. In a videoconferencing context, features such as enlarged face sizes, limited ability to read body language and other social cues, and slight lags in connection/communica tion negatively affect our bodies’ dopamine and cortisol levels.
“The better way to look at [the role of technology in student learning] is to embrace its flexibility,” says Jung.
He describes a successful hybrid learning model used in a California school: “They would have the kids watch lectures at home — that was their homework. During their downtime, they would just watch these lectures, and then when they went to school, they would be doing the home work. The teacher would be walking around with an iPad or device, which enabled them to see where each kid was getting stuck.” ONE CHILD AT A TIME
“The better way to look at [the role of technology in student learning] is to embrace its flexibility.”
In this hybrid model, combining both remote digital and in-person techniques, the technology enhanced the experi ence by revealing opportunities for students and teachers to zero in on important in-person and peer-to-peer education al connections. The flexibility afforded by this model, Jung says, enables teachers to better “pinpoint the problem and use mastery-based learning,” although it may require addi tional fine-tuning for “nuanced classes like history or health.”
EndeavorRX (endeavorrx.com) is an immersive prescription video game experience delivered through mobile devices for kids ages 8–12 with ADHD. Jung has seen this learning application in action and finds its potential intriguing and promising. “I actually saw one of my former clients try it back when I worked at an in-home mental health agency. It provides a lot of biofeedback to slow the game down when you’re getting a bit too excited.”
There’s no going back Instructure, a developer of learning management systems, released its second annual survey on the 2022 “State of Teaching and Learning in K–12 Education,” which indicates that educators and parents alike reported an “increased openness to digital learning.” While teachers and admin istrators experienced many obstacles to early rounds of technology implementation, the study shows that 58 per cent of educators surveyed now have a more positive opin ion of online learning than before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the parents surveyed, 68 percent believed technology is beneficial in providing access to individualized programs, underscoring that the personalized instruction and selfpaced learning aspects of ed tech solutions have had a positive impact on student success. In addition, 83 percent of respondents believed that digital technology will con tinue to grow in importance when it comes to enhancing classroom instruction and boosting student engagement, motivation and achievement.
What’s clear is that technology is no longer just a conve nient auxiliary to instruction: It has become essential to K–12 pedagogy.
When it comes to incorporating ed tech into learning, don’t assume that the teacher/student experience is limited to Zoom and agendas. Jung describes a number of amazing innovations that combine gaming with learning, such as a novel twist on Dungeons & Dragons groups that teaches marine biology, or prescription video games for supporting students with learning differences.
Another promising game is Ava (socialciphergame.com), a role-playing platform adventure created for the autis tic community that follows an autistic star mapper as she works through social challenges, battles self-doubt and discovers community. Identifying as an autistic person him self, Jung really enjoys this game’s positive representations of autism. “What I really like about it is it’s like this little platformer with this girl who talks with people, and she’s a space pirate. There’s even one character who is nonverbal, and they bond over stemming. So, those representations I think are really important,” he says.
Noting that games and technology have the ability to ex pand student learning beyond the rote learning methods of yore, Jung asks us to consider where technology can take us. “You start thinking about, okay, what are the larger skills? Are these skills transferable across other contexts?” Emerging education technology advances allow us to posit these larger questions about the ultimate goals of educa tion, and whether these goals are measurable via stan dardized testing.
When it comes to incorporating ed tech into learning, don’t assume that the teacher/ student experience is limited to Zoom and agendas.
As digital learning extensions become richer, more fulfilling and more effective at teaching, it may be helpful to begin viewing the creation of new technologies to support learn ing disabilities and special education students as leading the curve of innovation — not following in its wake. Jung is an advocate for “normalizing accommodation.” He elabo rates: “There is a justice element here. Accommodation isn’t just for disabled people. Everything that disabled people do benefits everyone.”
The AARP (blog.aarp.org) has similarly noted that the ben efits of disability accommodations are “global.” If it wasn’t for ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps, parents with strollers would be stuck between a hill and a hard place. Accom modating signage also helps persons who are aging and experiencing hearing or vision loss.
The University of Minnesota’s Accessible U website (accessibility.umn.edu) expands on this idea by noting that an accessible design approach to developing technology saves time and effort in the future while benefiting the
largest number of people in the present. Where would we be today without video captions for viewing programs in a noisy room, for example? The university also points out that cater ing to audiences of all abilities also better supports users of older technology and devices, providing an additional means of supporting equity across socioeconomic factors.
So, what can we expect for our students and education in the future, knowing that our pandemic-accelerated ed tech awakening is here to stay? “I think we have more tools. We have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t,” says Jung. With a baseline of digital competence and a founda tion of utilities now established, our skills in both learning and teaching with digital applications can only increase — and what defines our learning goals will continue to shift in tandem with the ongoing evolution of these technologies. ■
Kate Hagan Gallup holds a master’s degree in information management. She uses her most recent roles and digital skills to share her passion for parenting, eco-conscious ness and healthy living.
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Walking around most major cities in the United States today, Seattle included, it is not hard to notice that our modern families are becoming increasingly multiracial and multilingual.
One of the common aspirations these families may hold is for their children to also become multilingual. However, strategies for one multilin gual family may not necessarily work for another family; there is definitely no one-size-fits-all solution. It is my hope that parents will be able to get what they need from this article, and through a process of trial and error, identify a path that would work best for their family.
Is it advisable to raise bilingual children? Yes, of course! Raising children in a household and community where multiple languages are spoken is not only advisable but actually the norm in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, though more than 150 languages are spoken in the United States, our nation is not known as a multilingual country.
We probably all know someone who grew up with grandparents or parents who speak a language other than English, but somehow that language did not get passed down. English became the only language of the house. This is known as language loss or language shift, which typically happens within one or two generations. While
How parents can cultivate bilingualism and biliteracy in their children, beginning at birth
our parents’ or grandparents’ generations may have faced greater pressure to assimilate at the cost of their home languages, society’s attitudes and knowledge about child hood bilingualism have greatly shifted. Research in recent decades has confirmed that raising children who are able to function in two languages reaps multiple benefits.
Within individual families, the benefits include being able to communicate with grandparents and other relatives who may not speak English well or at all. This intergenerational connection is important, not only for developing children’s language skills, but also for promoting family cohesion and supporting the emotional and physical well-being of grand parents. This is probably one of the most important benefits for my own family. My parents do not speak English, and it is naturally easier for my children to learn their language than the other way around. It is a huge relief to me to see my children interact with them readily, especially when they visit Seattle — my children are my parents’ designated translators and they fulfill this role happily!
More importantly, language proficiency is also related to one’s cultural identity. Studies have found that children who have stronger proficiency in a language tend to identify more strongly with the culture of the language. And being able to use more than one language gives our children the opportunity to develop multiple cultural identities.
When they were younger (and obviously hadn’t studied much math yet), my own children believed they were half-Chinese, half-Canadian and half-American!
Another important factor to think about is parents’ own identity in relation to their children. Research on migrant mothers has shown that for mothers who are not native English speakers but are raising children in an English-speak ing society, transferring their own language to their children is a pivotal way of maintaining their own cultural identities.
In my own case, speaking Chinese to my children definite ly makes me feel I am “in my own skin.” My Belgian-born, French-speaking neighbor told me she has the same reac tion; it feels strange for her to speak English to her daughters.
Many parents may also have heard about “bilingual advan tages,” among them the assertion that bilingual children may be smarter and exhibit better executive function skills. While there have been a large number of studies showing that bilingual children outperform their monolingual coun terparts on experimental tasks involving inhibitory control, working memory and other traits, it is also important to note that such effects are not universally found across all studies and that there is also likely a publication bias (meaning those studies that found a significant difference between bilingual and monolingual children are more likely to be published).
For now, I encourage parents to think more about the ben efits for the social-emotional well-being of family members, family cohesion and cultural identity development, because positive impacts in these areas stemming from children’s bilingual skills can be more readily observed and registered. The cognitive benefits can be considered the by-products, rather than the goals, of attaining bilingual proficiency.
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Igniting the academic and creative potential of students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.
What are some of the challenges parents may encounter as they attempt to cultivate bilingualism in their children? Based on my own experiences of being a parent for 10 years so far, I believe the real challenge began when my children started to attend English-medium schools. Don’t get me wrong: The schools my children attended were all great, but schooling in English and developing relationships with their friends in that language really pulled my children away from the bilingual bubble we were able to create at home up until that point in time.
I distinctly remember one night when my then 5-year-old son was taking a bath and he asked us a serious question: “Why do I need to learn two languages, when all of my friends just need to learn one?” Alerted to, yet gratified by,
years, it becomes difficult to establish a real relationship with our children in the non-English language. We settle for conversing with our kids in English because of that universal need to relate to them and share with them. On top of this, as children hear and speak English all day long, they may start to think English is the language of authority (since it is the common language of schooling). More importantly, they may not be equipped with the vocabulary and storytelling skills to tell you about their day in the non-English language.
This, of course, is not a good reason for parents to just give up. Parents are advised to help expand their children’s vocabulary from focusing on the home to on school and other leisure activities. Acts of linguistic scaffolding, such as helping them with narrating in different time frames (past, present, future); showing them how to provide details, opinions and talk about emotions; and making or declining a request appropriately, are all critical in strengthening the bond with your child in your language while enhancing their language skills.
his level of awareness, my husband and I seized this teach able moment and talked to him about the necessity and benefits of being bilingual, and about our plans and aspira tions for him and for our family. I don’t think he questioned us ever again about this!
However, we also have had our share of parenting struggles. Like many parents, we know so little about our children’s experiences inside their classroom at school. I’m sure that many parents, like me, typically get a nonchalant “Good” as the only response to our mundane question “How was your day at school?” It seems that during the elementary school
Academically, parents may also start to prioritize school subjects over languages. It seems that as children grow, their opportunities to use (and actually study) the language become scarcer. This means that from birth to 5 years of age is the golden period for parents to ensure that their children form a strong linguistic foundation in the non-English language that can be built upon later. For parents who speak a non-English language, it is also important to create a strong bond with your children in your language from early on.
As our children begin to socialize outside of the home, it is important for parents to identify and generate activities for children (especially older children) to use, maintain and develop their language skills. Don’t despair! Most middle and high schools in our area do offer foreign language courses, though, in my opinion, at this point in a child’s life, it is way too late, and the school offerings may not coincide with your language of choice — but hey, it’s better than nothing! Private K-5 at info@kineoschool.org 132nd Ave Kirkland, WA
For parents who speak a non-English language, it is also important to create a strong bond with your children in your language from early on.
There are many ways you can support your child’s bilingual/multilingual development through play, community engagement and fun everyday activities.
Play is always the way
• Bolster biliteracy with language-learning apps and games.
• Duolingo (duolingo.com) — This website and app help motivate you to learn with quick lessons you can pick up when you have a few minutes to spare. Earn points as you progress through the les sons, and get kudos for your “streak” (the number of days you engage in a row). This program offers 38 different languages for English speakers, including Swahili, Navajo, Chinese and even Klingon.
• Babbel (babbel.com) — This subscription-based app claims that it takes just 10 minutes a day to learn a new language. The platform sup ports 14 different languages and offers live online classes, original podcasts, games, videos and more.
• Lirica (lirica.io) — This innovative pro gram uses popular music, one verse at a time, to teach Spanish and German. You can “gain fans” and advance levels as you complete lessons.
• My Coach — This educational series from Nintendo DS includes instruction in five languages (including Spanish, French and Chinese). The game presents eight mini games that sharpen the player’s skills at their own pace.
• Books — A great way to support dual-language devel opment at home is to provide books for your children that they already love in a language other than English. For example, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is available in Spanish and 13 other languages, including German, Polish and Japanese.
• Play actual games — Games that focus on language, such as I spy, bingo, “Who am I?” and memory are great!
• Sing songs, dance and play music — Children love music, and melody is a great way to help them remember things they are learning.
• Many private schools and preschools offer language immersion programs. Consider joining a co-op program as a less expensive option. parentmap.com/co-op
• Visit your public school district’s website to see what dual-language programs are available for your student.
• Washington State Seal of Biliteracy (k12.wa.us) — Encourage your student to develop their dual-language skills with the goal of earning the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy. The seal was established to recognize public high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in one or more world languages, in addition to English. Students who earn the seal will receive a medallion to wear at graduation. (The accomplishment is also added to their transcript and noted on their diploma.)
• Public libraries are another great resource for supporting your child’s bilingual development. Contact your local library branch to learn about programs in your area. A few examples include:
• The Seattle Public Library (spl.org) — Weekly story times for children from infants to 5 years old are free and presented in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic and Somali.
• Pierce County Library System (piercecountylibrary.org) offers family/bilingual story times in Spanish and English.
• King County Library System (kcls.org/storytimes) also offers story times in a variety of languages.
Everyday language-learning activities at home The Australian parenting website raisingchildren.net.au has scads of great ideas for exploring bilingualism at home. Here are just a few suggestions:
• Talk to your children in a language other than English, starting from birth.
• Listen to radio programs, including popular music programs and channels for teenagers, in a language other than English. You can connect to many international radio stations online. parentmap.com/global-radio
• Connect with family and friends who speak a language other than English. If they do not live close, connect with them using a videoconferencing service.
• Incorporate a language other than English into your child’s interests (e.g., soccer, cooking, movies). Find your child’s favorite recipe or choose a typical recipe corresponding to the culture of the non-English lan guage and cook it together, using only that language. ■
— Kari HansonMy partner and I speak two different languages. What are some of the best practices to employ at home to support children to become bilingual in both languages from birth to preschool?
In my opinion, the first thing to keep in mind is that couples should discuss their “family lan guage policy” as they start thinking about having a child. Trust me, it can get contentious if such issues are not sorted out in advance! A family language policy can be understood as the deci sion within the home regarding which language(s) to use and by which family member(s). More importantly, the policy should specify the actual actions and how much of an investment a family should make in accomplishing their goals. In making such a decision, couples should think about the following important questions:
• Which languages should be spoken?
• What are your goals for your children for each of the languages involved?
• Do you hope that your children will also acquire literacy skills in the language(s)?
• Do you want your children to be able to actively use the languages or is it sufficient for them just to understand the languages?
• In order to support your goals, what are your options for in-home care, day care, schools and so on?
• Which family member will be primarily using which language with the children?
• Would the family member, especially the one in charge of the non-English language, be able to provide sustained, high-quality language input to the children?
• Would the English-speaking family member be able to support the bilingual practice at home, knowing that sometimes he or she may not be able to understand some of the family interactions?
• What would be the language for conflict resolution?
• What language(s) would the family use when English-only guests visit the home?
One of the most popular family language policies among bilingual families is the “one person, one language” (OPOL) policy. This is the one we have adopted at our home. However, since a child’s exposure to the two languages is rarely equal, especially when they attend an English-only
continued from page 37 school, the non-English language often suffers. At this point, if the parent who speaks the other language is also bilingual, then the child may start to respond in their stronger language, typically English.
Gradually, the child may start to lose productive skills (such as speaking) in the non-English language. In fact, research ers have found that across a sample of 2,000 families,
family, I believe, is the well-being of all family members.
If a multilingual family wishes to consider introducing mul tiple languages, many of the family language strategies that apply to bilingual families can be adapted. In addition to the OPOL family language strategies mentioned above, there are other possibilities that multilingual families use.
The first alternative is “one language first.” As the term suggests, families can ensure that the child becomes es tablished in learning the first non-English language, usual ly around age 4 or 5, and then can introduce the second non-English language at home.
The second alternative is the “language time” strategy. For instance, families can decide that mornings are dedicated to using language A and afternoons for language B. Such a strategy is also adopted by many dual-language immersion programs that offer instruction in two languages.
one-quarter of the children brought up with the OPOL approach did not end up bilingual. Why? Research findings regarding bilingual families can be summarized succinctly: Successful bilingual learning is dependent on the amount of exposure children receive and the opportunities they have to use the language. So, it is important for parents to keep in mind that the more your children hear the language, the more your children use the language, and the more likely they will be able to acquire it. It isn’t rocket science.
That said, be flexible, and regularly revisit, review and revise your family language policy with your partner, since your family’s situation may change. The ultimate goal for every
Another possibility, which might be the most natural one for multilingual families to employ, especially when parents are proficient in all of the languages involved, is to use the lan guages interchangeably, letting the topic, speaker, situation and mood determine the language to be used in context. This is actually how a multilingual person naturally functions in a multilingual environment.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to offer a straight-up suc cess rate for each of the strategies explained above. How well children learn is ultimately dependent on a multitude of factors. Regardless of the composition of the languages of your family, I cannot overemphasize two critical factors: exposure and need.
Exposure should be abundant, consistent and come from authentic interaction with human beings, rather than from a tablet, as a University of Washington I-LABS study shows, or from passively watching TV in the language.
Learn something new with your child. Develop a com mon interest with them so that you can continue to enjoy each other’s company in a context in which you will use that language organically.
The second critical factor is need. Do your children have a genuine need to use the language in order to communi cate with a parent or other family member? If the parent readily switches to the children’s favored (i.e., “stronger”) language, then there isn’t a need. Do the children need to watch a cartoon in the non-English language? If they are allowed to freely watch the cartoon in English, then there is not a need.
These two factors are closely related. If the non-English parent is able to provide a consistent amount of language exposure to the children early on, then the bond is estab lished in that language. As the children grow, they also de velop a perceived, if not an organic, natural need to contin ue using that language with that parent.
What are some ways for parents to help their children maintain their language proficiency while not having to continuously fight with them about language choice? I think it is useful to talk with your children about why they are unwilling to use the non-English language. Is it be cause they think it’s not good enough or because they were mocked at school for speaking the language (a situation that should be discussed more seriously with school administra tion), or because they simply do not have adequate language skills to perform the more demanding communicative tasks?
If the latter is the reason, parents should consider pro viding more modeling and scaffolding. If it isn’t for any of these reasons, then parents should consider the two critical factors I mentioned above: Exposure — does the child have enough exposure to the language so they feel comfortable and confident to use it; and need — does the child have a need to use the language? If not in either case, then parents should strive to identify ways to fortify their relationship with their children in the non-English language by “creating” some of the needs.
In this regard, one of the suggestions I learned from a par enting podcast is quite useful for me: Learn something new with your child. Develop a common interest with them so that you can continue to enjoy each other’s company in a context in which you will use that language organically.
In our house, we read a lot with the children. My husband and I take turns reading to them at bedtime, in English and in Chinese on alternating days. Decades of research have shown that reading with your children has numerous bene fits, one of which is that it contributes to their language de velopment and expansion of knowledge. This, in turn, leads to better literacy skills later.
Fostering the positive relationship your children have with you, your language and your culture is a small seed that can grow into a giant tree. Even if you are not able to help your child become as bilingual as you had hoped, as long as they feel confident about the language and the culture, they can always continue to learn in college and beyond. ■
Chan Lü is an assistant professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature as well as the Chinese lan guage program coordinator at the University of Washington.
As children face and embrace the excitement and uncertainty of a new school year, it’s natural for some anxiety to arise, says Seattle Children’s Hospital psychologist Nicole Stettler, Ph.D.
While it’s tempting to exuberantly re assure or attempt to insulate kids from such feelings, it’s more important, she notes, to help them develop their own skills for facing such life transitions.
“We can’t control or avoid all of the things that are stressful and unpre dictable,” says Stettler. “Getting prac tice ahead of time can help them think through what will happen and build confidence.”
Stettler offers the following agetailored tips for helping your child manage any back-to-school anxiety, from preschool through the high school years.
A local expert’s ages-and-stages guide to helping reduce your child’s back-to-school concerns
continued
Our youngest scholars are still learning what school is like and what to expect. That’s why it’s especially important for parents to help them visualize how their day will go. For example, a child might wonder what their classroom looks like, or how they should interact with a teacher and classmates.
Stories can help bridge knowledge gaps and imbue young students with more confidence. As you read books together, discuss how the characters might be feeling. Approach these scenarios with a sense of curiosity and positivity, exploring different possibilities and outcomes.
Practicing can be an especially useful tool for this age group. Consider visiting the school with your child in advance, even if it isn’t open. Just seeing the campus — the exterior of the school build ing, the playground, etc. — creates a sense of
Photo by Mallory Dehbod
familiarity that will make the first days of school a less daunting proposition. Go on a “dry run” by practicing a bus ride or the car drop-off route. Even a seemingly simple step such as packing a backpack in advance can ease first-day jitters. Have your child practice basic social skills by visiting a neighborhood playground together and encouraging them to introduce themselves to someone new.
For the very youngest students, it may be use ful to practice separating and reuniting with a parent. Leave your school-bound child for brief periods, such as the time it will take you to go collect the mail, and then work your way toward longer separations, during which you leave them with a trusted caregiver.
On the morning of the first day, parents and guardians play an important role in creating a re laxed environment. Be sure to build in extra time and space for everyone to get ready. That way, any snags in the schedule won’t be as stressful. If you decide to do something extra, such as pre pare a special breakfast or stage a fun first-day photo shoot, make sure there is ample time.
Stettler encourages rewarding your child for their “brave” behavior after that first school day is done. Celebrate the successful conclusion of their first day with a stop at a favorite neighbor hood park to play or at a favorite ice cream shop for a treat (or both?). This reward doesn’t have to be a specific item or event; it can be as simple as having focused attention from a parent. Use your attention to spotlight — and further bolster — resilient behavior.
While it’s emotionally agonizing to drop off a crying child at school and leave, consider the message you want to send, Stettler advises. If you give up and spirit your child back home, the message you might be communicating is that school is a scary place, or possibly worse — that your child can’t handle going to school. Instead, reinforce the key message while being empa thetic: Yes, being separated from loved ones is hard, but school is a safe place to learn, make friends and have fun.
As children grow more accustomed to the school setting, social interactions become increasingly
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Materials are dentist- and teacher-reviewed, kid-tested and endorsed by the School Nurse Organization of Washington.
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important. Elementary school students might be fearful of teasing, bullying and social rejection. There may also be some anxiety about achieving good grades and gaining teacher approval.
Help your child work through some potential problems that might arise and how they can handle them. Prompt them with questions that encourage their own problem-solving capabilities and analysis.. For example, ask your child how they might handle a situation in which their best friend is assigned to a different classroom. Can they think of other ways to maintain that important friendship? How will they approach forming friendships in their new classroom?
At this stage, the focus is on developing their own ideas versus offering solutions. Use a light-hearted, curious ap proach to navigating the possible challenges and exciting opportunities ahead.
It also may be helpful for parents to share their own mem
ories about navigating school experiences and friendships. Describing your own childhood experiences and how you handled them might spur a fruitful conversation about coping mechanisms.
If your child is not interested in engaging on such topics, you can still validate these stressful experiences. Stay away from assumptions and stick to the facts: “I know school is coming up. A lot of kids might feel stressed about school or sad that summer is ending. I don’t know if that’s true for you, but, if so, it’s normal, and I’m happy to talk about that with you.”
Once that conversational seed is planted, kids might bring up the topic on their own later.
Natural sleep schedules tend to run later for middle schooland high school-age kids. If bedtimes have become pro gressively later during the summer, start adjusting them well before the first day of school. A sudden shift can jolt the system, says Stettler.
As your child gets older, they may be less likely to openly share their feelings about the upcoming school year, turning instead to peers for support. Still, there may be signs that your child is experiencing stress. As the summer concludes, they may “overdo” things, such as organizing school sup plies or watching academic videos in preparation for the forthcoming curriculum. Or they may do just the opposite and avoid anything related to back-to-school activities or preparation.
You may also observe mood changes, such as increased
signs of irritability or argumentativeness. There might be underlying anxiety motivating this behavior. That’s why it’s important to react with patience and curiosity regarding what might be driving the shift in mood or behavior.
As children enter middle school, help them visualize and mentally prepare for a new and dynamic environment. They will likely have multiple teachers and classes, as well as exposure to a wider community of kids. Help them mentally prepare for their days and possible challenges: What might an average day look like? What are some strategies you can employ to handle a classmate who is teasing you?
At this stage, many fears surface about how others per ceive them as well as their school performance. Even though your child might not be sharing these precise concerns, it’s still validating to hear a parent address these worries. Give them an opening for conversation by recount ing how you felt when you entered middle or high school. When people reveal vulnerabilities, others tend to respond by doing the same. ■
Kellie Schmitt is an award-winning health and science writer.
All That Dance ..................................................................... 13
Sharing the art of movement with tots–adults for 28 years
Seattle; 206-524-8944 allthatdanceseattle.com; info@all-that-dance.com
Allegro Pediatrics 47
Where healthier futures begin 7 Eastside locations; 425-827-4600 allegropediatrics.com
American Dance Institute 26
Various dance classes and camps 4 Seattle-area locations; 206-783-0755 americandanceinstitute.com; adiseattle@americandanceinstitute.com
Annie Wright Schools 10
Co-ed preschool–grade 8; single-gender day and boarding grades 9–12 Tacoma; 253-272-2216 aw.org; admissions@aw.org
Asia Pacific Language School 41 Chinese and Japanese programs; preschool–grade 1 Bellevue; 425-747-4172 apls.org; apls@apls.org
The Attic Learning Community 35 Fostering a passion for learning and community; pre-K–grade 12 Woodinville; 425-424-0800 the-attic.org
BASIS Independent Bellevue P 2 Top globally inspired private school, liberal arts, STEM; grades 3–8 425-229-1277 bellevue.basisindependent.com; blv.admissions@basisindependent.com
The Bear Creek School P 40 Christian liberal arts education; preschool–grade 12 Redmond; 425-898-1720 tbcs.org; chazeltine@tbcs.org
Bellevue Children’s Academy 42 Inspiring and nurturing excellence; pre-K–grade 4 Bellevue; 425-649-0791 bcacademy.com; admissions@bcacademy.com
Bellevue Montessori School 51 Inspiring lifelong learners; ages 1½–12 Bellevue; 425-454-7439 bellmontessori.com
Billings Middle School P 44 Inspiring through experiential and social justice education Seattle; 206-547-4614 billingsmiddleschool.org
Boys & Girls Clubs of King County 49 Full- and half-day camps, sports camps, teen programs 30 Greater Seattle locations; 206-436-1800 positiveplace.org
The support of these family-friendly businesses enables us to deliver our high-quality parenting content to readers for free. education parentmap.com/education.
Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschool 22
Child care, early education, summer camp Multiple Puget Sound–area locations; 1-877-624-4532 brighthorizons.com
Bright Water Waldorf School 54 Serving pre-K–grade 8; virtual tours available Seattle; 206-624-6176 brightwaterwaldorf.org; admissions@brightwaterwaldorf.org
Center for Spiritual Living Seattle 44 Spiritual but not religious community Seattle; 206-527-8801 spiritualliving.org
Charles Wright Academy P 50 Independent co-ed day school; preschool–grade 12 Tacoma; 253-620-8373 charleswright.org; admissions@charleswright.org
Chestnut Hill Academy 29
Developing global leaders one child at a time; grades K–5 Bellevue; 425-372-2800 chestnuthillacademy.com; cha@brighthorizons.com
The Children’s School 20
Not-for-profit preschool for ages 2–6; play-based learning environment Seattle; 206-258-4900 tcsseattle.org; admin@tcsseattle.org
Community School of West Seattle ................................. 12
Where children play, explore and learn; pre-K for kids ages 3–5 West Seattle; 206-763-2081 cswsplay.org; businessmanager@cswsplay.org
Creative Dance Center 13 Classes for infants, children, teens, adults Seattle; 206-363-7281 creativedance.org; info@creativedance.org
Dartmoor School 21
One-to-one, customized learning for grades 1–12 Bellevue, Bothell, Issaquah, Seattle; 425-885-6296 dartmoorschool.org; admissions@dartmoorschool.org
Daybreak Star Preschool 11
Early learning rooted in an Indigenous, play-based curriculum Seattle; 206-285-4425 daybreakstarpreschool.wordpress.com; nterrones@unitedindians.org
Delta Dental of Washington 45
Leading dental benefits provider, covering nearly 3 million people Seattle; 1-800-554-1907 deltadentalwa.com
Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund 42
Supplemental trust program for individuals with special needs Statewide; 1-888-754-8798, ext. 1 ddetf.wa.gov; etfinfo@arcwa.org
Discovery Bay Learning Academy 23 Preschool and pre-K; after-school care for K–grade 6 Bellevue; 425-861-6247 proclub.com/club/youth/learning-academy; learningacademy@proclub.com parentmap.com/education.
K–5th Grade
DOWNTOWN
Exceptional Elementary Education Ages 5–11
Exceptional Elementary Education Ages 5–11
Experience the Spruce Street School Difference
Exceptional Elementary Education Ages 5–11
Exceptional Elementary Education Ages 5–11
continued from page 49
Drama Kids of King County 12 Confidence-building drama camps and classes Multiple King County locations; 425-654-0699 dramakids.com/wa3; dramakids.com/redmond-bellevue-wa
DOWNTOWN 914 Virginia St. Seattle, WA 98101 206.621.9211
DOWNTOWN
DOWNTOWN
914 Virginia St. Seattle, WA 98101 206.621.9211
A diverse and inclusive community fostering intellectual curiosity, creativity, and compassion.
A diverse and inclusive community fostering intellectual curiosity, creativity, and compassion.
914 Virginia St. Seattle, WA 98101 206.621.9211
914 Virginia St. Seattle, WA 98101 206.621.9211
A diverse and inclusive community fostering intellectual curiosity, creativity, and compassion.
A diverse and inclusive community fostering intellectual curiosity, creativity, and compassion.
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2019-2020 www.sprucestreetschool.org
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2019-2020 www.sprucestreetschool.org
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2019-2020 www.sprucestreetschool.org
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2019-2020 www.sprucestreetschool.org
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Pre-K - 5th Grade
At The Valley School, we ignite children’s natural passion for learning. Our students develop an academic foundation and become joyful learners through playful work, purposeful play, and the practice of community. To learn more about our school, visit www.thevalleyschool.org.
Eastside Catholic School
................................................... 25 Faith-based learning; co-ed, grades 6–12 Sammamish; 425-295-3000 eastsidecatholic.org; info@eastsidecatholic.org
Eastside Christian School 42 Academic excellence, commitment to Christ; pre-K–grade 8 Bellevue; 425-641-5570 ecswa.org; info@ecswa.org
Eastside Pediatric Dental Group ...................................... 48 Specialists in oral health for kids of all ages Issaquah; 425-392-4048 eastsidepediatricdentalgroup.com
Epiphany School P 4 Independent elementary school; pre-K–grade 5 Seattle; 206-323-9011 epiphanyschool.org; admissions@epiphanyschool.org
Explorer West Middle School ............................................ 56 Rigorous academics, small classes, arts, outdoor ed West Seattle; 206-935-0495 explorer-west.org; dawnf@explorer-west.org
Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart P 29 Independent, Catholic, all-girls school; grades 5–12 Bellevue; 425-641-0700 forestridge.org; admissions@forestridge.org
Gage Academy of Art 10 Art classes for kids and teens Seattle; 206-323-4243 gageacademy.org; info@gageacademy.org
Hamlin Robinson School 34 Serving students with dyslexia; grades 1–8 Seattle; 206-763-1167 hamlinrobinson.org
Heritage Christian Academy 12 Preschool through high school Bothell; 425-485-2585 hcabothell.org; info@hcabothell.org
Hibulb Cultural Center & Natural History Preserve ........ 37 Interactive exhibits showcasing the Tulalip Tribes Tulalip; 360-716-2600 hibulbculturalcenter.org
Holocaust Center for Humanity 4 Holocaust education, programs and field trips for students Seattle; 206-582-3000 holocaustcenterseattle.org
Holy Rosary School 22 Catholic STEM+ school for preschool–grade 8 learners Seattle; 206-937-7255 holyrosaryws.org; info@holyrosaryws.org
Hope Lutheran School P 54 Faith-focused and student-centered; preschool–grade 8 West Seattle; 206-935-8500 hls.hopeseattle.org; office@hopeseattle.org
P Learn more about this featured education resource on parentmap.com/education.
Hyla School P 3
Hands-on learning; growth with integrity; grades 6–12 Bainbridge Island; 206-842-5988 hylaschool.org
JDS: The Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle P 8 Jewish community school; early childhood–grade 8 Bellevue; 425-460-0200 jds.org; admissions@jds.org
Jennifer Rosen Meade Preschool 52 Full- or part-time experiential preschool Bellevue; 206-323-8486 jrmpreschool.org; llevy@tdhs-nw.org
Jewish National Fund 7
Supporting the people and land of Israel All areas; 1-212-573-7095 jnf.org; bmeir@jnf.org
KapKa Cooperative School 11 Experienced-based learning, small classes; grades K–5 Seattle; 206-522-0350 kapkaschool.org; registrar@kapkaschool.org
Kid’s Country Learning Centers 21 Safe and nurturing care for infants–age 12 9 Puget Sound–area locations; 360-668-5145 kidscountryinc.com; info@kidscountryinc.com
KidsQuest Children’s Museum 14
Hands-on exhibits, classes, free programs and events Bellevue; 425-637-8100 kidsquestmuseum.org; info@kidsquestmuseum.org
The Kineo School 35 Personalized education for students in grades K–5 Kirkland; 425-394-9378 kineoschool.org; info@kineoschool.org
Lake Washington Girls Middle School P Girls strong in mind, body and voice; grades 6–8 Seattle; 206-709-3800 lwgms.org; info@lwgms.org
LeMay – America’s Car Museum 55 Design, tinker and explore the world of automobiles Tacoma; 253-779-8490 americascarmuseum.org; education@americascarmuseum.org
The Little School P 8 Blended indoor/outdoor learning on our 12.5-acre campus Bellevue; 425-827-8708 thelittleschool.org/explore; admissions@thelittleschool.org
Magnolia Forest Preschool 39 100% outdoors, child-led, play-based education for ages 2.5–7 4 campuses in Sequim, Lynnwood, Poulsbo magnoliaforestpreschool.com; info@magnoliaforestpreschool.com
Mercer Education .............................................................. 25 Tutoring support for test prep, college counseling and more Bellevue; 425-373-0870 mercereducation.com; info@mercereducation.com
Montessori Garden 55 Where children ages 3–6 are free to discover and learn Seattle; 206-524-8307 montessorigarden.net; info@montessorigarden.net
Morningside Academy P 51
Rigorous full-year and summer programs; grades 2–9 Seattle; 206-709-9500 morningsideacademy.org; info@morningsideacademy.org
Northwest Boychoir .......................................................... 38 Now enrolling boys ages 6–8 Seattle; 206-524-3234 nwboychoir.org
NOVA Middle School 38
Challenging curriculum for highly capable learners Olympia; 360-491-7097 novaschool.org; admissions@novaschool.org
Open Window Online P
Supportive, innovative education to inspire bright minds; grades K–8 Bellevue; 425-747-2911 openwindowschool.org; ows@ows.org
Open Window School P 26
For gifted kids who love to learn; grades K–8 Bellevue; 425-747-2911 openwindowschool.org; admissions@ows.org
Primrose School of West Bellevue 24 Early education and full-time care; infants–pre-K Bellevue; 425-315-7305 primrosewestbellevue.com
Rainier Valley Leadership Academy 48
Public, tuition-free, anti-racist community school; grades 6–12 Seattle; 206-659-0956 myrvla.org; info@myrvla.org
Rock Solid Science 13 Explore rocks, minerals and fossils at your location! Seattle area; 206-715-2556 rocksolidscience.com
Russian School of Mathematics ........................................ 41 After-school math enrichment; grades K–12 Bellevue, Factoria, Redmond; 1-855-MATH-855 russianschool.com
Saint Patrick Catholic School 34 Values-based education for pre-K–grade 8 students Tacoma; 253-272-2297 saintpats.org/school
Samena Swim & Recreation Club ..................................... 24 Preschool, before- and after-school care, swimming lessons Bellevue; 425-746-1160 samena.com
Samis Foundation 17 Supporting Jewish education in Washington state Seattle; 206-622-3363 samisfoundation.org
Sammamish Montessori School P .................................... 13 Art, sports, science, more; ages 3–8 Redmond; 425-883-3271 sammamishmontessori.com; info@sammamishmontessori.com
School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts (SANCA) 39 Circus classes for ages 2 and older, camps for ages 6–17 Seattle; 206-652-4433 sancaseattle.org; office@sancaseattle.org
Seattle Academy P 2
College prep curriculum for grades 6–12 Seattle; 206-324-7227 seattleacademy.org; admissions@seattleacademy.org
Seattle Country Day School P 56 Inquiry-based learning for gifted students, K–8 Seattle; 206-812-8907 seattlecountryday.org; admissions@seattlecountryday.org
Seattle Jewish Community School P 39 Nurturing curious and compassionate learners; grades K–5 Seattle; 206-522-5212 sjcs.net; admissions@sjcs.net
Seattle Nativity School 7
Tuition-free Catholic school for grades 6–8 Seattle; 206-494-4708 seattlenativity.org; info@seattlenativity.org
Seattle Preschool Program 25
High-quality, affordable preschool for Seattle 3- and 4-year-olds 206-386-1050 seattle.gov/applySPP; preschool@seattle.gov
Seattle Waldorf School 4
Nurturing creative, resilient, confident thinkers in pre-K–grade 12 Seattle; 206-524-5320 seattlewaldorf.org; info@seattlewaldorf.org
Small World Montessori 40
Full-day classes for children ages 3–5 Everett, Mill Creek; 425-338-7771 smallworldmontessori.com; info@smallworldmontessori.com
Soundview School P .......................................................... 53 Independent, private school serving early childhood–grade 8 Lynnwood; 425-778-8572 soundview.org
Spruce Street School P 50 K–5 differentiated learning environment Seattle; 206-621-9211 sprucestreetschool.org; admission@sprucestreetschool.org
St. John School ................................................................... 41 Catholic education for preschool–grade 8 Seattle; 206-783-0337 st-johnschool.org
St. Monica Catholic School 54 Catholic liberal arts education; pre-K–grade 10 Mercer Island; 206-232-5432 stmonicasea.org; info@stmonicasea.org
Stroum Jewish Community Center 3
Early childhood school, family and youth programs, camps Mercer Island, Seattle; 206-232-7115 sjcc.org
St. Thomas School 26
Non-sectarian education; preschool–grade 8 Medina; 425-454-5880 stthomasschool.org; info@stthomasschool.org
continued from page 53
Sunshine Music Together 4
Early-childhood music classes; ages 0–8 5 Greater Seattle–area locations; 206-281-1111 sunshinemusictogether.com
UCDS: University Child Development School ...................... 7 Learning by design; preschool–grade 5 Seattle; 206-547-8237 ucds.org; admission@ucds.org
University Cooperative School P 20
Community-oriented pre-K–grade 5 school since 1975 Seattle; 206-524-0653 Ucoopschool.org; admissions@ucoopschool.org
The Valley School 50
Social-emotional primary curriculum for pre-K–grade 5 Seattle; 206-328-4475 thevalleyschool.org; info@thevalleyschool.org
Villa Academy P 39
Independent Catholic school serving preschool–grade 8 Seattle; 206-524-8885 thevilla.org; admission@thevilla.org
Wasatch Academy 28 Independent, co-ed boarding school for grades 7–12 Mount Pleasant, Utah; 800-634-4690 wasatchacademy.org; info@wasatchacademy.org
Washington State ABLE Savings Plan 42
Flexible investment plan for people living with disabilities Statewide; 1-844-600-2253 washingtonstateable.com
Washington College Savings Plans (WA529) P Helping families save with two flexible 529 plans GET, 1-800-955-2318; DreamAhead, 1-844-529-5845 wastate529.wa.gov
Washington State Charter Schools Association 31 High-quality, innovative public-school options Statewide; 206-424-2780 wacharters.org
Westside School 53 PS–8th valuing joyful learning, high academic standards and confident learners Seattle; 206-932-2511 westsideschool.org; information@westsideschool.org
Woodinville Montessori School 52
Accredited Montessori program for toddlers–high school Bothell, Woodinville; 425-482-3184 woodinvillemontessori.org; info@woodinvillemontessori.org
Yellow Wood Academy 41
Customized education, supportive school; grades K–12 Mercer Island; 206-236-1095 yellowwoodacademy.org; info@ywacademy.orgw
