For American Jewish teens looking to get in touch with their Jewish heritage, nothing compares to spending an extended period in Israel. It’s easy to read about Israel in the classroom or look at photos, yet being physically present creates a special connection that’s impossible to generate from a distance.
Alexander Muss High School in Israel (Muss) has been creating this connection in Jewish teens for 50 years. As Jewish National Fund-USA’s premier collegeprep study abroad in Israel program, Muss blends an accredited high school curriculum with a unique experiential learning program that uses the land of Israel as a living and breathing classroom.
For Muss alum Lucy Sternthal, who attended in the Spring of 2023, the experiential learning made her time in Israel feel more personal. “The trips were my favorite part,” she said. “I really liked experiencing the different parts of Israel, the culture, food, and people that were there.”
Located on Hod HaSharon’s state-of-the-art campus only 20 minutes from Tel Aviv, Muss students from across the country learn together and live together, forming a close-knit community, experiencing Israeli life, and creating memories that will last a lifetime..
Upon her return home this Spring, Meira Colton,
EARN UP TO $7,500 IN GRANTS TO STUDY IN ISRAEL!
Dream Israel helps American high school students like you take the Israel trip of their dreams.
a Seattle native, explained, "Muss gave me a deeper understanding of Jewish history by learning the stories of our past, and then visiting the places they actually happened!". "I feel a lot more connected to my Judaism having gone to Israel," Sternthal added, referencing the "Muss Magic" that creates lifelong bonds between students and Israel.
Students who attend Muss develop a love for the land and people of Israel that will reverberate throughout their community and inspire them to become the next generation’s Zionist leaders.
“Muss had a profound impact on me,” said Shayna Ilyinsky. “It has strengthened my Jewish identity, deepened my connection to Israel, and gave me a sense of purpose and a drive to make a positive impact in the world. I am excited to continue learning, growing, and sharing my passion for Israel and its people with others.”
Supported by Samis, the Greater Washington Impact Fellowship helps Jewish sophomore and junior high school students, with the extraordinary opportunity to connect to the Jewish people and the land of Israel.
ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL STUDENTS.
Charter public schools provide parents a greater variety of public-school options so you can find the best fit for your child’s interests and learning styles
What is a charter school? Charter schools are unique public schools that foster a partnership between teachers and students. Teachers are given more flexibility to innovate, and students are provided with the personal attention, creativity, and passionate teaching they need to learn.
Who was your favorite teacher?
A few weeks ago, my family and I headed north on I-5 to spend a long weekend at Semiahmoo. When we planned the trip last fall, I reasoned a late-summer date would be perfect timing. It wasn’t so early that gray skies and late-summer rains might dampen our plans. And it wasn’t smack-dab in the middle of summer when absolutely everyone is traveling, trying to squeeze it all in before the start of the school year. I figured late summer was just right. We’d have plenty of sunshine and heat so that the kids could swim in the outdoor pool all afternoon, and we could hit the beach afterward to skip stones and look for crabs hiding under rocks at low tide. After twenty years living here, I’ve learned that late August is a pretty safe bet for sunshine and warm weather in Washington.
But what I keep forgetting is that late summer is also wildfire season. And as we made our way north past Everett and into the Skagit Valley, I noticed the gray settling in — not from overcast skies or rain, but from smoke. By the time we got to Semiahmoo, it looked hours later than it actually was, thanks to a dark layer of smoke hanging in the air. So much for our outdoor dinner plan.
Wildfires are just one of the many symptoms of climate change in Washington state. In our “Learning” issue, we take a deep dive into climate science education across the Puget Sound region. How does Washington fare, you ask? There’s a simple answer and one that’s more complex. But after reading about “The State of Climate Education in Washington,” (p. 13) you’ll come away with an accurate picture of where we are and where we need to be.
We’re also tackling another emerging issue in the world of education — ChatGPT. As with all new technologies, AI brings perils and advantages to students in the classroom. Figure out how to help your kids navigate the internet’s latest temptation when you read our article on generative AI (p. 31).
Beyond these two heavy hitters, parents of neurodivergent children can find tips to help set their kids up for success at home (p. 41). Plus, parents of babies and toddlers are reminded that it’s the little things (you’re probably already doing) that help boost kids’ learning (p. 49). In other words, you’ve totally got this.
— Allison Sutcliffe, managing editorLEARNING 2023/2024
PUBLISHER
Alayne Sulkin
EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR
Allison Sutcliffe
OUT + ABOUT EDITOR
Nancy Chaney
TRENDS AND ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Madison Miller
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kari Hanson
CALENDAR EDITOR
Julie Dodobara
COPY EDITOR
Sunny Parsons
CONTRIBUTORS
Gemma Alexander, Kellie Schmitt
DIGITAL MARKETING
EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST
Devon Hammer
SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST
Emily Feely
ADVERTISING SALES + PARTNERSHIPS
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS + ADVERTISING SALES
Jessica Collet
SENIOR ADVERTISING AND PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER
Ida Wicklund
EVENTS + COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS SPECIALIST
Brenna McCown
CLIENT SERVICES + DESIGN COORDINATOR
Angela Goodwin
ADVERTISING CLIENT SERVICES SPECIALIST
Mallory Dehbod
DIGITAL ADVERTISING + MARKETING SPECIALIST
Taryn Weiner
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Tamryn Nell
ART + PRODUCTION
SENIOR DESIGNER
Amy Chinn
ADMINISTRATION
BUSINESS MANAGER
Carolyn Brendel
OPERATIONS ASSISTANT
Erika Widjaja
PARENTMAP EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Benjamin Danielson, M.D.
CLINICAL PROFESSOR, UW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
PRACTICING PHYSICIAN, UW MEDICINE
Joan Duffell
RETIRED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN
John Gottman, Ph.D. THE GOTTMAN INSTITUTE
PROFESSOR EMERITUS, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Laura Kastner, Ph.D.
PSYCHIATRY + BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Bea Kelleigh VICE PRESIDENT, DOVETAILING, LLC
Yaffa Maritz, M.A.
FOUNDER, LISTENING MOTHERS + COMMUNITY OF MINDFUL PARENTING
Daniel J. Siegel, M.D.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINDSIGHT INSTITUTE
Maita Gassor Houpis, 4th grade
Mrs. Goldman, 1st grade
Mr. Anderson, 11th grade AP US History
Mr. Molnar, 11th and 12th grade
Miss Nakamura, 9th grade Science
CONTACT INFORMATION
Advertising information
206-709-9026 or advertising@parentmap.com
Fax 206-709-9031
Calendar submissions
calendar@parentmap.com
Editorial submissions
editor@parentmap.com
Distribution distribution@parentmap.com
Administration
206-709-9026, parentmap.com
Subscriptions
subscriptions@parentmap.com
Subscription rate
1 year: $12
At Living Montessori, students explore and discover, collaborate with classmates and build social and practical life skills.
Students acquire critical thinking abilities and develop independence, self-confidence and creativity. Visit our school and learn how they gain foundational skills to become lifelong learners.
Experience the difference! See how our Elementary program unleashes your child’s full potential.
In our pluralistic, hands-on studying environment, students fully engage in their own learning and community building, acquire critical thinking skills and cultivate creativity, curiosity and a deep love for learning.
Our students broaden their education by regularly going beyond the classrooms, learning about the world around them by visiting other workplaces, interviewing people across disciplines, engaging in community service, and applying their knowledge in practical ways through projects-based activities.
Last year, the United States experienced unusually high cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), an infection that’s the leading cause of hospitalization for infants.
Thanks to a recently approved medication, nirsevimab, parents will be able to increase protection for their babies in the future, hopefully as soon as this upcoming fall and winter respiratory season. Nirsevimab is an injection that may reduce the risk of RSV-related hospitalization and healthcare visits in babies by about 80%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While this new RSV antibody injection is exciting news for parents and providers, there has been a concerning decline in overall childhood vaccination rates. Those lower rates create a higher risk for illnesses like measles to make a comeback. As we head into the respiratory season, pediatric health providers are advising that children stay up-todate on all of their vaccines, including their flu and COVID vaccinations.
A new opportunity to prevent RSV
Dr. Mary P. Fairchok, a Tacoma-based pediatric hospitalist for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, expects the new antibody injection to reduce the
burden of RSV on young patients – and the healthcare system. Each year in the U.S., an estimated 100 to 300 children younger than five die as a result of RSV while tens of thousands are hospitalized.
Another very effective protective antibody against RSV, Synagis, has been available for years for infants.
against severe illness, long COVID, as well as reduce school and daycare disruptions.
As the country experiences an uptick in COVID cases, that vaccine can help children “face the disease with a coat of armor on,” Fairchok said.
This fall, children will likely be eligible for an updated version of the COVID vaccine targeting the latest Omicron subvariant. September and October are also the best times to get the updated influenza vaccine, timing that offers the best protection for the season ahead, the CDC notes.
While waiting for those updated vaccinations, it’s important to keep children on schedule for routine childhood immunizations, health experts say.
The COVID-19 pandemic — and the lockdowns, school closures and limited health care visits that accompanied it — created widespread delays to routine well-child visits and vaccinations. In the US, like in Washington state, childhood vaccination rates have slipped in recent years.
Because of costs, though, that option has only been available for infants at the highest risk, such as those born prematurely, Dr. Fairchok noted. Having the new option available to so many young patients is an exciting development in pediatric health.
What’s next for COVID?
Staying up-to-date with COVID vaccinations are still important, too, she cautioned. Vaccinations can protect
The reasons for the decline are diverse, ranging from healthcare access delays to the widespread misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccination, Fairchok explained. Those drops are problematic since the country’s lower vaccination rates could lead to outbreaks of measles, pertussis (whooping cough) and other highlycontagious illnesses. Late last year, for example, an Ohio measles outbreak sickened 85 children, with 36 requiring hospitalizations.
As the country experiences an uptick in COVID cases, that vaccine can help children “face the disease with a coat of armor on.”
continued from page 9
Locally, Washington has seen a similar decline with vaccine coverage declining in all age groups other than 13-to-17 year olds, according to a 2022 report.
That trend is reflected in local pediatrician Dr. Basma Raees’ experience, too. Before the pandemic, about 90% of her young patients were following suggested vaccination schedules. Now that number has dropped to just 70%, said Raees, who works with Evergreen Pediatrics in Kirkland.
On a recent weekday afternoon, Raees met back-to-back with three families who were hesitant to vaccinate their children for childhood illnesses such as measles and whooping cough. The COVID vaccine and the widespread misinformation that circulated had
spilled over to routine vaccinations.
“We feel sad about it,” she said. “One bad social media post can spoil it. There’s too much misinformation.”
The decline is troublesome since unvaccinated children are out in the community, attending day care and school, she explained. Without the protection of vaccines, they’re vulnerable to potentially dangerous illnesses while also raising the risk of infecting infants and other people unable to be vaccinated.
While figures vary for each disease, measles spreads so easily that immunity in the community requires about 95% of the population to be vaccinated. The United States overall has dipped to 93% of people who are
vaccinated, while Washington state has also recently dipped below that 95% threshold.
“We’re really ripe for an outbreak in Washington state,” Fairchok said.
Measles is so contagious that one person can spread it to 9 out of 10 people around them if they are not protected. In a closed space like a classroom or daycare, the virus can linger even for two hours after the infected person leaves.
The infection commonly causes a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash that covers the entire body. Complications include ear infections, pneumonia and encephalitis, or brain inflammation. Globally, 128,000 people died of measles in 2021, mostly children under age five, according to the World Health Organization.
Our creative, fun, and messy classes promote motor development and provide sensory exploration in a stimulating social environment.
Vaccination is highly protective against measles with two doses about 97% effective. Previously the United States’ higher vaccination rate made these infections rare. But, with vaccinations dropping, that’s changing.
For physicians who remember life without certain vaccines, the drop in vaccinations is frustrating. During her days as a young physician, Fairchok recalls seeing young patients with a bacterial infection known as Hib, a disease which can cause inflammation of the brain lining and spinal cord. Before the vaccine was created, about 20,000 young children in the U.S. got serious Hib disease and about 1000 died, according to the CDC. Now, the vaccine is “wildly successful” in preventing that illness, Fairchok said.
When it comes to vaccine hesitancy, Fairchok offers the metaphor of a seatbelt. There is great evidence that safety belts are effective and reduce fatalities. While some may find the seatbelts themselves uncomfortable, when used correctly, they save lives. That is the same logic for vaccinations: they’re safe and effective and reduce fatalities.
When faced with so many disparate sources of information, Fairchok recommends turning to trusted sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (aap.org) and your primary care provider. AAP strongly recommends on-time routine immunization of all children and adolescents and offers a schedule detailing that timeline.
Don’t go down the Google holes that can be alarmist and inaccurate,” she said. “I would trust in the vast bulk of people trained in these areas rather than the outliers. ■
Kellie Schmitt is an award-winning health and science writer.
Sponsored by
The Department of Health (doh.wa.gov) works to protect and improve the health of all people in Washington state by leading changes in policies, systems and environments to prevent illness and injury; promoting healthy families and communities; encouraging healthy lifestyles; and focusing on places where people live, learn, work, recreate, seek health care and worship.
Montessori children love math. Why? They playfully explore it with
like (a+b+c)3 hands-on work, like this Trinomial
Learn more at
Politics aside, science leaves no room for doubt that climate change is real and that it’s the result of human activity. Washington state education standards call for climate education as part of scientific instruction. And in the left-leaning Puget Sound region, there’s not much political objection to teaching kids accurate climate science. But all of that still doesn’t guarantee that your child is actually getting a quality climate education.
In 2022, a Pew Research Center survey in 19 of the world’s most developed countries found that climate change was considered the top global threat — even more threatening than the ongoing pandemic and issues regarding the global economy. But compared to other advanced nations, Pew reports, “concerns are relatively muted in the U.S.” As we
continued from page 13
begin to regularly experience the extreme weather and natural disasters associated with climate change, fewer people are clinging to climate change denial. Yet simply acknowledging the climate crisis is not enough. The next generation will need knowledge and skills to participate in a green economy and eliminate global dependence on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the American education system isn’t exactly poised to provide that learning.
The nonprofit development organization FHI 360 recently released a report outlining strategic recommendations to help strengthen climate education. The first recommendation was to establish policies that support climate education at every level of the educational system. In the U.S., each state has its own education system, and those systems vary widely in quality. When it comes to climate science, only one state’s science education standards earned an A grade from the National Center for Science Education; six states received a failing grade. Washington state scored a B+.
“In many ways Washington state is leading the nation,” says Becky Bronstein, associate director of programs at EarthGen, a nonprofit that provides climate-focused professional development and classroom resources to educators in Washington state. Washington has adopted Next Generation Science Standards.
“Next Generation Science Standards came out a number of years ago as part of a nationwide effort to reimagine how science teaching and science learning looks. There’s also state-specific standards that are particular to climate and human-impact topic areas,” Bronstein explains.
What kind of policies would bring Washington’s grade up to an A? Bronstein says, “The standards can definitely be improved. There’s plenty of room for adding more details, especially as the science and its complex intersections become more clear.” She also suggests that a mandatory professional development policy would ensure that all teachers have some training in climate education.
But state policies and science standards are only the first step, and they don’t always translate to effective instruction in the classroom. Sometimes,
they don’t translate into any instruction at all.
“There’s a whole mess of variables of why students aren’t receiving science education, let alone climate change and climate justice learning,” says Bronstein. Some of these reasons are pointed out in two of the recommendations made in the FHI 360 report: Effective climate education requires access to high-quality curricula and materials that are grounded in scientific data; and educators need training and professional development to deliver those materials.
When districts have sufficient funding, they often adopt and purchase curricula for all teachers to use. This adoption process can take years, including a pilot year to test the curriculum before rolling it out districtwide with training (which also costs money) for the teachers who will implement it.
“Curricula quickly can become outdated, sometimes they don’t align with current standards, there might be something problematic about it or the materials that go with the curriculum run out and there’s no funding to get those things. It’s much more complicated than just ‘This school has curriculum for this topic.’ If they have adopted curriculum, it doesn’t always mean that everything is just going along swimmingly,” says Bronstein. But many schools would love to have the problems associated with purchased science curricula. Every district has its own educational priorities and funding limitations, and science is often the area that is neglected as schools focus on literacy and arithmetic.
In the absence of officially sanctioned and provided science curriculum, there are a lot of open-source science resources available online. But using them puts the burden on teachers to organize the information, collect any relevant materials (often with their personal money), and
“Professional development is not just giving the content knowledge, it helps give the confidence and preparedness to bring it into the classroom.”
continued from page 15
tie the content to district requirements and state standards. Teachers are already overburdened, but this effort is especially challenging when it comes to climate science.
“Climate change is complex, and it has also been such a politicized issue. It’s scary and brings up a lot of different emotions. Teachers need support in how to navigate all those different complexities and how to bring that into their classroom,” says Bronstein. Climate science was not taught in schools back when most teachers were students themselves, and it is rarely taught as part of teacher training, which usually focuses more on pedagogy than content. Professional development is needed to ensure that teachers understand the science they need to teach.
“Professional development is not just giving the content knowledge, it helps give the confidence and preparedness to bring it into the classroom,” says Bronstein.
Many teachers do not feel confident that they are prepared to teach climate science. Their comfort level in presenting this information may be further undermined by the culture of the community and level of support from their school administration in responding to any potentially negative feedback they may receive.
“When understanding all the different factors that a given community is facing, for some communities, even just equipping educators to bring the words ‘climate change’ into the classroom is a huge step forward,” says Bronstein. But when all those factors align, schools may provide an interdisciplinary approach to climate science that can
extend beyond the classroom to the community.
“Students are actually taking action around climate change, thanks to the learning that they have had in the classroom, which is thanks to professional development that their teachers received,” says Bronstein. Most communities fall somewhere in between the extreme of no science and the ideal of empowerment to take action.
State of local schools
So, is your child learning climate science?
“It’s kind of the nature of our education system that it’s hard to ensure that every student is equipped to perform to a particular standard’s expectations. [Results vary] depending on resources and methods of evaluation. I’m sure that parents have heard about state testing,” says Bronstein. Standardized testing is indeed its own can of worms. Although standardized tests are often used to judge individual student performance and determine their placement, the tests are actually designed to evaluate the school’s effectiveness. OSPI’s Washington State Report Card provides a sometimes sobering perspective on that front. Statewide, just under 43% of students met science standards last year.
In the Puget Sound area, “People have not just heard of climate change, they want to do something about it. But this area of the state has a lot of those conflicting variables — differences in resources and other challenges with supporting students in other ways — so climate change is often put on the back burner. Even though teachers might be excited about it and want to do something, they just might not have the time or the energy or the capacity to do it,” says Bronstein.
You might find out which science curriculum your child’s school uses on the school or district website. But unless you’ve been involved in a curriculum selection process (and you really should, if you can), that information might not mean much to you. The best way to know for sure what, or if, your child is learning about climate change is to ask. Talk to your student and their teacher about what they are learning in their classroom. Talk to the district administration and school board about what’s being taught at different grade levels.
continued from page 17
Quality climate education should include three things:
Scientific fundamentals
It should answer the questions “What is climate change?” “How do we know the climate is changing?” and “How do we know humans are causing it?” The lessons should be connected to data and help students understand how data is used to inform conclusions.
Climate science is complex, but it is not abstract. Students should learn about specific, local impacts of climate change.
“Here in Seattle, I don’t necessarily need to learn about polar bears and melting ice caps. That just makes me sad and makes me feel a bit powerless. But if I’m learning about flooding and erosion happening on the coast, or about how I’m living in a place that now experiences smoke regularly in late summer, that impacts me and makes me want to understand why. And then I want to know what I can do
The science is clear: Human activity is responsible for climate change. That means human activity is required to stop it. A theoretical understanding of climate change is useless unless students learn how they can be part of the solution. Learning about solutions is not just pragmatic. It also provides students with a sense of agency, which is a valuable social-emotional learning experience as well.
If your child’s science education falls short, you can take action yourself.
“We need everyone on board, including parents — now more than ever,” says Bronstein.
At home, you can engage in environmental action as a family and read books to learn about the environment. At school, parents can take leadership roles in projects like after-school green teams or cafeteria food waste programs. Especially in our part of the state, many environmental education organizations can help with projects like these
This is just a handful of the many organizations supporting parents and teachers in our area with educational programs and resources.
EarthGen • earthgenwa.org
Nature Vision • naturevision.org
Washington State Conservation Districts • scc.wa.gov
King County Green Schools • kingcounty.gov
City of Tacoma EnviroChallengers • cityoftacoma.org
NatureBridge • naturebridge.org
IslandWood • islandwood.org
“There’s all sorts of interesting programs and great work done by community-based organizations like EarthGen and others that directly engage with students,” says Bronstein. “EarthGen provides NGS-driven [Next Generation Standards], culturally sustaining resources that are fun and interesting. They all move students toward taking some kind of action so that they feel they have agency and are empowered by their learning.”
Parents can also advocate with the district to allocate resources for climate education and encourage integrated learning approaches that don’t pit academic subjects against one another. When you vote, from the school board to Congress, be sure your candidate supports education and the environment. The National Education Association produces an education scorecard for Congress. Washington Conservation Action endorses environmentally minded candidates across the state. ■
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.
¡ Artastico!
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month with a night of art, music, and dance! It’s sure to be a creative journey for the whole family!
FRI, SEPT 29, 5–8pm
Featuring local artist Atenas Morales of Scarabajo, families will concoct their own natural dyes and use them to create patterned scarves to take home and wear just in time for fall.
FRI, OCT 13, 5–7pm
Love of learning starts here.
Free and discounted tickets available for those who qualify.
info@KidsQuestMuseum.org
Become a mad scientist as we experiment with things that glow, stretch, and float. Learn the science behind things spooky and kooky. Check out our virtual workshop option too!
THU, OCT 26 and FRI, OCT 27, 5:30–7pm
Celebrate Halloween at KidsQuest and experience ‘Max’s Monster Mercantile’ while building secret forts that transport you to the land where the Wild Things Wander! This monster-ific event is fun for all!
SUN, OCT 29, 9:30 am– 5pm
Visit the Museum to discover the possibilities!
Exhibits include: a real semi-truck cab, live bees and worms, a play-pretend corner stage with costumes, and a 2.5-story climber!
Reserve your tickets to play today! KidsQuestMuseum.org
Atenas MoralesWith summer over and school back in session, we are finally settling into new school year routines. In addition to making sure the lunches are packed and we’re on time at the drop-off/pick-up line, we need to make sure we’re still attending to our college savings goals.
Fresh out of my own ideas on how to best save money for the future, I turned to the utmost authority on the topic — my 3-year-old daughter.
“Well, you could put it in your piggy bank … or your wallet … or your pocket! But if you do a cartwheel when it’s in your pocket, it might fall out,” she said.
So, with a bit of help from my little girl, here are three quick tips to keep your savings on track this year.
Feed your piggy bank first
When it comes to saving for college, the sooner you start, the better. If you don’t already have a college savings account, check out Washington College Savings Plans’ website (529.wa.gov) to learn more about Washington’s 529 plans. These programs help boost your savings efforts by offering exclusive opportunities to Washington residents. These can include special tax or financial incentives, or unique programs such as prepaid tuition plans that act as insurance against rising in-state tuition costs. Once you start your savings journey, keep it going with regular contributions. Most 529 plans make setting up automatic monthly withdrawals from your bank account easy.
Keep a good inventory of your wallet
The beginning of the school year is a great time to check in on your family budget to keep a firm grasp on your spending habits and find opportunities to free up additional funds. You could consider a staycation in lieu of more exotic destinations and take advantage of low and no-cost local
activities. You might also want to use this time of year to identify new or newly freed up funds, such as a raise at work or reduced daycare costs when your child starts school. However you can free up funds, it’s essential to refer back to our first tip and redirect them into savings when possible.
Watch your pockets – especially while cartwheeling Our finances are most vulnerable when they’re burning holes in our pockets. While we should be mindful of this, moderation is everyone’s best friend here. Life is short, after all, so we don’t want to continuously deprive ourselves of doing those cartwheels and treating ourselves from time to time. One way to balance things here is to set family ground rules before you leave the house about what type of thing you might want to splurge on or how much money you will earmark for that purpose, rather than leaving it to impulse in the moment.
Sponsored by
WA529 (Washington College Savings Plans) helps Washington families save for educational expenses, with a vision of fostering a welleducated community by helping students and families overcome financial barriers to education and avoid future debt.
Washington offers two 529 plans that will cover most families’ needs: DreamAhead College Investment Plan and Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET). Families can participate in either or both programs. For more information visit 529.wa.gov.
Operating much like a 401K, DreamAhead offers parents a variety of mutual fund options. Parents can manage their own investments but with the tax advantages of a 529 plan. If you are already comfortable with investing, the flexibility of DreamAhead may be right for you. It can also be a better choice if you’re getting a late start on college planning and don’t have many years left to save.
The GET prepaid tuition program is Washington’s original 529 plan. Each November, GET establishes the price of its tuition units for the next enrollment period. During that period, parents can open up new pay-as-you-go accounts to buy lump sum amounts of whole or partial units. Or they can set up a custom monthly savings plan and commit to purchasing a certain number of units at the current price by making monthly payments for a fixed amount of time (usually based on the child’s graduation date).
Once your child reaches college, they can use their units. No matter how much tuition has risen since the initial enrollment period, 100 GET units will always be equal to the cost of one year of tuition at Washington’s most expensive public college (which is currently the University of Washington).
GET is often the simpler choice for families because they can “set it and forget it” without having to manage investments. ■
— Gemma Alexander
12
ParentMap’s ParentEd Talks series continues with a tremendous lineup of expert speakers who will help boost your parenting IQ. Topics include tips for raising technology-savvy kids in a screen-obsessed world; deepening connection with our partners and children; fostering the key traits and habits that are predictors of children’s success and good health — and much more.
ParentMap’s ParentEd Talks series continues with a tremendous lineup of expert speakers who will help boost your parenting IQ. Topics include tips for raising technology-savvy kids in a screen-obsessed world; deepening connection with our partners and children; fostering the key traits and habits that are predictors of children’s success and good health — and much more.
BONUS!
FREE access to interview with author of “Never Enough” with one-click registration.
BONUS!
FREE access to interview with author of “Never Enough” with one-click registration.
First 25 receive book!
First 25 receive book!
Don’t miss out! One quick registration gains you access to the entire lineup.
Don’t miss out! One quick registration gains you access to the entire lineup.
Don’t
out!
REGISTER NOW: ParentMap.com/talks
REGISTER NOW: ParentMap.com/talks
Turn the page to see the full slate of all-star speakers and topics
Turn the page to see the full slate of all-star speakers and topics
The Power of Play: The Most Underrated (and Fun!) Way to Grow for YOU and Your Child | Jan. 23, 2024
Discipline Strategies for Happier, Healthier Kids | Feb. 6, 2024
ParentMap is honored to present Laura Kastner, Ph.D., as the host of its 2023–2024
ParentEd Talks series. Kastner is the author of a number of parenting books, including the acclaimed “Getting to Calm” series, and a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington.
ParentMap is honored to present Laura Kastner, Ph.D., as the host of its 2023–2024 ParentEd Talks series. Kastner is the author of a number of parenting books, including the acclaimed “Getting to Calm” series, and a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington.
Atypical Approaches: Unlock the Brilliance and Beauty of Your Differently Wired Kid | Oct. 10, 2023
Atypical Approaches: Unlock the Brilliance and Beauty of Your Differently Wired Kid | Oct. 10, 2023
When parents are struggling with challenging behavior or having a difficult time accepting their child’s neurodivergence, the parent-child relationship can suffer. Parent activist and bestselling author Debbie Reber will share transformative strategies — what she calls “tilts” — for caregivers to become the exceptional parent that their exceptional child needs in order to thrive.
The Power of Relationships: Nurturing Compassion and Resilience in Children | Oct. 24, 2023
The Power of Relationships: Nurturing Compassion and Resilience in Children | Oct. 24, 2023
Parenting expert and Sproutable cofounder Julietta Skoog, Ed.S., will share her conscious discipline playbook in this talk that compassionately translates research, child development expertise and Positive Discipline principles into everyday parenting solutions that have helped countless families discover greater joy, connection and calm.
When parents are struggling with challenging behavior or having a difficult time accepting their child’s neurodivergence, the parent-child relationship can suffer. Parent activist and bestselling author Debbie Reber will share transformative strategies — what she calls “tilts” — for caregivers to become the exceptional parent that their exceptional child needs in order to thrive.
From toddlers exploring their immediate environment to twentysomethings charting their place in society, children’s “screen time” and digital social relationships have become an inescapable aspect of growing up. Professor and author Katie Davis, Ph.D., draws on her expertise in developmental science and design research to clarify what parents need to understand about technology’s role at each stage of their child’s development.
One of the strongest predictors of success in life is perseverance, and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., and Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D., wrote the book on how parents can cultivate the essential instincts that power perseverance in their children. Brooks and Goldstein’s compassionate approach will inspire you to rethink how you parent, socialize and educate your children into adulthood.
The Future Is Now: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of AI and What to Do About It | Nov. 14, 2023
The Future Is Now: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of AI and What to Do About It | Nov. 14, 2023
In this thought-provoking talk, Freedom Project executive director David Heppard and T.E.A.C.H. (Taking Education and Creating History) founder Kimonti Carter will decode the systems that shape the ways we see ourselves and others, reflecting on the wisdom they gained from their experience of incarceration and subsequent leadership working toward criminal justice and prison reform.
One of the strongest predictors of success in life is perseverance, and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., and Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D., wrote the book on how parents can cultivate the essential instincts that power perseverance in their children. Brooks and Goldstein’s compassionate approach will inspire you to rethink how you parent, socialize and educate your children into adulthood.
Conscious: Curious, Connected
Technology’s Child: Empowered Parenting in the Digital Age | March 5, 2024
Nate and Kaley Klemp , two of the most respected voices in the field of modern relationships, will impart key insights of their 80/80 marriage model, which is based on the concept of “radical generosity.” Learn game-changing strategies for redesigning the structure of your partnership based on practices and principles that will result in shared success and lasting satisfaction.
Unplug and Rewire: Raising Screen-Savvy Kids in the Tech Era | Dec. 6, 2023
What’s Love Got to Do With It? The Power of Nurturing Yourself First | May 1, 2024 Calm and Connected: Coaching Coping Skills in Your Children | June 5, 2024 Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D., and Marley Jarvis, Ph.D., child development specialists from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, will join Mike Browne , senior director of Community Engagement for Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington, for an engaging conversation about the brain science of play and the critical role of play in our lives.
With Conviction: What Formerly Incarcerated Leaders Can Teach Parents About Raising Changemakers | March 27, 2024
Stronger Together: A New Model for Modern Marriage | April 16, 2024
Christine Rosen, Ph.D., a leading expert on the intersection of technology and education, will share her insights on the groundbreaking — and disruptive — impacts of emerging generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT, illuminating the ways parents and educators can help children safely navigate the positive potentials and possible pitfalls of AI.
Christine Rosen, Ph.D., a leading expert on the intersection of technology and education, will share her insights on the groundbreaking — and disruptive — impacts of emerging generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT, illuminating the ways parents and educators can help children safely navigate the positive potentials and possible pitfalls of AI.
To best nurture others, we must expand our capacity to nurture ourselves. In this can’t-miss talk, veteran mindful self-compassion facilitators Blair Carleton and Yaffa Maritz, LMHC, will teach caregivers how to cultivate a habit of restorative self-compassion, equipping them with powerful techniques for developing greater self-awareness, self-reflection, self-care and emotional resilience.
Joe Clement Matt Miles are veteran teachers who have witnessed firsthand how damaging technology overuse and misuse has been to our kids. In this energizing talk, they will outline the challenges of raising screen-savvy kids and provide practical strategies for promoting well-balanced technology habits.
Joe Clement Matt Miles are veteran teachers who have witnessed firsthand how damaging technology overuse and misuse has been to our kids. In this energizing talk, they will outline the challenges of raising screen-savvy kids and provide practical strategies for promoting well-balanced technology habits.
Kastner, Ph.D. the host of its 2023–2024 of parenting books, clinical professor of Washington.
In this essential talk, suicide risk assessment expert Stacey Freedenthal, Ph.D., LISW, will guide parents through the sensitive and challenging topic of supporting their child’s mental health. Among the powerful strategies Freedenthal will outline is brave listening, which not only helps our children feel seen, heard and supported, but can literally be the difference between life and death. accepting their child’s neurodivergence, Reber will share transformative that their exceptional child needs Kid | Oct. 10, 2023
Ph.D., and Robert B. Brooks, Ph.D., perseverance in their children. parent, socialize and educate Oct. 24, 2023
| Nov. 14, 2023 damaging technology overuse challenges of raising screen-savvy kids
In this essential talk, suicide risk assessment expert Stacey Freedenthal, Ph.D., LISW, will guide parents through the sensitive and challenging topic of supporting their child’s mental health. Among the powerful strategies Freedenthal will outline is brave listening, which not only helps our children feel seen, heard and supported, but can literally be the difference between life and death.
education, will share her insights on the such as ChatGPT, illuminating the and possible pitfalls of AI.
23, 2024
The Power of Play: The Most Underrated (and Fun!) Way to Grow for YOU and Your Child | Jan. 23, 2024
The Power of Play: The Most Underrated (and Fun!) Way to Grow for YOU and Your Child | Jan. 23,
Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D., and Marley Jarvis, Ph.D., child development specialists from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, will join Mike Browne, senior director of Community Engagement for Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington, for an engaging conversation about the brain science of play and the critical role of play in our lives.
Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D., and Marley Jarvis, Ph.D., child development specialists from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, will join Mike Browne, senior director of Community Engagement for Cultivate Learning at the University of Washington, for an engaging conversation about the brain science of play and the critical role of play in our lives.
Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D., and Marley Jarvis, Ph.D., child development specialists from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, will join Mike Browne, senior director of Community Engagement for Cultivate Learning at University of Washington, for an engaging conversation about the brain science of play and the critical role play in our lives.
Conscious: Curious, Connected Discipline Strategies for Happier, Healthier Kids | Feb. 6, 2024
Conscious: Curious, Connected Discipline Strategies for Happier, Healthier Kids | Feb. 6, 2024
Conscious: Curious, Connected Discipline Strategies for Happier, Healthier Kids | Feb. 6, 2024
Parenting expert and Sproutable cofounder Julietta Skoog, Ed.S., will share her conscious discipline playbook in this talk that compassionately translates research, child development expertise and Positive Discipline principles into everyday parenting solutions that have helped countless families discover greater joy, connection and calm.
Parenting expert and Sproutable cofounder Julietta Skoog, Ed.S., will share her conscious discipline playbook in this talk that compassionately translates research, child development expertise and Positive Discipline principles into everyday parenting solutions that have helped countless families discover greater joy, connection and calm.
Parenting expert and Sproutable cofounder Julietta Skoog, Ed.S., will share her conscious discipline playbook talk that compassionately translates research, child development expertise and Positive Discipline principles everyday parenting solutions that have helped countless families discover greater joy, connection and calm.
neurodivergence, transformative child needs Brooks, Ph.D., children. educate on the illuminating the AI. overuse screen-savvy kids
2023–2024 through the Freedenthal literally be
Technology’s Child: Empowered Parenting in the Digital Age | March 5, 2024
Technology’s Child: Empowered Parenting in the Digital Age | March 5, 2024
From toddlers exploring their immediate environment to twentysomethings charting their place in society, children’s “screen time” and digital social relationships have become an inescapable aspect of growing up. Professor and author Katie Davis, Ph.D., draws on her expertise in developmental science and design research to clarify what parents need to understand about technology’s role at each stage of their child’s development.
From toddlers exploring their immediate environment to twentysomethings charting their place in society, children’s “screen time” and digital social relationships have become an inescapable aspect of growing up. Professor and author Katie Davis, Ph.D., draws on her expertise in developmental science and design research to clarify what parents need to understand about technology’s role at each stage of their child’s development.
From toddlers exploring their immediate environment to twentysomethings charting their place in society, children’s “screen time” and digital social relationships have become an inescapable aspect of growing Professor and author Katie Davis, Ph.D., draws on her expertise in developmental science and design research to clarify what parents need to understand about technology’s role at each stage of their child’s development.
Changemakers | March 27, 2024
Changemakers | March 27, 2024
With Conviction: What Formerly Incarcerated Leaders Can Teach Parents About Raising Changemakers | March 27, 2024
In this thought-provoking talk, Freedom Project executive director David Heppard and T.E.A.C.H. (Taking Education and Creating History) founder Kimonti Carter will decode the systems that shape the ways we see ourselves and others, reflecting on the wisdom they gained from their experience of incarceration and subsequent leadership working toward criminal justice and prison reform.
In this thought-provoking talk, Freedom Project executive director David Heppard and T.E.A.C.H. (Taking Education and Creating History) founder Kimonti Carter will decode the systems that shape the ways we see ourselves and others, reflecting on the wisdom they gained from their experience of incarceration and subsequent leadership working toward criminal justice and prison reform.
In this thought-provoking talk, Freedom Project executive director David Heppard and T.E.A.C.H. (Taking and Creating History) founder Kimonti Carter will decode the systems that shape the ways we see ourselves others, reflecting on the wisdom they gained from their experience of incarceration and subsequent leadership working toward criminal justice and prison reform.
Stronger Together: A New Model for Modern Marriage | April 16, 2024
Stronger Together: A New Model for Modern Marriage | April 16, 2024
Stronger Together: A New Model for Modern Marriage | April 16, 2024
Nate and Kaley Klemp, two of the most respected voices in the field of modern relationships, will impart key insights of their 80/80 marriage model, which is based on the concept of “radical generosity.” Learn game-changing strategies for redesigning the structure of your partnership based on practices and principles that will result in shared success and lasting satisfaction.
Nate and Kaley Klemp, two of the most respected voices in the field of modern relationships, will impart key insights of their 80/80 marriage model, which is based on the concept of “radical generosity.” Learn game-changing strategies for redesigning the structure of your partnership based on practices and principles that will result in shared success and lasting satisfaction.
Nate and Kaley Klemp, two of the most respected voices in the field of modern relationships, will impart insights of their 80/80 marriage model, which is based on the concept of “radical generosity.” Learn game-changing strategies for redesigning the structure of your partnership based on practices and principles that will result in shared success and lasting satisfaction.
What’s Love Got to Do With It? The Power of Nurturing Yourself First | May 1, 2024
To best nurture others, we must expand our capacity to nurture ourselves. In this can’t-miss talk, veteran mindful self-compassion facilitators Blair Carleton and Yaffa Maritz, LMHC, will teach caregivers how to cultivate a habit of restorative self-compassion, equipping them with powerful techniques for developing greater self-awareness, self-reflection, self-care and emotional resilience.
To best nurture others, we must expand our capacity to nurture ourselves. In this can’t-miss talk, veteran mindful self-compassion facilitators Blair Carleton and Yaffa Maritz, LMHC, will teach caregivers how to cultivate a habit of restorative self-compassion, equipping them with powerful techniques for developing greater self-awareness, self-reflection, self-care and emotional resilience.
To best nurture others, we must expand our capacity to nurture ourselves. In this can’t-miss talk, veteran self-compassion facilitators Blair Carleton and Yaffa Maritz, LMHC, will teach caregivers how to cultivate of restorative self-compassion, equipping them with powerful techniques for developing greater self-awareness, self-reflection, self-care and emotional resilience.
Calm and Connected: Coaching Coping Skills in Your Children | June 5, 2024
Calm and Connected: Coaching Coping Skills in Your Children | June 5, 2024
Mental health counselor and author Janine Halloran, LMHC, will draw on her decades of experience working with children and families to impart practical and effective strategies to help kids and teens develop the coping, self-regulation and social skills they need to manage stress, reduce anxiety and manage other common mental health challenges.
Mental health counselor and author Janine Halloran, LMHC, will draw on her decades of experience working with children and families to impart practical and effective strategies to help kids and teens develop the coping, self-regulation and social skills they need to manage stress, reduce anxiety and manage other common mental health challenges.
Mental health counselor and author Janine Halloran, LMHC, will draw on her decades of experience working with children and families to impart practical and effective strategies to help kids and teens develop the self-regulation and social skills they need to manage stress, reduce anxiety and manage other common health challenges.
Unless you’ve been meditating in a cave since spring, you are probably aware that the internet is freaking out about the impending robot uprising. Until recently the stuff of science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) has suddenly become a middle school homework issue. In May, my child’s English teacher sent out an email that read:
“ChatGPT is not an acceptable way to complete assignments for Language Arts. It has pros and cons in other contexts, but in my class, I hope you’ll understand that when I find students using ChatGPT, they’ll see significant negative consequences in their grades.”
Parents must gain a better understanding of those pros and cons if we’re going to set healthy boundaries around artificial intelligence. Because while parents are trying to understand what ChatGPT even is, kids are already using it.
continued from page 31
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by the company OpenAI. Think of it as Alexa or Siri with an advanced degree (although the technically minded are quick to point out that it works differently under the hood). Released in November 2022, ChatGPT is technically still in the testing phase and currently free to use, but a paid subscription option is available and may be required in the
responsible use, and ongoing monitoring.... It is crucial to consider ethical implications, address biases, and ensure transparency and accountability in AI systems to harness its potential for the benefit of society.”
When asked how it would affect teenagers’ lives in the future, ChatGPT replied:
“AI will bring both opportunities and challenges for teenagers. By embracing AI, developing complementary skills, and understanding its implications, teenagers can position themselves to thrive in a future where AI plays an increasingly prominent role in various aspects of life.”
Despite the hyperbole about the revolutionary impacts of AI, for parents, the areas of concern remain the same as for any other internet-related technology: data safety, inappropriate content and digital citizenship.
future. Although ChatGPT gets most of the press, it’s not the only generative AI out there. There are at least a half dozen would-be competitors in different stages of evolution, including ChatSonic and Google’s Bard. There is even one marketed to kids, PinwheelGPT, which comes with parental controls. All of them are designed to answer questions and follow instructions to complete tasks such as writing emails, articles, code — and homework assignments.
In one “interview,” ChatGPT explained itself:
“AI is like having a super-smart computer friend. It learns from information and makes smart decisions. The more it learns, the better it gets at solving problems. But just like people, it can make mistakes and show biases.… AI is a tool that requires careful development,
It is illegal to capture personal data from technology users younger than 13 without parental consent. So, like those of many apps and most social media platforms before it, ChatGPT’s terms of use state that people younger than 13 aren’t allowed to use it, and those between 13 and 18 must have a parent’s permission. However, the company takes no real steps to bar underage users from getting an account. All you need is a valid phone number.
ChatGPT collects a lot of data from its users. Every single interaction with ChatGPT is recorded. It also collects geolocation data, IP addresses, transaction histories and all the cookies. Even if OpenAI only uses that data to train its AI, your information may not be secure. Users have found ways to query ChatGPT and get it to reveal user input. Personal data risks are not unique to ChatGPT (think of all those online personality quizzes), so parents need to teach kids not to share personal information — such as their full name and address — online.
ChatGPT collects a lot of data from its users. Every single interaction with ChatGPT is recorded. It also collects geolocation data, IP addresses, transaction histories and all the cookies.
Another parental concern with AI is the risk of exposure to inappropriate content. If you supervise your child’s use of AI, you can reduce the risk of inappropriate content by specifying kid-friendly answers in the prompts. Without such guidelines in the prompts, kids’ innocent queries can generate results that range from vaguely disturbing to wildly inappropriate. Aside from discovering violent imagery and hate speech, it’s almost inevitable that tweens and teens will use AI to generate dirty jokes, ask questions about sex they are embarrassed to ask an adult or look for porn.
That leads to a new kind of inappropriate content risk: misinformation and falsified images. In her podcast Brave Writer, Julie Bogart warns against “the volume of misinformation that can be created because ChatGPT does not vet what it offers you. It just acts as a crawling tool to collect whatever’s out there. So if there’s a lot of misinformation on a topic, it’s just going to gather it and put it in nice paragraphs for you.”
As Bogart points out, generative AI is really just very advanced predictive text, but sometimes it really does generate something new — and wholly inaccurate. Known as hallucinations, AI-generated falsehoods have even included professionallooking citations of references that don’t exist.
Although it would be possible to watermark AI-generated content, there doesn’t seem to be much interest from AI companies to do so. Companies like OpenAI claim that guardrails blocking hate speech and criminal advice from being put into their algorithms should be sufficient.
online weekly to follow along at home.
continued from page 33
But tests have shown that these guardrails are getting weaker. The newest version of ChatGPT spreads more misinformation than the last one. ChatGPT may be able to teach your kids how the water cycle works, but it can also explain how the lunar landing and 2020 election results were faked. Teaching kids media literacy skills to recognize when algorithms are feeding them false information should be a top priority both at home and at school.
Digital citizenship
Bullying is an age-old problem that has pushed itself into the digital world, and bullies are already finding ways to use ChatGPT to send abusive messages and spread rumors. AI can generate and distribute en masse nearly untraceable anonymous messages — and worse, messages made to look as though they came from someone else. AI art can be used to create embarrassing deepfake images of classmates almost as easily as funny memes.
When it comes to homework, ChatGPT raises both educational and ethical concerns. Seattle Public Schools eighth-grade English teacher Nichole Lau explained in her email to parents, “An AI-generated paper is basically
equivalent to cutting and pasting text off the internet, or to not doing the assignment at all. We’re learning by doing. Students who aren’t writing aren’t learning.”
The technological context may make it harder for kids to realize that turning in homework you didn’t generate yourself is cheating. But AI-generated homework has a second ethical issue: It could also be considered stealing. A classmate who slips you the answers for a test is complicit in your cheating. But when AI recombines information on the internet to generate new art or history reports, the original author has no say in it.
In her podcast notes about ChatGPT, Bogart writes, “There
ChatGPT can be much more efficient — and less distracting — than sorting out practical guidelines from personal stories on blogs and YouTube channels.
are many unsettling questions about what this means for creators and writers. Where is it getting its information? Who could you unknowingly be plagiarizing by using it? As a structure, it’s appropriative.”
It’s a point on which reasonable people can disagree. Some people feel that this is not essentially different from human creativity; that there is nothing new under the sun and most of our so-called original ideas are simply iterations of things that others created before us. It is incredibly valuable to have a discussion about originality and plagiarism with your child before letting them use AI. Even very young children can explore this question when you ask them, “Where did you get the idea for this drawing?” and “How would it feel if someone copied your story but changed some parts?”
It’s always tempting to avoid complex and problematic topics. Some local schools have already tried to ban ChatGPT. But just as comprehensive sex ed is a better approach than silence, it’s better to teach kids about technology than to avoid it. Kids need these lessons because technology is going to be a significant part of their adult life. And generative AI does provide opportunities for learning. Whether you’re looking for recipes or DIY instructions, ChatGPT can be much more efficient — and less distracting — than sorting out practical guidelines from personal stories on blogs and YouTube channels.
Used wisely, AI can be helpful in doing homework, too. Apparently, ChatGPT is better than search engines when you’re looking for answers to a specific question, and it’s great for finding
continued from page 35
books when you don’t remember the title. Kids have used it as a “proofreader” to identify bugs in their coding projects. There are even appropriate ways to use AI in writing some of those language arts essays. A student working on an essay could ask ChatGPT, “What would someone who disagrees with my thesis say?” and then address those arguments in their paper. From creative writing prompts to personalized bedtime stories, there are myriad ways that AI can be used mindfully for learning. The New York Times presented a list of 35 creative possibilities.
Fortunately, you don’t really need a deep technological understanding of artificial intelligence to parent around it. For parents, the principles and issues raised by AI programs like ChatGPT are the same ones we’re already dealing with. General parental best practices for the internet should be extended to ChatGPT and other sources of AI. That means it should only be accessible to younger kids through a parent’s account and with direct supervision that tapers off with age and practice. If you haven’t already established clear boundaries and guidelines for your kids’ cell phone and internet use, now is the time to do so.
As ChatGPT itself said, young people need to develop the “complementary skills” to responsibly use AI. Chief among these is critical thinking. Not only will critical thinking skills help young people evaluate the ethical questions that arise from the use of AI, but it can also help them identify and resist the misinformation that AI seems poised to spread.
Kids who have learned empathy, good citizenship and “upstander” power in person will be less likely to engage in cyberbullying and more likely to recognize it and call it out when they see it. On the flip side of empathy, small children anthropomorphize everything, and since AI is specifically designed to sound like a person, it’s easy for even older users to start thinking of it as someone, rather than something. But kids need to understand that chatbots are not human or even sentient, and it is not a good idea to ascribe human intent or values to them. As Mr. Weasley reminded Ginny in “The Chamber of Secrets,” you should never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.
Parents’ Guide to Critical Thinking
Broken down by age group, the Reboot Foundation’s (reboot-foundation.org) guide gives parents a better understanding of critical thinking and information on how to help their children develop critical thinking skills.
PinwheelGPT • pinwheel.com
Free kids’ version of an AI chat app with parental controls.
ChatGPT in School
An online training program for teachers that prepares them to lead “Day of AI” (dayofai.org) activities in their classrooms.
Talk to your kids about reliable versus unreliable sources, and how the content they see online is subject to the biases of its creators and to algorithms that often favor the most extreme views.
Kids also need to understand that what happens in ChatGPT does not stay in ChatGPT. Nobody knows where their OpenAI data goes or who might get hold of it. So, like everything else on the internet, kids should assume that it could show up anywhere. It should also be among a family’s internet rules that parents have access to ChatGPT logs.
It’s natural for some people to have knee-jerk reactions against new technologies, while others are unquestioningly enthusiastic about them. But technology is just a tool, and we need to remember who is in charge. Tools can be dangerous, but approached mindfully with appropriate preparation, families can use artificial intelligence to promote their kids’ education and even have fun with it. And if you’re really not a fan of ChatGPT, maybe you could use the CatGPT (the GPT-Meow version of ChatGPT) as a distraction that your kids will prefer over the original. ■
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.
Bright Water Waldorf School offers a child-centric, experiential, and academically rigorous curriculum delivered in a nurturing, unhurried environment.
Come explore and be a part of Seattle’s urban Waldorf community!
By ParentMap Staff
Every fall, one word strikes fear into the hearts of returning students and their parents: homework.
Kids hate it. Parents hate it. Teachers and administrators fight over its value. Yet every school year, you are likely to find yourself faced with the homework beast. And if you are supporting a neurodivergent learner, you know this beast can be tough to slay.
I am not here to discuss whether homework is good or bad, or whether it should or should not exist. The work my son is doing at home is almost
continued from page 41
always classroom work that he did not finish (or start) during the school day. He has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and support in the classroom, but as he gets older, the reality is that he has to do schoolwork at home on occasion to pass his classes. But for simplicity, I will refer to this work as “homework,” since, you know, we do it at home.
suggestions helpful; feel free to ignore those that are not. Here is what’s worked for our family over the years as we’ve helped our neurodivergent child put on his armor and slay that homework beast.
Make a clear plan. The first step to homework success is having a clear plan and sticking to it. Will you check in with your child about homework every day? Twice a week? Not at all unless they ask for help? Every child is different and responds best to different levels of engagement. The important thing is that you set up a plan together and stick to it. Can you change the plan if it all starts to fall apart? Of course! But you will need to sit down with your child again and discuss what’s working, what’s not and the changes that are necessary.
I also want to acknowledge that there is a range of diversity in neurodivergent people. The ideas below are what have worked for our family; however, this is by no means the definitive guide for homework support. You know your child and your family best. I hope that you find some of the
Once a plan is established, write it down. This will leave less room for the “but that’s not what you said” arguments in the future. At our house, we come up with the plan, write it down (or print it), read it together and everyone signs it. We all buy into this plan as one unstoppable team!
Have the right supplies on hand. Visual timer. Many neurodivergent kids have trouble fully grasping time. If I tell my son we will be working on home-
Any time I can get my son off a screen and engage his physical body, things go smoother. I print out everything I can, from reading packets to math sheets.
work for 20 minutes, I might as well say 17 hours. It doesn’t quite compute. A visual timer takes that fuzzy concept and turns it into something physical he can see. These timers work great for almost any situation when kids need to do something for a specific amount of time, such as wait for a turn.
Calculator. Yes, my son’s phone does have a calculator. But you know what else that phone has? The internet, social media and about a million other distractions. The goal here is to stay focused and get things done, and if a phone makes an appearance, you can kiss that focus goodbye. (Parents, when was the last time you pulled out your phone and only used the calculator, without checking messages or Instagram or …? Exactly.) Bonus: Kids don’t use a simple calculator very often anymore, so my son thought it was pretty novel and cool!
Pens, pencils, paper. Again, any time I can get my son off a screen and engage his physical body, things go smoother. I print out everything I can, from reading packets to math sheets. (Talk to your school; sometimes teachers will provide hard copies.) Again, I have found that my son can focus much better when he is holding something physical and writing his answers down. Do we sometimes need to type? Of course, especially for essays or when homework can only be submitted electronically. But whenever possible, I have him use pens, pencils and paper rather than a screen.
Epiphany School is an independent, non-parochial elementary school serving students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood.
Visit our virtual admissions hub for videos, tours, and open house info!
epiphanyschool.org
continued from page 43
Clipboard. Part of the challenge with my son’s ADHD is the “out of sight, out of mind” way he works. If he can’t see something, it simply does not exist to him. When he shoved
that homework assignment into his backpack, it might as well have disappeared off the face of the earth. So, when we go through his backpack and pull things out at home, those papers need to be put somewhere visible. We keep a clipboard on the wall right next to the area where we store our shoes, and when homework (or a permission slip) makes its way out of the backpack, that is its first stop.
Calendar or whiteboard. When my son has several weeks to accomplish a more substantial project for class, he will
often put it off until the very last day, or not do it at all. (Cue the email from his teacher.)
When this happens, it can feel overwhelming to face. For example, imagine thumbing through a multipage history
headphones can help block out distractions, too, if your child works better when it’s quiet.
packet, feeling the pressure to get it done in one sitting. To make big projects feel manageable, I write out the days of the week (or use a paper calendar or a whiteboard planner) and under each day, list the work that needs to be done (broken down into very small amounts), with a check mark box next to each piece of work. Completing a 10-page packet? Impossible! Doing one or two pages on Monday? Doable.
If a packet is large, I sometimes will take out the staple and only present him with one or two pages at a time, since just holding the whole thing can be overwhelming. He checks each task off the list as we go, which is satisfying and brings a sense of accomplishment and success.
Headphones. My husband is a software engineer. When he is working and really in the zone, he always wears headphones and is listening to music. While this might not always be possible at school (it is sometimes allowed, although it can be a slippery slope to those other phone distractions mentioned earlier), it is possible at home. Music can help my son focus, so headphones are a big help.
Alternative ways to take
information (Kindle, audiobooks, etc.). Sometimes the goal of athome learning isn’t to complete an assignment so much as it is to get the information to stick. My son also has dyslexia, so reading a novel can feel like climbing Everest. Enter the audiobook. Sometimes we just listen; other times, we follow along in a print copy of the book, pausing frequently to talk about the story or underline an important piece of information.
An e-reader has also been a hugely useful tool. My son likes to make the font quite large, and while holding a 200-page novel might feel intimidating, a small, sleek e-reader does not. A device that is designed just for books (without color or quick and easy internet access)
Sometimes the goal of at-home learning isn’t to complete an assignment so much as it is to get the information to stick.
• 1:1 (one teacher: one student) and small groups
• Grades 4 through 12
• Academically rigorous with personalized pace
• Wide range of courses including core academics, 3D printing, world languages and more yellowwoodacademy.org info@yellowwoodacademy.org
continued from page 45
is key, for reasons similar to the calculator. Reading on a phone or color tablet can work, but when distractions are a swipe away, it’s hard to resist.
A C-Pen can also be a big help for kids (and adults) with dyslexia. Simply glide the pen scanner over the text you need to read, and the text-to-speech pen reads it out loud. These devices are an investment for sure, but they allow people who struggle with reading to work more independently and gain confidence.
Stay in touch with teachers. At the beginning of the school year, I email all of my son’s teachers, introducing myself and letting them know I am here and able to help with schoolwork at home.
In my view, the teachers and I are a team, helping my son make his way through school with as much success as possible. Sometimes I need to email them for clarification about an assignment, when my son just can’t figure out what to do. Other times I let them know that I am aware of the work he is missing, and that we have a plan for getting it done. This might not work at a school (or with a teacher) with strict deadlines, but in our experience, his teachers are glad to hear from me and happy there is a plan for completing the missing assignments.
Most of all: Listen to your learner. This one took me too long to learn. I used to think, Kids are supposed to work at a desk and would insist that my son sat at (or stood next to) a table to get his work done.
One afternoon as he was working on answering some questions while stretched out on a bed, he flopped over on his stomach and started writing away. (Thanks to our handy clipboard, he had a hard surface to press on.) Much to my surprise, the work went quickly and easily. It turns out, lying on his stomach is my son’s preferred way to work, so we went with it.
Getting schoolwork done at home can be a big challenge, but having a plan can help. As this next school year gets underway, take some time to connect as a family and make a plan to defeat the homework beast once and for all. ■
At YWA, we provide every student with the tools and encouragement needed to pursue their own personal journey.
The new school year comes with the promise of fresh starts, and along with it a renewed focus on learning. The reality, of course, is that children are learning all day, every day. But fall is often a welcome opportunity to reset and come up with a new routine after a busy summer season. As your family sets up a routine, it’s natural to wonder what helps boost learning. Is it those routines? The worksheets? The new school supplies? What can adults really do to support learning and brain development in kids?
Research conducted by the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) and other child development experts tells us that one of the best ways to support children’s learning is through meaningful everyday interactions. The following research- based tips won’t tell you how to teach the ABCs or 123s, but they will help children build foundational skills for a lifetime of learning and discovery.
Just because summer is over doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. In fact, it shouldn’t. Play is a powerful vehicle for
•Tuition-free public school
•Personalized learning
•Field experiences every week
•Graduate ready for career or college
•For any student interested in the sea!
continued from page 49
learning. Play allows children to focus on exploring tasks and ideas that are meaningful to them. This focus helps children test new ideas, solve problems, and push the limits of their physical and social skills. We can help children reap all the benefits that play has to offer in three key ways:
• Protect children’s free time. Time to play exactly as they please is essential to children’s learning and development. Ensure that children do not have so many scheduled activities that they no longer have time for free play.
• Play along. While independent free play is important, adults can help boost children’s learning by playing along. Follow their lead as you ask questions or make suggestions to stretch their thinking. For example: “I love the tower you are building. What could we do to make it even taller?” Open-ended questions that ask children to respond with more than a “yes” or “no” build their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Check out these activities (modules.ilabs.uw.edu/at-home-activities) for more fun ways to play together.
• Increase the challenge. Structured play, like board games or other games with rules, are great tools to help children build important life skills. For example, board games help older children flex problem-solving skills and build key social skills like taking turns and sharing. Games like “Simon Says” and “Red Light, Green Light” are wonderful for building executive function skills. Executive functions are a suite of skills that includes attention and focus, impulse control, flexible thinking, and memory. Finding opportunities to build these skills is just as important as helping children learn academic topics. In fact, research suggests that children’s executive function skills in kindergarten predict academic performance across all subjects in later years.
When we learn something new, we either develop or strengthen neural pathways in our brains. This means that as we learn, we are physically changing our brains. The more often we do something,
EDUCATION YOUR CHILD’S BRAIN
615 S 200th St, Des Moines, WA | maritime.highlineschools.org
the stronger the neural pathways become and the better we are at that task or skill. Children, especially very young children, have an incredible capacity to learn new things. Scientists estimate that between birth and age 3, children’s brains make 1 million new neural connections every second. This period of rapid brain growth and development is the best time for kids to learn foundational skills, such as language. For example, children at this age are quite capable of learning more than one language quickly and distinctly.
While we can and do learn throughout our lives, our brains will never be as flexible and open to new experiences as they were when we were children. To support this period of growth and development, give children plenty of opportunities to practice their new skills in ways that are meaningful to them. Again and again and again. Remember: No one is perfect, and perfection shouldn’t be the goal. Instead, encourage children’s natural love of learning and exploration by providing them with settings that are meaningful and exciting to them. This will give them the tools
all ages
continued from page 51
they need to build new skills over the course of their lives.
From babies learning their first words to grandparents playing a new game with friends, we all learn best in social settings. There is something magical about social learning, and that is especially true for young children. For babies, back-and-forth social exchanges cue their brain to pay close attention. Research shows that babies can learn and imitate language sounds during even short periods of exchanges with
also won’t be surprised to learn that toddlers ask over 100 questions per hour. While it probably isn’t possible (or reasonable) to answer all those questions, listening to and building on a child’s innate curiosity is an important way to support learning. Having all the answers is not what matters most. Instead, modeling curiosity and exploration will help children build lifelong problem-solving skills.
It will also not be news to you that children are creative. So creative that research shows children are even better at solving certain types of puzzles
Now enrolling K–5
Now enrolling K–5
Now enrolling K–5
their caregivers. Children are also more motivated and focused when they feel like they are part of a team or a group. This can be an especially powerful strategy for educators to use to build confidence in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math). For example, to create camaraderie, teachers might say, “Hello, mathematicians! Today we are working on some puzzles together.”
Tilden School is an independent K-5 school in West Seattle, offering small class sizes with academically engaging, individualized education. Our curriculum balances core reading, writing, math, science, and technology skills with the arts. We graduate confident, caring students who thrive in public and private schools around the region. info@tildenschool.org ~ 206-938-4628
Tilden School is an independent K-5 school in West Seattle, offering small class sizes with academically engaging, individualized education. Our curriculum balances core reading, writing, math, science, and technology skills with the arts. We graduate confident, caring students who thrive in public and private schools around the region. info@tildenschool.org ~ 206-938-4628
Tilden School is an independent K-5 school in West Seattle, offering small class sizes with academically engaging, individualized education. Our curriculum balances core reading, writing, math, science, and technology skills with the arts. We graduate confident, caring students who thrive in public and private schools around the region. info@tildenschool.org ~ 206-938-4628
Children are curious — super curious — but parents already know that. Parents
and problems than adults. One of the main reasons is that children haven’t learned as many “rules” about how the world works; in their minds, almost anything is possible. As we grow and learn more about the world, we develop a better understanding of how things work, and we become better at navigating life. But in the rush of our everyday lives, it is easy to be disconnected from the creativity we tapped into as children.
Encouraging children’s curiosity and creativity from an early age will help
them integrate these skills into their daily lives. Play along with children and try giving them some creativity prompts. For example, “How many different things do you think this pencil could be? I think it could be a magic wand! What else do you think it could be?” Who knows, playing together just might help boost your creativity, too.
5. Conversation is key
You have probably heard that it is important to talk (a lot) to babies. And while this is true, new research tells us that it is not only what you say, but how you say it, that matters. In a recent study from I-LABS, researchers found that the number of back-and-forth “conversations” between 6-month-old babies and their parents was a better predictor of brain maturity at 2 years old than the number of words children heard. In other words, our conversations with children, even before they are using words, help build and strengthen key language areas in the brain.
Another key to helping young children learn language? Speaking “parentese” — the singsong speech we tend to use with babies. Often confused with baby talk, parentese uses real words and correct grammar, but has several features that support language learning, including variations in pitch, word repetition and a slower pace. These elements make it easier for children to discern the patterns, rhythms and sounds of language. Although parentese is often associated with female caregivers, research shows that men use this type of speech, too, and that is a very good thing. The more parentese that children hear as babies, the larger their vocabularies are as toddlers.
From a young age, children are looking to adults to learn how to interact with and respond to the world around them. Many children can imitate simple facial expressions within hours of birth, and their capacity to imitate and learn from our actions grows from there. As busy adults, it can be easy for us to forget just how much children learn from watching us and what a powerful learning tool modeling is.
Research shows that children even learn key problem-solving skills like persistence from
Kindergarten - 5th grade
(206) 621-9211 SpruceStreetSchool.org
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.
Kids find their place by being themselves at The Kineo School, a private K-5 community that brings out the best in every student by giving them a safe space to unlock their learning potential, form meaningful friendships, and confidently prepare for the future.
EDUCATION YOUR CHILD’S BRAIN
continued from page 53
modeling, watching adults try, try, try again before ultimately succeeding. Let this be your official permission to make mistakes in front of the children in your care. Spilled the milk? Wonderful! Talk through how you are going to solve the problem together. Frustrated because you can’t figure something out? Even better! Share your thought process with your children. Lost your temper? It happens to everyone, and it is a great opportunity to talk through how you were feeling at that moment.
Children also have a sophisticated ability to read our emotions, and they pay close attention to how we interact with other people. For example, research from I-LABS shows that young children learn biased behaviors from adults just by watching them. Keep this in mind as you move through the world and interact with your community. We all have biases and are bound to make mistakes. When we do, don’t be afraid to talk about what happened and what you would do differently next time.
It is almost impossible not to sing or dance when we hear our favorite song. Music is central to our lives. Humming to and rocking babies come naturally to us, and almost as soon as they can move, babies are bouncing and wiggling to the beat. But music is more than simply comfort. Research shows that listening and moving to music helps babies recognize the rhythms and patterns of language, too. For older children, moving together in harmony can even boost their ability to collaborate and solve problems together. So, look for opportunities to listen to music and move together. The type of music does not matter — no one genre is better than another. Pick some music that you love and enjoy moving and grooving with the ones you love most.
For more fun ideas and hundreds of free research-based resources, visit modules.ilabs.uw.edu. ■
Amelia Bachleda, Ph.D. is a child development specialist at University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences. Bachleda will be presenting on the Power of Play at ParentMap’s ParentEd Talks series on January 23, 2024. See p. 28 for more information or visit parentmap.com/talks.
curious abstractthinker opinionated sensitive imaginative funny problemsolver intense perfectionist debater skeptical bigthinker persistent passionate strongwilled daydreamer observer idealistic
earlytalker needslittlesleep risktaker justiceseeker earlyreader alert highenergy largevocabulary goodmemory logical empathetic movedbybeauty boredwithroutine creative artistic introvert extrovert
goodstudent poorstudent active selfaware sociallyaware anxious strongmathskills unusualinsight quirky deep clever precocious puzzlemaster unusual seeksadults highexpectations zany
Tofindoutourmoreaboutour PreK-8thgradeschoolyearprogram andourclassesandworkshopsvisitusat www.seabury.org
