Education

Lexis Prep opens high school for students with learning challenges

It's not exactly a return to the days of the one-room schoolhouse---this school has two. But that's just the right size for Keeley Halverson,...

MRI studies confirm benefits of reading to preschoolers

New MRI studies confirm what early child educators have known all along: Reading to preschoolers exerts a positive influence on the developing brain. Behavioral evidence...

7 tips for kid-designed study spaces

Just like adults, kids need a place to work. One way to help young students create an effective learning environment is to let them create...

Finding an educational “fit” for children with learning differences

Eleven-year-old Sarah Smith is outgoing, articulate and funny. She plays guitar, sings and participates in theater and speech. She’s bursting with ideas and plans. Listen...

Teaching kids to collaborate

In one corner of the room, two children look for pieces to complete a puzzle. At the horseshoe-shaped table, students huddle around a teacher...

Make room to learn with kid-designed study spaces

Author Virginia Woolf claimed that every writer needs "A Room of One’s Own" to work without interruption and let genius “flow like a river.” Woolf’s...

IEP transitions: preschool to kindergarten

When a child qualifies for special education services through an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, families become part of a constantly evolving process designed...

My Day at Camp: Kamp Talkalot

It was a real jungle at Kamp Talkalot. Lions roared and crouched under thick vegetation. Exotic toucans dangled from the ceiling. In one room,...

The differences between 504 plans and IEPs

Today's children who struggle with learning differences have something in common with veterans injured in the Vietnam War. Both groups are protected by the federal...

Navigating the IEP process

As a special education teacher in a small, central-Phoenix elementary school district, Christopher Tiffany was very familiar with the concept of an Individualized Education...

Stick to it! Fostering grit in children

Experiences that require a sustained commitment foster grit in children and encourage the resilience needed to persist in reaching goals.

Valley mom starts Arizona’s first autism charter school

When Diana Diaz-Harrison’s son was young, she noticed that he was not reaching typical milestones at the appropriate age. Some of Sammy's behaviors seemed...

Diane Douglas launches We Are Listening tour

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is hosting a series of public meetings called the We Are Listening tour to hear opinions and...

Two Valley moms behind new Arizona dyslexia law

A serendipitous meeting of two Valley moms resulted in SB 1461, a new Arizona law that offers a first step toward providing support to...

Celebrate Week of the Young Child™

If you’ve ever dropped off a baby at day care, walked a toddler into the 2s classroom or waved a teary goodbye as your...

Is there a middle ground for Common Core in Arizona?

With the close of the legislative session, "Common Core" got a temporary reprieve in Arizona. State legislators failed to pass a bill that would...

PARTY ARTICLES

Money Lessons from Birthday Parties

Teaching Kids the Value of Gifts & Gratitude Between the cake, balloons, and wrapping paper tornado, birthday parties are often all about fun, but they also provide the perfect opportunity to teach kids early lessons...

Time to Paw-ty

Celebrating your favorite furry friend Call me crazy, but when my husband and I adopted our first dog together, we threw her a birthday party complete with cake, streamers, guests, appetizers, games, and more. Was...

Unique Ways to Host a Joint Birthday Party

My brother and I have birthdays that are just one day apart—his on March 3rd, mine on March 4th, and our oldest brother just a few weeks later on March 21st. Fast forward 31 years...

Out-of-the-box Birthday Party Ideas in Phoenix & Tucson

Wanting to do something a little extra special for your child’s next birthday party? Maybe it’s a milestone birthday—like turning double digits or entering the teen years. Or perhaps your child has requested to...

Birthday Traditions & Clever Theme Ideas

Childhood birthdays are unlike any others. I have fond memories of waking up on my birthday morning anticipating all the fun that was in store. With three kids who had birthdays all in the same...

Out-of-the Box Birthday Party Ideas

Wanting to do something a little extra special for your child’s next birthday party? Maybe it’s a milestone birthday—like turning double digits or entering the teen years. Or perhaps your child has requested to...

Party Etiquette

Whether you’re hosting a party or attending one, you may be wondering—do people really RSVP anymore? What about goodie bags, are those still a thing? Do I need to stay with my child at...

How to Throw a Birthday Party that Won’t Break the Bank

I remember the days when birthday parties consisted of colorful balloons, streamers, a simple cake, and the classics like musical chairs and tag with a few friends. Times have changed and suddenly it feels necessary...

How to do a drive-by birthday party

As we get deeper into quarantine, people have gotten creative with birthday celebrations. One result: the drive-by birthday party.

Home pool party? Hire a lifeguard!

Drowning happens silently and quickly. That’s why children are at risk even when — and sometimes especially when — adults are nearby. Even a "designated pool watcher" can avert his or her eyes for a...

Hiking birthday party

For a child who loves adventure and outdoors, turn a hike into a birthday party.
Tour de Liam, Biking birthday party theme, bike race, outdoor activites, arizona parties

Bike race birthday party

When there are lots of neighborhood friends who love to ride their bikes together, host a birthday party that feels like an official bike race.

Island birthday party

Pool parties are popular in Arizona. Make a stylish upgrade at your next birthday party by incorporating décor and details that will transport guests from the desert to a tropical island paradise.

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