Teaching Kids to Read by Expanding Their World
Our guest offers suggestions to parents, educators and policymakers about how expanding our children’s knowledge base in school will help make them read better.
Education Sub-categories:
- College and Admissions (24)
- Literacy (12)
- Public Education (4)
- Sexual Education (1)
- Student Loans and Financial Aid (9)
Financial Anxiety: What it is and how to alleviate it
A new survey shows that many Americans are suffering from “financial anxiety” and it’s affecting their health and happiness.
Pushed Out of School
We talk to a professor who has studied the effect that extremely strict school rules have on the students and the teachers who are made to enforce them.
The Formula To Make Learning Math Easy (2016)
Our two guests discuss some innovative ideas on how to help kids and adults become better at math.
The Third Wave: An internet pioneer talks technology
Internet pioneer Steve Case discusses the third wave of technology that will bring tech from the first wave more fully into our every day lives.
Too Many Lawyers… Not Enough Law Jobs
We talk with two legal specialists about why law school grads can't find work, and what law schools and law firms can do to help.
The Importance of Recess (2016)
Recess helps kids unwind during the school day, but it’s much more than just a time to exercise. We talk to two recess “specialists” about the mental as well as the physical benefits of recess, and learn about some recess activities that help a child be more creative, more social as well as more physically active.
The Political Classroom: Teaching Civics (2016)
Civics classes in many grade schools and high schools aren’t the same as they were 20 years ago. These days, kids are more likely to discuss and debate some of the most pressing issues of the day. We talk to two educators about how some schools are teaching students how to debate correctly, how discussion of hot topics can foster understanding of diverse …
Character Education for Kids
Character in a person is something we admire, and something we all would like to think that our kids grow up to achieve. But how do you teach them character? What are some of the virtues that go hand-in-hand with character and how can we instill them in our kids? We talk to two people who work with character education efforts to find out how two very …
Teens and Dystopian Literature
A great many books and films these days deal with a dark, forbidding world where young people are warring with the villainous adults to save civilization. Teens are drawn to these stories, but why? What is it about dystopian fiction that fascinates young people? We talk to two successful authors of these stories about how kids are working out some of the …
Great is the Truth: A story of sexual abuse at school
Many stories of child sexual abuse in schools by trusted teachers, coaches and clergy have come to light in the past decade or so. One of the latest is the abuse suffered by some students at the Horace Mann School in New York City. We talk to a former student of the school about how the story of abuse came to light, how teachers and coaches lured children …
The Importance of Music and Arts Education
Many schools are cutting back or cutting out music education because of funding restraints. Is this a good idea? What do music and the other arts bring to a child’s overall education and development? We talk to two arts experts and some students about the value of music education in a child’s life, and hear from some students about their experiences playing …
The American Revolution: When Did It Really Begin?
In school we learn that the American Revolution began with the battles of Lexington and Concord. But did it? We talk to a historian and author about the events that preceded those battles that effectively threw out British rule in Massachusetts and set the stage for the other colonies to revolt and fight for freedom from England.
The Racial Achievement Gap: Why Do Minority Students in Good Schools Still Lag Behind?
There are many good schools that try to ensure that every student gets the best education possible and an equal opportunity to succeed in their studies and extracurricular activities. Our guest says that despite efforts on the part of school administrators and teachers, there is still a racial achievement gap in even the most diverse and progressive schools. …
Teaching Kids to Read: It Starts Before They Even Begin to Speak! (2015)
Every parent wants their child to excel in school, and a big part of succeeding is learning to read well. Some parents try to teach their children to read when they’re toddlers, but is that too early? When should children be taught to read and how? Our two guests, one a professor specializing in early childhood, the other an author of children’s books, share …
Helping Non-Traditional Students Succeed (2015)
A college education is usually a ticket to a better job, better health and overall life satisfaction – that is if you can get one. Non-traditional students -- those who are older, who work fulltime or who have families – can have a tough time just figuring out how to apply to college, talk to a professor or find scholarships or financial aid. Our guest …
Kids and Financial Intelligence
Millions of young people will soon head out on their own for the first time to attend college or start their first job. It will also be the first time that many of them are in charge of their own finances. How literate are they about banking, spending, saving, and credit? We talk to two financial specialists about what kids need to know about money and …
Lists of Note (2015)
Everyone makes lists: shopping lists, to-do lists, Christmas lists, and many more. But what do your lists say about you? We talk to an author who looked at hundreds of lists compiled by the famous, the infamous and the unknown, and found out that they say a great deal about the times, our history and the list makers themselves.
The Empty Nest: How To Cope When the Kids Leave for Good
When the last child leaves home for college, marriage or that first job, parents are often sad and at loose ends about how the rest of their lives will progress. We talk to a therapist and author who’s experienced her own children leaving home, about the emotions of “the empty nest” and what parents can do to reframe their lives when the children go out on …
Astrotwins: An Astronaut Motivates Kids to Study Science, Math and Engineering
As a kid, did you ever dream of becoming an astronaut and flying a rocket ship into space, but figured you weren’t good enough in science and math to do it? Our guest, a former U.S. astronaut admits he wasn’t the best young student in school in those subjects, but later on he grew fascinated by them and turned his new-found interest into becoming a Navy …
Teaching Race and Diversity in Schools
Can race be taught as a school subject, like chemistry and foreign language? And if so, what kinds of curricula are best for making students understand how different races fit into and benefit society? We talk to two researchers about the answers to these questions and take a slightly different look at race, ethnicity, religion and how they affect our …
Addiction: Why It Happens and How to Prevent It
Millions of Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs, and many of them end up unemployed, broken away from their families and homeless. We talk to a psychologist about the causes of addiction, and why some people are more likely to fall to it than others, and find out how an author who is battling alcohol and drug addiction made his journey to sobriety, …
Teaching Political Debate in Schools
Synopsis: Civics classes in many grade schools and high schools aren’t the same as they were back 20 years ago, when teachers lectured on “how a bill becomes a law” to a roomful of bored students. These days, kids are more likely to discuss and debate some of the most pressing issues of the day. …
Brown Girl Dreaming: Diverse voices in literature
Our guest, an award-winning author, says it’s time to hear from different voices in literature – beginning when children just start to open books. We’ll hear how she became a writer, and get a peek inside her memoir of growing up in two worlds – written entirely in verse.
