The role of parents in the academic success of their children should heat up during the summer when  teachers aren’t around to keep students on their toes.

Without followup and reinforcement, says educator Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D., many kids lose ground academically over vacation, returning to school in the fall having forgotten most of what they learned in the spring.

Because The Family Foundation School has a year-round academic schedule, our students don’t have much chance to backslide. But FFS parents can still put Dr. Hartwell-Walker’s parenting tips to work during the school’s week-long breaks throughout the year, and her suggestions are helpful to all parents interested in raising better students.

For instance, she recommends getting children to use their academic skills during daily activities, like doubling recipe ingredients, figuring gas mileage, or reading a map instead of relying on GPS. She also encourages parents to read what their children are reading as a way of sharing their world and having something (actually a lot!) to talk about.

For more tips, read the full article here.

It’s a common notion that the earlier in life we discover alcohol or drugs, the bigger the problems we face with them later on.

But the latest research shows that taking a first drink during puberty is the real problem; it’s more harmful then than starting even earlier, say at age 8 or 9.

In other words, it’s puberty itself (roughly ages 10 to 17 for girls, and 11 to18 for boys) that presents the risk, thanks to the still developing adolescent brain.

The brain reward system undergoes major functional changes during puberty. Reward sensitivity peaks, making pubescent teens more vulnerable than they’ll ever be again to rewards and reward-seeking, particularly to drugs.

Therefore, puberty is when alcohol, cannabis, etc. will induce the most destructive, persistent and long-lasting effects on the brain. It’s when the risks of addiction or even neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia are the greatest.

The research puts parents on notice and suggests prevention efforts that increase awareness of the risks and vulnerabilities associated with drinking and drugs during puberty.  Read the full article here.