Research has shown that studying less may mean learning more. How? When children – and adults – take breaks while studying they retain more information. In fact, studying for 3 hours and taking a break every 30 minutes will help a student learn more than studying for 4 hours without a break. These “brain breaks” vary from student to student…

Learning compassion is a key cornerstone to being a good citizen. One way to learn compassion at an early age is by serving the community as a volunteer. Every child can benefit from volunteering, but fitting community service into an already jam-packed schedule is not easy. To that end, we offer the following simple volunteering methods for you and your…

Getting active benefits people of all ages. Studies have shown that a healthy child should exercise 30-60 minutes every day to develop a strong body and healthy habits. Your child doesn’t have to play sports to live a healthy lifestyle. While joining sports and other extracurricular activities are great ways to get active, there are many other activities your child…

Math is a subject many parents struggle with and consider something they are not using in life. When their children struggle with math, parents tend to shy away from the subject. However, math is just as fundamental as reading and writing, and for some careers, it’s essential. Here’s how you can help your child with math, even if you both…

New Year’s resolutions are not generally on the forefront of children’s minds, but your potential future leader should create short-term and long-term goals to stimulate growth. Ensure the goals you and your child create are specific and measurable. For instance, stating “I will give a speech in class” is not nearly as strong as “I will give a 5-minute speech…

Your toddler seems ready for preschool. Are you ready to let him or her go? It may not seem that important, but preschool can build a solid academic and social foundation for young children. Studies have proven children who attend preschool programs are better prepared for kindergarten than their peers who do not. Learn about five of the main benefits…

Joining the PTA (Parent/Teacher Association) at your child’s school is one of the best ways to become involved as a parent. Some schools include all parents automatically, so there’s no barrier to signing up. At most schools, however, you have to make an effort to become an active member. Learn about the benefits of joining a PTA. Speak up If…

Your child wanders into the kitchen as you prepare dinner. What’s your gut reaction? Tell them to go play to get them out of the kitchen? Or do you introduce age-appropriate cooking concepts? It can be tricky to know what to teach your kids at certain ages. As long as you make sure the cooking lessons make sense for your…

Students need to be engaged as they learn. To that end, the after-school bricks4kidz program at Lake Forrest Prep places a tremendous amount of emphasis on the critical thinking, engineering, and creativity that go into LEGO® building. How can playing with LEGO bricks help your child? In many ways! Read on to learn more. LEGO creations foster creativity Give a…

It’s been a successful semester, but your children are probably ready for the holidays. How can you incorporate family relaxation and fun with a desire to learn? We have the following suggestions for your family to enjoy the holidays while keeping young minds stimulated. Spend time with games Always a crowd pleaser, board games and video games are family favorites.…