You probably know each of these words separately: Media refers to all the forms of information that we access, from TV shows to newspapers to books and what we call “social” media—interactive online media. Hygiene is keeping yourself clean. These two words together sum up an approach that I think will help all of us be happier, better-informed, more productive human beings. Media includes entertainment and information The two major reasons for accessing media are entertainment and information. You can … Read the rest! The post What is “media hygiene”? first appeared on KidsLearn.

One of the things that my book club students often notice in children’s books is the Dead or Missing Parent Syndrome. In one class, we read: Roald Dahl’s Danny, Champion of the World: Dead mother Cornelia Funke’s Dragon Rider: Missing parents Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Secret Garden: Dead parents Diana Wynne Jones’s Charmed Life: Dead parents Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn: Dead father Kacen Callender’s King and the Dragonfly: Dead brother and just to top it off, … Read the rest! The post Why are authors so MEAN to their characters? first appeared on KidsLearn.

It’s been all over the news, and maybe you’ve even tried it out: You can now ask AI bots to do your homework, write an essay, compose a note to Grandma, explain the history of skateboarding… pretty much anything! Sounds nifty, doesn’t it? So why not use it to do all your work for you? I can give you three reasons to do your own work! Reason #1: Doing the work yourself is how you learn Have you watched a … Read the rest! The post Should you use AI to do your homework? first appeared on KidsLearn.

Bad things happen. Life can be hard. Sometimes it seems as if all the news is bad, and everyone you know has a complaint. First, let’s get this straight: Acknowledging challenges is not a problem. In the past, kids were encouraged to pretend that everything was just fine. We had phrases like “suck it up” and “be a man” and “don’t rock the boat.” But our culture has changed. We now know that it’s good to express emotions. It’s good … Read the rest! The post The hazards of focusing on the negative first appeared on KidsLearn.

I can hear what you’re thinking already: Prof. Suki’s a writing teacher and she made a typo? Nope, freewriting is a single word, even if spell checker doesn’t like it! Freewriting is a writing technique that writers use the way athletes use stretching. A runner doesn’t stretch to win a race—they stretch to get their muscles ready to win the race. Writers use freewriting to stretch out their brains, to free up their thoughts. In freewriting, you don’t worry about … Read the rest! The post What is freewriting? first appeared on KidsLearn.

I assigned the book King and the Dragonflies to my students, but in some places they might not be able to get this book from their school library, or maybe even their public library. Why? This is a complicated question! The people who want books banned (such as parents and politicians) might have a different opinion from the people who are told to ban them (such as librarians, school administrators, and teachers). People who want to ban books certainly have … Read the rest! The post Why do adults ban books from school libraries? first appeared on KidsLearn.

A lot of kids say they “don’t like” old books—otherwise known as “classic literature.” I’m not surprised to hear this: old books can be quite different from what you’re used to. They tend to move more slowly, have unfamiliar vocabulary, and go in unexpected directions. New books follow new rules If you’re a typical modern kid, you probably watch lots of action-packed shows, play fast-moving videogames, and read manga and other graphic-heavy text. When kids read, you tend to read … Read the rest! The post Old books=modern time travel! first appeared on KidsLearn.

If you think it’s confusing that some kids you know have been called “gifted,” you’re not alone. Most adults are confused, too! I think the reason people are confused is because of a poor word choice. “Gifted” makes it sound like no one else has gifts, which is absolutely untrue! Let’s look at another “gift” Here’s an analogy: Imagine you developed extra-long legs in comparison to the average when you’re 9 years old. When you are 10, maybe it … Read the rest! The post What is a gifted learner? first appeared on KidsLearn.

So many kids have eating issues. Sometimes those issues come from being highly sensitive—maybe certain types of foods bother you. Sometimes those issues come from mental health—maybe you use food to express anxiety or depression. And sometimes those issues come from having medical conditions like allergies. This article is specifically for kids who are what we call “picky eaters,” not for kids with mental health or physical health issues. But in any case, feel free to listen to this and … Read the rest! The post Becoming a better eater first appeared on KidsLearn.

There is so much stuff to deal with online that none of us can learn it all. But here’s one thing I think you should understand: the difference between email you don’t want and “spam.” I found out from my students that lots of them were marking notification emails from our class website as “spam”—because spam is email you don’t want, right? Nope. Spam is not just unwanted email Email you don’t want could be…A note from your parent … Read the rest! The post Overwhelmed by email? Don’t just spam it! first appeared on KidsLearn.