Synthesis and meta-analysis of homework studies show that the amount of homework that students complete is positively connected to improved academic outcomes. The controversy over whether or not students should be assigned homework continues on. Educators and parents who do not support assigning homework claim that homework robs students of valuable time to connect with their families and peers, creates an unhealthy work ethic, and is unfair to children who may not have support at home to complete their work....

Many sleep experts tout the connection between day and nighttime sleep and encourage parents to take a close look at their baby’s nap times and daytime sleep routines in order to improve the quality (as in uninterrupted length) of nighttime sleep. Some of the prominent sleep experts who reference the importance of naps to nighttime winks include Dr. Jodi Mindell, Dr. Harvey Karp, Elizabeth Pantley, and Dr. William Sears....

What Are Decoding Skills? Decoding skills include the ability to recognize the basic sounds and sound blends, called phonemes, that make up a word and to know what the word means, recognize it in context, and know whether or not it’s being used correctly in a sentence. Without decoding skills, students would have difficulty ever learning to read. In the English language, the letters in some words don’t make the sounds one would expect....

First, what exactly is the stock market? The stock market is a generic term that encompasses the trading of securities. This trading takes place in stock exchanges. There are three major stock exchanges in the United States: Formed in 1792, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the largest organized stock exchange in the United States. The American Stock Exchange (AMEX) was known before 1951 as the American Curb Exchange....

Boys and Puberty During puberty, boys may become more athletic thanks to added muscle and height. Even overweight boys may be inspired to exercise more, but obese boys may avoid physical activity due to embarrassment about their size. Researchers studied nearly 2,800 adolescents (both boys and girls) from 20 different middle schools and high schools. They found five different ways that kids this age try to build muscle. Two of the behaviors are potentially healthy: changed eating and exercise habits....

That’s why it’s important to ease back into this part of your life and educate yourself on what to expect. Here, we go over the recommended wait time, reasons why you might be experiencing painful sex, why it’s not at all uncommon to not want to have sex right away, and tips for when you are ready. When Can You Have Sex? According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), there is no set “waiting period” before a woman can have sex again after giving birth....

Many homeschoolers aren’t counted in anyway. Many states don’t require homeschoolers to register in any way. In these states, it is virtually impossible to calculate the number of children who homeschool. And, because many homeschoolers want to avoid government interference in their schools, they don’t typically volunteer for any sort of registration process. Political and social agendas bias studies. Many studies of this question are biased either by anti- or pro-homeschooling biases....

If that’s not enough to motivate pregnant women to kick the habit themselves or steer clear of others who light up, the evidence is mounting that exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke in pregnancy—even in mothers who don’t smoke—also increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. There also is some evidence that when a dad-to-be is a heavy smoker (more than 20 cigarettes a day), his habit could increase his partner’s risk of miscarriage....

Develop a list of the questions you have as you work through the fine print, too. And if you are working with a lawyer, be sure to ask those questions before your next child custody hearing. Take note of whether your state requires your application to be notarized as well. If it does, complete every section except the signature and then visit your local notary public. Many bank branches offer this service free of charge....

Types of Locomotor Skills Roughly in order of how children learn them, the locomotor skills that follow walking are: Galloping: Traveling with one foot always in the leadHopping: Moving up and down on one footJumping: Going up and down, with both feet in the air at once; can also mean jumping off a height or jumping forwardLeaping: Jumping forward or back with one leg outstretched; taking off on one foot and landing on the otherRunning: Sometimes both feet are in the air while travelingSkipping: Alternating steps and hopsSliding: Galloping sidewaysWalking: Moving with one foot on the ground at all times...

Fortunately, there are things you can do to help ease the transition from your child’s old school to their new school. Whether you are preparing to move soon or getting settled in your new community now, we share what you need to know about this transition process below. You will learn how your child may be impacted and how long the transition will take as well as tips on how to make the process a smooth one....

Preventing a Bad Day at School Get Organized: The first step to preventing a bad school day is to prepare for the day ahead of time. Be sure your child knows that before he or she goes to bed, homework needs to be finished, clothes should be ready to wear, lunch made and his or her book bag and shoes waiting at the front door. Also, be sure your tween has a working alarm clock, and make sure it’s set so that there is enough time in the morning to eat and get ready....

Shortly after he begins crawling, he may start to pull himself to standing, or at least to kneeling. So he’ll empty out your rack of CDs, cassette tapes, or videos, and somehow remove each one from its case. He’ll dump wastepaper baskets. He’ll pull things off of tables and other surfaces. To prevent mishaps, keep an eye on your baby at all times and never let down your guard. In addition to providing constant supervision, you should take the following precautions:...

At Curious World we absolutely love summer and the wide array of colorful fruits that come with it. It’s also a really great time to get your kids into the kitchen and excited about healthy food. You can make eating healthy fun by getting a little creative. One of our favorite summer cooking activities is making frozen yogurt bites. Simply follow the instructions below. Or sign up to the Curious World App for the full video....

Tips for Helping Your Child Get Through Puberty The first step to help your child through the ups and downs of puberty is to prepare him or her for the inevitable changes. Your child’s sex education class will likely touch on puberty, and may even answer all of your tween’s questions. If not, be sure to let your tween know that you can answer questions and that you don’t feel funny doing so....

Rook is a bidding and trick-taking game that should be played with a minimum of four people (two pairs). The object of the game is to score as many points as possible with the cards in your hand. Cards are valued as follows: 5 = 5 points King, 10, and 14 = 10 points Ace = 15 points Rook = 20 points (counts as extra trump) Winning the last “trick” = 20 points...

How to Heat Up Baby Oil Baby oil that comes right out of the bottle is cold; not exactly what you want to put on baby’s skin after they’re warm and cozy from a bath. Heat up baby oil or lotion by putting some product in your palms and rubbing your hands together before applying to baby’s skin. You could also heat it up in the microwave for 15 seconds. Just make sure the bottle contains absolutely no metal, and always test the temperature before putting the oil on your baby....

What It Means to Be a Helicopter Parent The term “helicopter parents” is often used to define a group of parents who engage in the practice of over-parenting. Helicopter parents are accused of being obsessed with their children’s education, safety, extracurricular activities, and other aspects of their children’s lives. Critics have scrutinized helicopter parents for overprotecting their children and for failing to instill them with a sense of independence and a can-do attitude....