K-12 Basics

Cooperative learning groups are set up for students to work together cooperatively on structured tasks. The groups are a very useful, research based, tool for increasing learning. They allow...

Linear graphs are a way to plot an algebraic equation on a line graph. A linear graph is always a straight line connecting two variables. The common equation used to create a linear graph is y =...

The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests are a series of exams that are based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards. Students are required to take TAKS...

Teaching higher level thinking skills is critical, especially with high stakes testing. Having the time to help all students master the learning objectives that they will be tested over can take...

Decorating a room to be used for home schooling can be exciting and challenging at the same time. You must create a balance between being functional, organized and appropriate for the age of the...

Creative writing can be taught. With children, the imagination to write is there. Early writing exercises can effectively help teach children to turn their natural curiosity and imaginations into...

A distance-time graph illustrates how something moves over time. Distance-time graphs are plotted on a Cartesian plane, which consists of two axes, the x-axis (sometimes called the horizontal...

Kids who drop out of school are at a disadvantage. High school dropouts, on average, earn $9,200 less per year than high school graduates and about $1 million less over a lifetime than college...

A circle is a shape in which all points are the same distance from the center. The diameter is the distance from one end of the circle to the other through the center point. You can figure out the...

RTI, or Response To Intervention, is a model of early intervention for students who are struggling with learning. RTI is also a current method of diagnosing learning disabilities for possible...

Some younger children need help with keeping their school work organized. This is a simple process for helping them organize class materials, assignments and homework in a binder that can be...

Once children have learned basic addition, it is important for them to be able to apply it in useful life situations. Teaching students how to add pounds and ounces allows them to use their...

This article is a teacher's perspective and directed to teachers and a parent who homeschools his/her children.

Since reading is a complex skill with many facets, a good reading program is important to students' success. It is as important to consider how you will teach each skill as it is to think about...

Time lines are a great way to give order to historical concepts. But they can be used in most other educational disciplines too. You can make a time line of a book you read for language class, a...

Chances are you are already helping promote your child's fine motor skills through your natural activities and play sessions. However, your child will benefit if you consciously promote the...

Teaching a child to read is vitally important. A child who knows how to read and can read well can function in life and learn academics well. Small children should be introduced to reading and...

We have become a society obsessed with seat belts. Many states have passed laws requiring seat belts to be worn by adults who basically make all their decisions by themselves -- except for this....

It never goes as smoothly as you hope it will..........never. Your child is being bullied..... She received an F on that paper you read and thought was JUST FINE! Half of the grades in the online...

The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is mandated by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for children with disabilities ages three years to 21 years. The disability of the child...

You will write in some form or another all your life, whether it be essays, stories, letters of complaint, etc. If you learn how to write a five-paragraph essay, you’ll be able to write for any...

APA formatting was developed by the American Psychological Association and is used to document references and format professional papers for a variety of disciplines, including social sciences and...

Whether you are a student who needs to get homework done faster or simply a person who has a lot to read, you can save time by learning to read much faster. In fact, faster reading is usually...

It's time to work on your science fair project. You've done the experiment and now need to report your data. Here's an easy outline to use to write a successful report.

Augmentative communication devices give people a voice who otherwise would not have one. By having the ability to express their wants and needs, a person can suddenly advocate for themselves...

Children, parents and teachers often become frustrated when a child just can't seem to grasp a concept or when he performs poorly on a test even after studying for hours. This scenario often...

Reducing fractions to their lowest terms often can be difficult. You have to know some factors that the numerator and denominator share. You also have to know how to divide. Teachers often...

Essays can be the bane of students, who struggle to meet the teacher’s expectations and get better grades. But good writing is essential in today’s world when there are so many people competing...

If you are a student or the parent of a student and are concerned about the amount of trash generated by the school each year, maybe you should consider asking the school to begin a recycling...

We have to specifically teach reading comprehension strategies because good reading comprehension does not always come naturally. Some children have good phonics skills and they can read all of...

You don't have to wait until kids are in college to teach electrical safety. Start in the elementary grades by making students aware of the electrical appliances they and their families use every...

A timeline is an effective way to visually depict a linear sequence of historical events as well as show what else was going on in terms of inventions, artistic expression, daily life and/or the...

Navigation and map reading are essential life skills. Teaching children how to use a map to locate their current position and find their destination provides them with confidence and gives them a...

Almost everybody remembers book and project reports in high school, with the dreaded due date looming and no ideas on the horizon. A school project report doesn't have to be an overwhelming...

Behavior charts are a great tool to use to monitor a child's behavior. However, they can be used as much more than just a graph for recording the occurance of a particular behavior. They can...

You have been given a behavior plan to use. Great! What exactly do you do with it to make it work most effectively though? Behavior plans are commonly used in public schools to assist with...

In the beginning years it is important to encourage children to read anything and everything they find interesting. They should be excited about reading and not want to put down a good book. ...

Quadratics are equations where the highest order is 2; in other words, the greatest power you will see is 2. The Quadratic formula is a simple and quick way to solve any quadratic equation and a...

A behavior plan can be a very effective tool to use in managing behavioral concerns. It helps to keep all caregivers on the same page regarding how to reinforce positive behaviors, intervene to...

Fractions are an important part of everyday life because many things do not come in nice, neat quantities. Some people may use fractions all the time without realizing it when they are using...

Writing is one of the best ways to express your feelings about the world around you. And writing for children can be an excellent way to enhance your own creativity and imagination. If you wish to...

Children need good reading skills to help them succeed in academics and beyond. And while your child may have some reading ability, he or she may need assistance improving his or her skills. While...

Inclusion, or including students with special needs in the same general education classroom as students without special needs, is essential. It is also an initiative from federal and state...

I originally used the information below to solve a problem given in a science class, but it could also be used if for some reason you either didn't have a scale or couldn't get the object to one. ...

As children get older they will be required to do more activities in their classes. One of these activities will most likely be drawing things such as people. However, there are some children who...

If you are a student working in the 11th hour on your term paper, the last thing you want to worry about is a bibliography. This page, which contains information about all the sources contained in...

Growing mold in a petri dish is a classic science project ideal for teaching students how to follow instructions, make observations over time, record data and understand the natural processes in...

If you are interested in understanding the art of the semicolon, you're in the right place. The following article provides instructions on how to use this "glorified comma".

In order to persuade someone about something, you need a strong argument and a polished delivery. Writing a persuasive story involves careful planning and skilled writing that packages your...

Some simple strategies can help you take a multiple choice test successfully, even if you don’t have a firm grip on the subject matter. As a teacher, I taught test-taking strategies because so...