The power of music cannot be underestimated. Likewise, the power of a story to convey truth is also of great value. The celebration of Christmas represents the Greatest Story Ever Told—a truly meaningful story, the story that changed the course of human history, one that genuinely never grows old--no matter how many times, in how many ways, in so many places, in so many settings, it has been told. “The people that dwelt in darkness have seen a great light.”

Private Christian K-12 enrollment is on the rise in recent years. With the many changes that have occurred in public health, politics, and cultural agendas recently, I believe many parents of younger students are choosing to invest in private education that aligns with their values and priorities.  

I wish I could say I was a particularly spiritual child, but I wasn’t. In fact, I basically hated Sundays. It wasn’t the morning and evening church services I didn’t like—it was the in-between. My parents were quite strict about that time of the week: no play dates, no school work, no sporting events, no television, no eating out, mandatory naps, etc. These Sabbath day practices felt unbearable to me. So as soon as I was old enough to make my own decisions, I dropped most of them.

With the sudden, unplanned, and in many ways dramatic shift to online learning in the 2019-2020 school year, many have asked the question: What impact has COVID had on student learning? This question has been hotly debated over the last two years. I have spoken with countless educators who all echo a common observation, regardless of subject matter or grade level: there has been a significant decline in student learning since the 2020 shutdowns began. Parents of school-aged children have likely seen and felt the impact of that school year on their children. Data and statistics to quantify what’s been dubbed the “COVID learning loss” are beginning to emerge. 

[Editor's Note: The following has been adapted from an interview with "The Art of Neighboring" co-author Dave Runyon on the "Navigating Your Child's Education" podcast for parents. Make sure to check out the full conversation here.]

Perhaps you’ve noticed your Kindergartener or first-grader reverse letters and numbers as they write. Maybe you’ve heard your second or third grader consistently struggle to read out loud. Or it may be that you’ve witnessed your elementary schooler face difficulties in reading fluency, spelling, or getting their thoughts out on a page. Which of these are “normal” parts of learning to read and which signs indicate a child may need additional help? What do parents need to know about the reading process and what should they do if they suspect their child is experiencing atypical reading challenges? 

It may sound ironic, but the summer months are some of the most important in the school year. You read that correctly: the summer months play a vital role in a student's academic momentum and growth. According to data collected in 2020 through the MAP Growth assessments, students in 3rd to 5th grade lose an average of 20 percent of their school-year gains in reading over the summer months. Young elementary students are also, and perhaps even more so, at risk of suffering the "summer slide" because they are earlier in the development of their academic skills. 

When it comes to Holy Week and Easter as believers who are adults, we can have a good understanding of the events that lead up to Resurrection Sunday from our reading of Scripture and listening to Bible teaching over the years.

We are able to grasp, at least on some level, Jesus' words, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen!” These words, found in Luke’s gospel, are what the two beings dressed in white stated to the women who ventured to the grave that third morning after Jesus’ crucifixion. This is a passage that all believers in Christ should get excited about as His resurrected life means life for us. 

I know that there are many parents that weigh educational decisions heavily. Nowadays, there are so many factors to consider as we seek to make the best schooling choices for our children. For many, there are myriad opportunities--private schools, public schools, and robust homeschooling options.

In my own experience of homeschooling my six children and then each of them attending private school for eighth grade through high school graduation, I can honestly say that I loved our family, loved our homeschooling experience and loved our private school experience. The following are a few thoughts on this topic from my own journey.

I might be the odd one out, but I hate reading on screens. Whether it's an article, a long PDF, a journal article, a short news piece, or a full-length book--I just don't like taking in important information or even reading for leisure on a screen. I've tried reading on my phone, a tablet, a digital/e-reader, laptop, and large desktop monitor, and they all seem to fall short of paper-based reading. Not only do I like the feel of holding paper or a book as I read, I also sense that something different is happening in my brain. I tend to skim and miss information when I read from screens, and I can tell that my brain assigns greater value (mental energy, focus, etc.) to paper-based reading.

As a football player at the college and professional levels, I have witnessed my fair share of unsportsmanlike conduct. Late hits, getting punched or hit in the back of the head, taunting, and name-calling were among these displays of unsportsmanlike behavior. As a player and now a coach, I have seen other instances of behavior that do not meet the standards of good sportsmanship. Coaches and athletes who do not train or scout ethically, team cultures that encourage taunting or disrespectful words, plays, and players that do not follow the rules of the game for the sake of getting ahead. There is a wide range of what could be considered unsportsmanlike.

In contrast, good sportsmanship is generally viewed as opponents shaking hands before and after a game, players abiding by all the rules of a sport during any given contest, and coaches listening to and respecting officials' calls. But there is much more to it than what can be seen.

The Christian worldview paints a distinctly beautiful picture of purpose in each human's life. It holds adamantly to the notion that no one exists by accident or without God-given gifts, talents, or passions. Sometimes these gifts, talents, and passions are evident early in one's life--a six-year-old girl firmly committing to becoming a veterinarian, an eight-year-old boy knowing that he wants to design buildings when he grows up. For others, their interests are varied and they enjoy exploring a wide variety of topics. For many, discovering gifts and passions is a lifelong journey. But no matter what the journey looks like, having a foundation of God-given purpose and an understanding that each of us carries a calling (not just a career) serves to undergird every step of the way.

Parents raising young children are uniquely positioned to guide a child in the path that God lays out for their life. Whether a child expresses interest in being a lawyer, firefighter, zoo keeper, or homemaker, (or all of them at the same time!), parents are instrumental in helping students both discover and explore things they love--clues that can lead to God's calling on their life.

The following is an excerpt from a conversation with Dr. Laura Lopez, an associate professor of astronomy at The Ohio State University. Her story is a fascinating real-life look at what can happen when a child expresses a specific interest, is supported by a loving parent, and receives encouragement from role models along a difficult path. Her story speaks to the importance of allowing everyone to pursue their passion, and offers a glimpse of what can result for all of society when that happens.

When I was a kid, my siblings and I listened to Steve Green’s “Hide ‘Em In Your Heart” albums over and over again. These albums are a collection of dozens of kids’ songs that are basically just Bible verses put to catchy tunes. To this day, when I notice fear rise in me in a particular moment, I instinctively start singing, “When I am afraid I will trust in You, I will trust in You, I will trust in You,” from Psalm 56:3-4 thanks to one of those catchy tunes. The title of the albums is a nod to another Psalm—Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Because of the truths embedded in them, these albums were instrumental in my spiritual formation in my earliest years. Learning truths from God’s Word and committing them to my memory helped to shape me into the person I am today, now with children of my own.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD, is the most studied condition in childhood. Statistics show that nearly ten percent of children ages two to 17 in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD. While this condition is widely studied and diagnosed, it seems to remain clouded by misunderstanding and misconceptions by the general population and is, in fact, under diagnosed.

In the 40 years that I have been teaching, I have seen a lot of changes in the world of education. In my earliest years in the classroom, rote learning was the primary way that knowledge was transferred from teacher to student. Rote learning relies heavily on the repetition of material for the purpose of memorizing it. This teaching technique was widely used across all disciplines. Students memorized important dates and events in history class, entire music pieces in music class, famous poems in language arts class, and math facts and equations in math class.

In my years as an elementary school teacher and principal, I have seen first-hand how crucial the relationships are between parents and their child’s teachers. Positive parent-teacher interactions and strong communication ensure that a student will continue to grow in their social and academic skills over the course of a school year. But this type of parent-teacher rapport is something that isn’t typically established in one open house meeting at the beginning of the year or one email exchange introducing yourself. Like any other healthy relationship, teacher-parent rapport takes time and intentionality to build. There are three key behaviors that parents can engage in to build this rapport, summed up with the acronym O.N.E. These elements provide a framework for teachers and parents to come together, partnering to accomplish one unified goal in a given school year: the continued holistic growth of the student.

“Don’t be sad.”

“You shouldn’t feel scared.”

“Stop being angry.”

“You don’t need to get your feelings hurt over it.”

“You should be so thankful.”

It’s not uncommon to hear parents addressing their children with comments or corrections involving how a child should or should not feel. This is especially true with emotions many deem “negative” such as hurt, fear, anger, and sadness. Though these admonishments may be well-intentioned, I believe they miss the mark on what human beings are supposed to do. We are, by our very nature, highly emotional beings capable of experiencing a broad range of sentiments. If children are consistently taught to ignore or squelch “bad” emotions, they will likely be unprepared for life. A healthier, more holistic approach is to empower our children emotionally by teaching them to experience and express a wide range of emotions, and help them learn to regulate their emotions when necessary.

Emotional empowerment has five primary stages. Parents can practice each of these stages with their child no matter the child’s age. These are fundamental skills that everyone needs. Developing the ability to identify, express, and regulate emotions is a life-long process, one in which there is always room for growth and improvement. As such, parents can serve as models for their own children as every member of the family seeks to grow and mature.

Dancing is often considered an activity for a select few, namely those who have a natural ability for creative movement, those who are graceful, those who gravitate towards music and have an innate sense of rhythm. In recent years, youth dance has also been portrayed in a certain way thanks to media exposure such as the popular Lifetime television series "Dance Moms." These platforms cast dance as a dramatic, competitive, even sexualized activity for children and youth, especially girls. Through my experience as a dancer and dance instructor for the last 15 years, I have come to see that these two basic understandings of dance--that it is for a select few and that it is largely dramatic and competitive--are misconceptions worth dispelling.

Books have a way of shaping who we are. As a former second grade teacher, I know first-hand what impact reading can have on a young mind. There are, of course, the essential literacy skills built through reading from exposure to books from the earliest years of a child's life and through elementary school. But of equal value to literacy skills are the ideas presented in children's books, lessons about life, that influence a child and help to shape who they are.

No matter what education or career background we as parents have, it is possible for us to raise our kids as young scientists. We've actually been exposed to the steps of the scientific method from an early age ourselves. By learning to identify this process in our lives, and helping our kids to engage in the scientific method in their own experiences, we can empower and encourage their ability to solve problems and make discoveries.

I've always considered myself to be an indoorsy person. I don’t know, but maybe being indoorsy is inherited. Early in marriage, my husband and I joked that it was a good thing we found each other so that we could be indoorsy together. And four children later, we have cultivated a very indoorsy family, contending that there’s nothing else we would rather do than cozy up on the couch with a good book to read aloud. 

From a child's youngest years, they are asked by adults: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Answers typically include professional athletes, firefighters, astronauts, and doctors, sprinkled with more imaginative outliers like princesses and unicorns.

Third grade is one of the most crucial developmental periods of the elementary years and perhaps a child's entire formal schooling. It stands apart as a year of pivotal transition and change in a child's education. It is the foundation for the rest of a student's life: what a student learns in third grade will be built upon for years to come, not only in academics, but also in life. 

Our children desperately need models of what it looks like to live and speak within the Christian story. Modeling has always been shown to be the most effective form of moral and religious education. For that reason, parents should want to speak about God continually and place their children around teachers who speak often about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and what they are doing in the world and their lives.

Fear is arguably one of the biggest threats to modern parenting. Whether we’re parenting toddlers or teenagers, there are myriad reasons to fear for our children. In the words of pastor and author Rich Nathan, “We live in a world that bombards us 24/7 with threats to our kids.” Amber alerts, abduction stories, school shootings, screen time and internet predators…the list of these threats to our kids goes on and on. It feels impossible to protect our kids from all the things.

I first heard the word "enneagram" a couple of years ago from a friend that was reading a book about it. To be honest, I didn't know how to say or spell it correctly for several more months after that (now I know it's pronounced 'any-a-gram'). All I knew was that it had something to do with numbers and personalities.

As a technology teacher to elementary students and mother of three, it is obvious to me that there has been a major shift in children and technology in recent years. The majority of children I know have constant access to screens of some kind: computers, tablets, and smartphones. This has created a whole new facet of parenting and education.  

I am now finishing my 30th year of teaching and, wow, how the time has flown! I so clearly remember starting my current job as the “new kid on the block” all those years ago. I remember being overwhelmed with how much I had to learn. From the first day in the classroom, though, I knew that I was right where God wanted me to be, and I knew that I was going to love being there.

"I’m supposed to teach?"

"Take care of my kids? Clean the house?"

"Can we leave?"

"Do we have enough food?"

"They keep arguing!"

"I leave everyday because it’s better for our family: 2 to 3 weeks together at least?"

"But we had plans!"

"My family isn’t all together, do they come home?"

"Do they come over?"

"It can’t be that big a deal could it? Is it?"

Fear. Freak out. Preparedness. Problem solving. Financial stress.

We all handle unexpected circumstances and difficult moments in our own way.

Springtime not only brings warmer weather and longer days, it also marks a season of tests for many school-aged children. Be it state testing, standardized testing, annual assessments or the like, students are typically evaluated in the major academic disciplines in March and April of each year.

We’ve heard it since we were kids and likely tell our own children the same: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Yet, in a cereal-dominated breakfast world, it is easy for our kids to fall into a rut of eating the same processed, nutrient depleted (non) foods for breakfast everyday before school. The convenience and popularity of those colorful boxes of cereal are hard to top, yet there is unseen cost to our kids’ bodies that may affect their capacity for focus and learning throughout the school day. Knowing why breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of the day, and knowing what foods best fuel the body and mind will help us set up our kids for success at the onset of each day.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Adam and Eve. The Garden of Eden. One off-limits tree. A serpent. 

Jesus. A sinless life. A cross. 

Many people are familiar with the Christian account of Creation and the Fall, and Jesus' work on the cross that redeems us. Perhaps what is less familiar is how this pattern is echoed throughout history, and how it shapes education.

I will never be able to forget Psalm 19:14. These words are an incredible framework for life, perfectly inspired by the Holy Spirit, but that's not exactly why I'll never forget them. The real reason this guiding verse is unforgettable for me is far more practical: I have heard it and spoken it literally hundreds of times.

Kids like to ask questions, don’t they? (Or is it just my daughter?!)

The Christmas season is often hectic. It seems that this time of year has almost become synonymous with busy-ness. Decorating, cooking and baking, shopping, scheduling out holiday events...all wonderful activities that have the potential to drown out the deeper meaning of the season.

As parents, it's worth asking ourselves, "What are my children learning about Christmas through the way I approach the holiday? What am I communicating, directly and indirectly, about the meaning of Christmas?"

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. School children across the country are likely studying the origins of this American holiday. Classrooms are abuzz with words like Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, Puritans, pilgrims, Native Americans and feasts. Some students may even be dressing up as Puritans and Native Americans with iconic images such as hats with buckles or headdresses.

When a child, or any learner, is confronted with new information that she does not already know, she must do something with it in order to make it fit into her already existing body of knowledge. How she makes it fit determines whether the new information actually gives her a better and truer understanding of the concept.

[Editor's Note: This post first appeared on our blog for parents of preschoolers. The message is so foundational to navigating a child's education that we want to share it here, too.]

At some point, all parents face a decision about how they will provide for the education of their children. There are, perhaps thanks to our consumerist society, more options today than ever before. As I listen to parents talk about how they will make their decision, I hear the criteria they use to filter their decision-making. These often include things like reputation and tradition, test scores and student performance, accessibility and location, cost and affordability. These are all worthy considerations.

Most of us are familiar with the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Images can carry depth and complexity, especially for young minds.

Stress and anxiety affect even the youngest of students nowadays. The world we are raising our kids in is quite different than the one in which we grew up.

The next time a mirror comes into view, take a long look at the reflection. Be careful not to zoom in on that extra set of lines that popped up this past summer or the hairline that is retreating faster than a beaten army. What is seen is not just a person but an image. Humans are image-bearers. The image we bear is that of God, according to Genesis 1:26.

There are many truths that we embody because we are made in the image of our Heavenly Father. One truth is that of being workers. This is clear from the scriptural account of Creation.

A new school year carries with it excitement and potential, and provides everyone--students, teachers, and parents--with a fresh start. It is also a time of change and transition that can draw out a degree of uncertainty and anxiety.

In my years as an educator, I have observed a few things that help students, teachers, and parents make these changes and transitions a little smoother…

No dad fails on purpose. No one ever starts fatherhood with the intention of being a mediocre parent. Many of our bad habits as parents begin because we are not being intentional with our children. An intentional father is one who is purposefully engaged in discipling our children, makes it a priority to set goals for the family, and actively seeks out ways to meet those goals.

Language is such a huge gift that God has given us. I begin every school year the same as I did in all my years of teaching reading and writing...with a question.

Do you think God is interested at all in language? Do you ever wonder if He thinks good reading habits are important to attain?

Of course the answer is YES! He spoke with words and talked to Adam in the garden in the very beginning of it all! It is so exciting to see the emphasis our Heavenly Father placed on these skills. He has inspired the most popular book to be written for our encouragement and understanding. It is so much about who God is! As we practice reading and writing, we are enhancing a part of us that pleases the Father so that our communication with Him and the people He created becomes more effective.

So much of our lives and society is compartmentalized and segmented. It’s easy to think, “Worship happens at church; pastors are responsible for biblical teaching and discipleship. Learning about the world happens at school; teachers are responsible for disseminating knowledge. Experiencing relationships happens at home and with friends; parents are responsible for teaching their children about love, grace, and forgiveness.” While these assumptions and responsibilities are in part correct, they do not fully represent how Scripture prescribes our lives.

Although it's called summer "break," us parents know that summer can be just as busy if not more busy than the school year. Camps, trips, day programs and more all compete for our time.

I love talking with students and listening to their future hopes and plans. Doing so is a great reminder to me of the task that educators, from kindergarten teachers to elementary school educators to high school instructors have; that is, not merely to fill students with information or knowledge but to help form them into the kind of people God meant them to be.

Now that our youngest daughter has gone off to college and left my wife and me as (mostly) empty-nesters, I sometimes wonder whether we provided our daughters with the parenting they will need to be spiritually healthy as young adults. I suppose most Christian parents engage in this thought process at some point. And, of course, like most parents, I look back and think of a thousand things I would do differently if I could go back in time given what I now know.

For several decades now, technology has been heralded as a solution to many of the challenges that schools face.

The opening passage of Scripture gives us our first glimpse into the nature of God – He created. In a most spectacular way, He spoke, and the universe – earth, sky, plants, creatures, man, and woman came into being out of nothing. In The Magician’s Nephew, that great Narnian myth that illustrates Genesis 1-3 by way of a different world, C.S. Lewis imagined what this might have looked like and gave Aslan the Creator a lilting song that became Narnian matter as it left his mouth. Trees, grass, rivers, stars, animals and other creatures – all the beauty and greatness that the world contained – came into being because Aslan willed them to do so.