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.