What exactly is self-esteem? And seven ways to boost it for lasting effect. Life has many puzzling questions such as: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? or How do you get a job with no experience but, then how do you get experience without a job? The same quizzical paradox can be applied to self-esteem. Do you need self-esteem in order to succeed, or do you need to earn success to foster self-esteem? The answer to this question can help parents effectively boost their child’s self-esteem. Children who think and learn differently often struggle with self-image and thinking about themselv ..read more

When parents read picture books aloud to their kids, attitudes towards math, interaction with math concepts, and school performance all improve. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But can a picture convert a child from being a numeral-phobic, math-loathing, number-avoiding, anti-calculating kid into a math-loving, pattern-seeking, shape-identifying, adding-subtracting-multiplying-dividing guru?  The right picture books can! There are many reasons to use picture books for introducing and teaching math concepts. Typically they are written to entertain and are non-threatening for ..read more

What is driving the mental health crisis in children? And what to do if you suspect your child is struggling. With apologies to The Who, the kids are not alright. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among children and teens are rising at an alarming rate. Some point to the pandemic as the cause, but a closer look at the statistics reveals that the decade prior to 2020 – and the beginning of the pandemic – children’s mental health had already begun the slippery slide down with emergency room visits up. According to the Children’s Health Council, a group of medical experts, inclu ..read more

What exactly are 21st century skills? And 7 effective ways they can develop them. There is a story about a time traveler who arrives in 2024 from the 1800s. He enters a supermarket and is amazed to learn that this is how people procure their food. Next, he strolls along the sidewalk and is shocked to see everyone holding a small device in their hands and staring straight at it. He passes by an airport and is dumbfounded at large metal things taking off and landing with ease. Finally, he steps into a school and feels a sense of comfort and familiarity because school has not changed in almost 20 ..read more

What exactly is artificial intelligence? And what are the best AI tools for K-12 students? Parents, buckle your seatbelts! Over the past few years Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown so rapidly that your high school child can now produce an essay for their English class in less than 60 seconds – not with a command to a Genie or some science fiction contraption –  but with one simple visit to ChatGPT. The essay will be well written but may contain a few factual errors. (More on that later.)  Let’s try to understand exactly what Artificial Intelligence is and what it is not. Accordi ..read more

Engage the Brain Learning Specialists are grateful to support students with all types of learning abilities. What are they grateful for away from work? Practicing gratitude has many benefits. According to Mental Health First Aid, research has shown that consciously practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Studies have found that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness, and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. At Engage the Brain, we are grateful for the difference between the words the and a. The Learning Specialists don’t ..read more

How is ADHD actually diagnosed? And what are the most effective treatment approaches? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD can look different. Perhaps your teenage son’s bedroom looks like a Category 3 hurricane blew through it and he has a magnifying lens on all his emotions. Or your 4th grade daughter seems like she is always daydreaming and needs constant reminders to complete even simple tasks. And of course there could be your middle school son who simply cannot sit still and blurts out information like Alexa on auto repeat, even when not asked. October is ADHD awareness month ..read more

What are the benefits of creating an after-school routine for children? Some include lower stress levels for kids and their parents. Here is a how-to for creating one that works for your family. When kids arrive home after school, things can go a lot of different ways. Some children have a supportive parent waiting with a healthy snack and an eager ear to hear about all the wonderful things that they learned in school that day. Other kids wander into an empty, silent house, due to both parents working to make ends meet. And of course there is the child who may (or may not) have kept it togeth ..read more

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” – A.A. Milne Engage the Brain is not unlike the sun-splashed Hundred Acre Woods featured in the classic Winnie the Pooh stories written by A.A. Milne. We are populated with a variety of characters who each brings vast experience, diverse personalities, and a love of our mission to help children ease through school (and childhood) by supplying them with strategies and interventions all covered in dabs of honey in the form of genuine care, compliments and positive reinforcement. We do n ..read more

What exactly is a growth mindset? And 5 strategies for parents to develop one in their child. “One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.” —Albert Einstein Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist and mathematician. But with this quote he could have defined what a “Growth Mindset” is years before the term became popular in education circles.   The concept of growth and fixed mindsets was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. A ..read more