For many kids, sitting in class can quickly become boring. Lectures or documentaries may not be the most interesting or engaging content, and plenty of students don't pay attention. Children often learn better from interacting with the subject matter, and parents can encourage this by helping their kids at home. Here are a few historical moments to reenact together to better your kids' understanding for class:

The Gold Rush
Have you ever played the Oregon Trail computer game? This fun activity places players in the mid-1800s when the gold rush began. Immigrants who lived on the East Coast of the U.S. suddenly began migrating to the far west in California in search of riches and a better life. Families picked up their meager belongings and crossed the entire country in covered wagons, fighting off diseases and hunting and gathering what they could along the way. Kids love learning about this time because being in the wild sounds like a lot of fun. Encourage your kids to build their own version of a wagon and spend their time "traveling" and talking about what they see and game they eat. They can play the game, "If I had a million dollars" but as, "If I had a lot of gold," imagining what people at this time would want to buy and why they left their homes. 

Paul Revere's ride
During the Revolutionary War, Paul Revere rode toward Old North Church in Boston's North End, alerting the sexton that two lanterns meant the British were coming by sea. The English troops were heading for the Americans, and without that historic two-lantern signal, the Revolutionary War may have been lost. Turn your living room into Boston Commons, with the Old North Church on one side and the Charles River on the other. After telling the church custodian to light two lanterns, alerting the troops, Paul Revere crossed the Charles in a rowboat to tell patriots in Charleston of the incoming raid. Don tri-corner hats and long cloaks before enacting this historical moment!

Martin Luther King march on Washington
If your kids are learning about Civil Rights, hosting your own march on Washington may be a meaningful way to help them gain knowledge about Martin Luther King. This important event happened on August 28, 1963. Students often see clips of the march with 250,000 people rallying the streets of Washington, D.C., in search of jobs and freedom in the time of racism. People marched on the Washington Mall, carrying signs about their need for jobs and justice. The walk ended after Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

Have your kids create their own picket signs after thinking about what they would say if they were being treated unjustly because of their race. Then, march through the house or yard. One child should play Martin Luther King, reciting his speech for your whole family to hear. Partaking in your on version of this incredible moment and putting themselves in the shoes of people at the time may prove an incredible learning experience for your kids.

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High school juniors and seniors have a lot on their plates. From participating in varsity sports and other after school activities to trying to ace the Common Core and college-entrance exams, deciding on a university can add some extra stress. Parents can provide their input, and it's important to have some guidelines on what to look at for each potential college. Not sure where to start? Read on.

Majors
The first thing to look at when choosing a school is whether it offers the major your child wants to study. If your teen is undecided, attending a community college to earn an associate's degree may not be a bad idea. During this time, the student can take a myriad of classes to get a better understanding of what he or she may want to do for a career. Make sure you are aware of any majors in the field your child wants to study so you can work together to find a college or university that offers all of these options

Finances
Second, learn about the school's costs. Tuition differs between schools and states. Private universities are typically more expensive than public ones. Some offer extensive financial aid packages for people who earn a certain income bracket, individuals with specific academic goals and achievements or even for those who have special disabilities. Be sure to talk to the financial aid departments at every school your teen is considering so you can factor this in to the end decision.

Location
Where your child goes to college is probably a concern for both of you. This is often the first time when students have been away from their families, and that can be stressful for everyone involved. Some teens are totally ready to fly the coop and move across the country for postsecondary school, while others prefer to stay in-state. It's important to note that many schools offer reduced tuition for students who have lived within the state for several years, so attending a school that is close to home has multiple benefits. 

Extracurricular activities
College isn't just about getting a higher education. Students should also look into after school activities like clubs and sports. If your child loves partaking in varsity soccer, for example, see if there is a team he or she could join in college. Most universities offer intramural or co-ed sports that are less serious than college athletics so everyone who enjoys sports can get in on a team that suits them. Most majors also offer some sort of extracurricular group, like student planning meetings, graphics design teams that create content for the college or even a magazine for journalism students to try out. Getting involved in these activities can really help make students feel at home and give them a taste of what being in the industry is truly like. 

Consider all of these options for each school your teen is looking at. Weigh your options and even talk to the high school counselor to learn his or her professional opinion on certain schools and major to help out your child. 

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Healthy eating is an important habit for everyone to practice and encourage in others. With kids, healthy meals are especially critical, as it affects their performance in school and extracurricular activities. Here are a few tips to help your young students get the nutrients and energy they need:

It starts with breakfast.
Breakfast is regularly called the most important meal of the day, and for good reason: It gives your brain and energy a kick after fasting for 8 to 10 hours overnight. In fact, according to a report from the University of Florida, students who eat breakfast have higher test scores, superior concentration and better muscle coordination and are less likely to miss or be late to classes. Eating breakfast also contributes to improved classroom behavior.

Keep your kids focused and engaged.
With so much going on at school – between classes, social networks and extracurriculars – it's easy for students to disengage or be easily distracted, leaving assignments half-finished and lectures ignored. A healthy diet, however, can help kids keep their eyes on the prize. By focusing more on wholesome items – such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and reducing fried foods and those loaded with artificial sugars, parents can help their young ones avoid the energy spikes and crashes associated with these latter items. As Adam Volland explained in U.S. News and World Report, "If your grandmother couldn't recognize something as food, you probably shouldn't eat it."

Fight absenteeism – and sickness.
When children receive the nutrients they need daily, they are better able to fight the wealth of germs and sicknesses that can occupy any school. Losing time in the classroom can be especially detrimental for young learners, Attendance Works reported. This accumulated time not spent in school can result in learning deficits that affect students in the long term.

You can help your kids reduce the amount of school they miss as a result of sickness. Focus on getting your kids the recommended amount of vitamin C, which the National Institutes of Health explained contributes to individuals' ability to bounce back from illnesses faster and more successfully. You can serve your children a glass of orange juice with breakfast or pack an orange in their lunch sack.

Reap the rewards on test day.
As students are better able to focus on their schoolwork and studying in line with the Common Core curriculum, the likelihood of performing well increases. The Food Research and Action Center reported that kids who eat a healthy diet make fewer mistakes and work faster on math and verbal exams. Additionally, these students better handle frustration.

As if this weren't convincing enough, research from Action for Healthy Kids explained students who eat a healthy diet perform 17.5 percent better on standardized math tests and attend 1.5 more days of school annually.

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Regular tests and quizzes may seem easy to your children, but come time for yearly standardized testing, they may not do so hot. These exams often come with a lot of pressure, and that can make it much more anxiety-inducing for kids. You can help your children improve their standardized testing scores with these three tips:

1. Keep track of their regular grades
Most standardized test scores do not affect regular grading. However, the exams usually cover all material that your kids have learned throughout the year. Make sure to pay attention to how your children are doing in school. If you note their grades are slipping, talk with them about what they don't understand. They may need extra time with the teacher to fully understand a new topic or concept, or require other types of assistance.

2. Make sure they do their homework
All the daily homework and projects that your kids receive have a greater goal of preparing them for the exams. Always check that your children have done their homework and study for tests. This could help them earn better regular grades and improve exam scores.

3. Have your kids complete practice tests
There are many practice tests available for various forms of standardized exams. Some schools even have their students do these pretend tests to help everyone prepare. Students may feel more ready for the exams if they've seen practice versions and tried their hand at a few answers. You can also have your children do practice tests at home so you can see how they are doing and offer helpful suggestions. 

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Nearly every school in the U.S. will at some point have students who are new to the country and English language. These kids are English language learners. Schools must provide equal educational access for these individuals to allow children to partake in regular schooling and tests, and have a fair chance at doing well. Here are some important ELL rights to know:

1. Teachers cannot disclude ELLs from lessons 
A 1970 Office for Civil Rights memo about the responsibilities school districts have while educating ELLS noted that students inabilities to speak or understand English cannot exclude them from participating in school activities. 

2. ELL parents must receive equal information
While ELL parents may not have the same English aptitude as those who are fluent in the language, they must still receive all school notices or information in a language they understand. Teachers can use online translations or have another educator who knows both languages translate any email, flier or other communication in ELL parents' native languages. 

3. Schools must adequately support ELLs
Imagine being a child and having to get through school every day without a full understanding of the language everyone around you speaks. Just navigating through the day is difficult, not to mention learning new things and doing homework. This is why schools have to offer resources to ELLs that assist the children through all aspects of schooling. This also includes occasionally assessing the students' learning to create and alter plans that will help the students learn English and also master appropriate topics according to grade levels. There is no timeline for an ELL to fully grasp English. Instead, schools must offer alternative services until the student is fluent enough to participate in normal educational programming.

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One of the most helpful ways to get kids to remember new things is through song. Marketing companies use melodies and rhythmic tunes to make their jingles for carpet cleaning or life insurance stick in your head. You'll remember them long after hearing the song the first time! You can use singing as a learning tool by teaching your kids these songs:

'The Fifty Nifty United States'
Just about every American adult knows this catchy tune that helps people learn all 50 states in alphabetical order. While it is a bit obnoxious, think how many times you've actually used it as a grown-up! When kids are in 2nd or 3rd grade and begin learning U.S. geography, this is a great melody to memorize.

'The Elements Song'
The periodic table of elements contains 118 elements as of January 2016. Their names are not simple, and with many containing similar prefixes and suffixes, it's understandable that memorizing all 7 rows it quite a feat. But with the help of the element song, everyone can recall each member of the periodic table!

'Helping Verbs Song'
In the 4th grade, many kids begin learning about helping verbs. These crucial terms assist the main verb. For example, "She was running." In that sentence, "was" is a helping verb paired with "running." Your kids can learn all about "is," "are," "was," "were," "am," "be," "been" and more with this tune sung to the melody of "Jingle Bells."

'The Measurements Song'
Even grown-ups have trouble recalling conversions for kilometers, meters, feet, yards, miles, gallons, pints and centimeters. This song is relaxing, useful and a great tune to learn as your kiddos are falling asleep. "There are a thousand grams in a kilo, 16 ounces in a pound," is just one example of the helpful way this song translates one measurement to another.

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As children grow into teenagers, they likely will do more group projects. These collaborations provide opportunities for your children to become leaders and learn from one another. Working with peers is not always easy, but you can help your kids succeed on a group project with these tips:

Gather materials
There are many types of projects your teens may partake in. Some may involve craft-oriented supplies such as poster board, printer paper, markers and glue. Others are research-based and result in a paper, so they need Internet and computer access, a notebook, writing utensils and a printer. Have your kids tell you what the project requires. If your home is not already fully stocked, see if others in the group have the items they are missing. Then, make a trip to the store if necessary.

Plan the project
A good group assignment requires planning. Each person should have a specific role, like one does research on a topic while another creates graphics. The members should play to their strengths and make sure to spread out the work evenly. Creating a plan helps clarify any potential miscommunications and misunderstandings. Plus, this way the teens aren't just floundering and wondering where to start. They can instead write out clear steps from getting supplies together to completing the project. The group should also note meeting times and anything that the collaborators should do on their own.

Talk through problems
Every member of a group project isn't going to have the same level of understanding as his or her classmates. It's normal that one or two people will naturally lead  the rest. This can lead to trouble, as they may become frustrated with the other group members for not pulling their weight. On the other hand, the leaders may take the reins and not let others participate at all. Teachers assign group projects because they want everyone to work together and put in the same amount of effort. This way, each individual learns something and benefits from the collaboration. Students who see these issues happening should speak up. No one or two people should complete the project without the help of others.

One way educators may address the issue of distributing work is through surveys. Many teachers have each student complete a survey on his or her peers to get a feel for who was pulling his or her own weight. This might even affect the group members' grades. If your kids have problems like the ones above, they should write about the issues on the survey. If the students can't solve the problem within the group, they should discuss it with the teacher right away.

Present the project
Most group projects end in some sort of presentation. This may mean a speech, discussion or going over a graphic. The teens should practice what they'll say and do to quell nerves and ensure they touch on the most important parts of the project.

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Some of the fondest memories many adults have of their time in elementary and middle school include daily romps during recess. This time allows students to get outside and have fun. But is that all your kids are doing: enjoying some sunshine and playing games? New research programs are working to understand how changing recess habits helps kids focus in class.

Liink Project
Seven schools are taking part in the Liink Project, an educational study on the effects of recess. Students attending the participating schools enjoy longer recess times. They are more physically active, and students in kindergarten through 6th grade also have specified class time for creativity and play. In lieu of grading these kids every quarter, Liink participants assess students through developmental tracking.

The creators of the Liink Project hope the outcome of the initiative leads to better health in the form of fewer overweight kids and instances of Type ll diabetes, as well as students having more energy. The governing team, made up of doctors, statisticians and researchers, predicts that less time in the classroom will not reduce student learning. Instead, following the same rigorous content with fewer standardized tests and assessments should reduce anxiety and instill confidence in students.

In a paper published by the Liink Project, Dr. Debbie Rhea and Irene Nigaglioni shared how playing outdoors fosters learning. Studies have found that exercise is linked to kids better handling stress, increasing their attention spans and reducing chronic diseases.

Benefits of recess
Sure, having a break after lunch is a blast, but it's more than that. Getting out to play and take a break from academic pursuits can be beneficial for your kids' minds and bodies. In 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention combined the results from 50 studies about children and physical activity or recess. The organization found many correlating factors. Here are a few:

• Students' academic achievement improved after increased time in physical education courses.
• Kids' attention spans, concentration and overall in-class behavior was better after they spent time in recess.
• Recess also enhanced students' cognitive skills and attitudes.
• Classes that participated in physical activity breaks aside from recess and physical education courses saw improvements in standardized test scores, moods, attention, memory and aptitude.

It's also important to note that of those studies and assorted research projects, no negative effects were associated with additional time spent on partaking in physical activity and play. 

Recess and your kids
Some schools across the country choose to limit recess time and omit physical education courses from mandatory class attendance in favor of spending more time readying for standardized testing or regular schoolwork. Studies like those the CDC aggregated have shown exercise is helpful, and recess should be an integral part of a child's school day. Make sure your kids use their full brain power and study for those exams by participating in physical education classes and being active during recess. You can also promote play at home as a helpful homework break.

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The holidays are a time for food and family. While it's fun to roughhouse with cousins and run around, eventually you'll probably hear, "Mom! We're bored!" Keep your kids entertained with these fun and educational Thanksgiving projects:

Stamped place cards
No matter if your holiday gathering is elegant and simple or fun and colorful, you can make these place cards to show the guests where to sit. Have your kids gather items that make them think of fall. Dry leaves, mini pumpkins and corn on the cob are all great ideas. Then, pour some acrylic paint onto a plate so the kids can dip the items into the paint and then stamp the imprints onto folded pieces of construction paper. Talk about the shapes and lines of the prints, like the veins in leaves and how they help trees grow. This is a fun opportunity to talk about biology as well as geometry. If your kids are learning to count, have them tell you how many items they collected and the number of people coming for dinner. Discuss the colors of paint and place cards, and even work on spelling by encouraging your little ones to write the names of each attendee on the place cards.

Make a nature guide
If you are visiting family or friends over Thanksgiving, get your children out into nature. Take the whole crew for a walk and have the kids bring along notebooks so they can write down what they see. Bring field guides to plants, animals and birds and try to identify everything that flies, hops or strolls by. When you return to where you're staying, help your kids create their very own neighborhood nature guide by drawing every squirrel, songbird and fern they took notice of. Make a colorful book with markers or watercolor paints so the kiddos can show everyone what they learned, from the critters' favorite foods to when they migrate for the winter. You can even talk about whether your kids think the first settlers in America saw these same animals. The pilgrims could have been amazed at the differences between the animals in England and what they found in America.

A leaf gratefulness catcher
Dream catchers are said to prevent bad dreams from getting through to the person sleeping below them. These fun DIY leaf catchers are the perfect place to have your kids write down what they're thankful for on leaf-shaped paper and then stash the pieces in the string. Use an embroidery hoop and wrap fall-colored twin and string from one side to another as you move around the circle to create the web inside. Help your kids cut out leaves of different colors and then add them to the inner workings of the gratefulness catcher. You can read these fun ideas aloud at the dinner table and even get the adults involved for a family project.

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Gifts for kids are often colorful and noisy, but not all toys are created equal. Some are simply for entertainment while others encourage discovery through play. Whether you're preparing for upcoming winter holidays or your child has a birthday soon, here are some fun learning presents:

Puzzles 
Even the youngest of kids can gain skills through doing a puzzle. Toddlers love interactive puzzles with pegs to hold onto, making it easier for tiny hands to maneuver each piece. Look for thick magnetic puzzles that make noises when the proper piece is put in place. When your little one matches the cow with its spot on the board, a "moo!" will erupt, teaching him or her about cow sounds. Older kids can try puzzles with smaller pieces to learn patience and spatial reasoning as well as improve their memory skills. 3D puzzles are another great option for kids who enjoy putting things together.

Science kits
Elementary age kids are often very inquisitive and may love taking part in science classes. Why not bring the experiments home and encourage knowledge in this Common Core subject? Science kits are perfect for these curious cats to unearth dinosaurs through archeology digs, create robots and even use microscopes. These gifts can really encourage kids to explore the world around them, giving them the courage and self-confidence to excel in the classroom as well. Rock tumblers, mini kid-friendly lathes for woodworking and even weather monitoring sets promote creativity and learning through geology, art and meteorology.

Books
If you have a little reader on your hands, books can be a great present! Fiction novels and chapter books like "The Magic Treehouse" series transport the reader to other worlds and times, teaching them about everything from dinosaurs to civil rights. Historical biographies are a great choice for kids who enjoy learning about real people. Look for a mix of books that are easy to read and some that are more challenging. This way your gift will be appropriate as the child grows and improves his or her understanding of language. Series are also popular as kids can really get into one book and then excitedly await the release of the next.

Outdoor equipment
Being outdoors promotes stress relief as well as imaginative play. Kids can learn a lot from working toward riding a bike without training wheels, trying to walk on stilts or even practicing the balance beam. Toys like a baseball glove and bat, a hula hoop or roller blades can teach your kids to get outside. Learning a new skill can improve a child's confidence and show them how much fun it is to try something they've never done before. Just be sure you also have the necessary safety equipment on hand such as a bike helmet, knee pads and bandages in case of a fall. Being in sunlight also encourages little bodies to create vitamin D, promoting healthy immune systems and happiness. Whole families can play together with toys like jump ropes, a trampoline or bikes to enjoy one another's company and the outdoors.

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