K-9 Learning

List of 19 news stories.

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  Is Your Child Overscheduled? Four Signs that it’s Time to Cut Back

  October 26, 2022
  Conventional wisdom holds that today’s kids are overwhelmed by a hectic extracurricular routine composed of club sports, dance teams, and tutoring - and that all this “enrichment” is causing undue stress and anxiety. However, Vi-Anne Brown, Director of Counseling Services at Fay School, cautions against automatically accepting the maxim that being busy is bad.
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  Five Tips for Planning a Great Staycation

  February 8, 2022
  A staycation can be just as relaxing as a vacation getaway - maybe even more so! If you choose to stay local for your next school break, here are a few tips for planning a memorable and fun week for your kids. 
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  Holiday Books for Young Children

  December 2, 2021
  Are you looking for a new book to share with your family this holiday season? Do you want to introduce your child to different holiday traditions from other cultures? Check out our list for holiday books from Fay's Primary School Library. 
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  Conquering Back-to-School

  September 3, 2021
  It’s that time of year again. You linger over magazine spreads of elaborately organized homework stations and color-coded family calendar systems, and you develop the sudden conviction that a label maker will change your life. It’s September, the month that has a way of bringing out the inner organizer in all of us. While it’s tempting to think that redesigning your child’s workspace will transform your school year, it’s actually the habits that you cultivate this month that can have the greatest positive impact. Here are seven tips for easing the transition from the lazy days of summer to back-to-school.
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  Three Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language in Early Childhood

  July 9, 2021
  Parents tend to focus on the fundamental skills taught in Kindergarten, such as reading, writing, and numeracy. The opportunity to learn French or Spanish in Kindergarten might seem dispensable in comparison. However, research has shown that early foreign language study can influence a child’s brain development and lay the foundation for future academic success.
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  Four Ways to Make Summer Reading Goals A Reality

  June 8, 2021
  Summertime, with its relaxed routine, family vacations, and travel, can seem like the perfect opportunity to rededicate yourself to reading with your child. However, the summer slide is no myth! All the things that make summer such a great time to read can also make it challenging to establish and maintain any sort of routine.
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  Four Essential Skills Kids Learn from Design Thinking

  March 18, 2021
  Preschool is not too early to nurture design thinking skills. When kids design, create, and build, they learn how to make a plan, problem-solve, handle frustration, and they learn the value of refining their ideas to make them better.
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  Five Things to Look for in a Summer Camp

  Jan. 20, 2023
  Sam Renshaw is the Camp Director at FaySummer, which has offered a summer camp program at Fay School in Southborough, Mass, for over twenty years. FaySummer offers full-day and extended-day summer camps with special interest, sports, and academic immersion options. As parents start to evaluate their options for the summer, Sam shares his best advice for what to look for in a great summer program.
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  The Play is the Thing: The Benefits of Play-Based Learning

  Dec 14, 2020
  While Kindergarten parents tend to focus on traditional academic skills like literacy and numeracy development, play is an equally important, and often overlooked, component of a child’s elementary education. 
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  Great Summer Reads for 5-8 Year-Olds

  May 28, 2020
  At the close of each school year, Fay School's librarians curate lists for the students in each of our divisions (Kindergarten - Grade 2, Grades 3-6, and Grades 7-9). These books are designed to challenge and inform - but, most importantly, to entertain, and to reinforce the joy of reading.
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  The Case for Coeducation

  Jan 14, 2020
  Single-sex education is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Although research on its benefits has been largely inconclusive, the argument that boys and girls are hard-wired with different learning styles that should be accommodated can feel compelling to a parent who wants to make the best educational choice for their child. What is often missing from this discussion, however, are the significant benefits that students of both genders gain from a coed learning environment.
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  Four Essential Skills That Children Gain From Strong Arts Programs

  Oct 23, 2019
  While parents of elementary-age children tend to focus on a school’s literacy or math curriculum, art and music - the so-called specials - can fuel a child’s academic development in ways that are equally essential to their success. 
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  15 Great Nonfiction Titles to Read Aloud With Your Child

  Mar 6, 2019
  As parents and teachers, many of us gravitate toward reading stories rather than nonfiction. However, the truth is that children love reading nonfiction, especially when you are reading it aloud to them and can answer the many questions that bubble up. Nonfiction books are filled with information, and children are eager to understand the world around them. 
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  Transitioning from Homeschool to a Traditional Classroom Environment? Here’s Why Private School Might Be a Smart Move

  Feb 14, 2019

  It’s impossible to talk about homeschooling without first acknowledging that parents choose to homeschool for a wide range of reasons and that there is no “one size fits all” approach to a homeschool program. Just as diverse are the many reasons why parents may choose to transition to a traditional school environment at some point in their child’s schooling. The impetus could be a change in the family’s schedule, a desire for increased social stimulation with their peer group, or the need to prepare the student for a mainstream high school or college experience.
  
  

  Transitioning to a private middle school for the seventh or eighth grade--or to a school like Fay that also offers a capstone ninth grade program--can be a great way to manage the transition to a traditional school environment while maintaining the academic rigor and specialized attention of a homeschooling experience. Here are some features to look for as you consider making the transition.

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  Three Key Study Skills That Every Student Should Have

  Feb 13, 2019
  While there are always one or two students in every class who just seem hardwired to excel in school, the reality is that most kids have to learn the organizational skills, test-taking strategies, and executive function skills that will make them strong students. Schools that explicitly teach their students the study skills and habits of being a successful student provide their students with a distinct advantage.
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  28 Great Read-Alouds to Share With Your Child

  Dec 17, 2018 
  On the hunt for a great read-aloud to share with your child? Look no further! This list includes classics and new wonders to read aloud to your children. Books are listed alphabetically by title, and descriptions are adapted from publisher descriptions or the Fay School library catalog summaries. We hope they will ignite imagination, foster conversation, and keep the pages turning!
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  Why Is Ninth Grade So Important?

  Oct 30, 2018
  Compared to other stages in childhood development, ninth grade has not traditionally been considered as a pivotal moment. But that’s starting to change, and with increasing frequency, researchers are pointing to ninth grade as a key year for children’s academic growth.
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  Ace That Test! Your Exam Prep Checklist

  Jan 29, 2018
  Fay’s Learning Services team shared this helpful checklist with our seventh graders as part of their fall Study Skills course ( which you can learn more about here ). If you’re getting ready for a big exam, try following these pointers so you can ace that test!
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  Four Ways to Boost Your Child’s Communication Skills

  Oct 4, 2017
  Families maintain a hectic pace. With the 24/7 demands of an always-on professional world and the pressure of staying on top of school work, sports, and evening activities, it’s easy for the communication between parent and child to turn into a series of commands and responses. “Finish your homework! Grab your hockey bag!” However, it’s important to remember that we lay the foundation for our children’s communication and social skills early on.
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