Right about now back to school supply lists are cropping up everywhere. Staples usually has brightly colored fliers available with supply lists for each grade level, and almost every office supply store advertises having just exactly what you're child will need to get the new school year started. This advertising unfortunately happens well before teachers actually send out supply lists from the classrooms, and every year kids come to school with heaps of supplies they really don't need-and often, are missing a few that they could really use.

Here's the thing. Most public schools, including the one I teach at, are not actually allowed to require parents to provide any supplies at all for their children. The thing about public education is that it's supposed to be free-including materials. But because of the advertising pressure that starts mid summer and builds with a frenzy towards those last weeks in August when schools start, parents often get pushed into buying items their kids don't really need and will likely not use-or even be allowed to use at school.

Private schools of course, are allowed to request that parents buy supplies, but it's still a frugal idea to wait until the required supply list arrives in the mail, than to forge ahead using an in store checklist. But if your kid is already itching to buy new stuff, here are some basic dos and don'ts to help you decide what's necessary and what maybe isn't't.

DOS:

A sturdy backpack. Something that your child can zip and unzip himself with enough pockets to store homework, lunch, and an extra piece of clothing (or several.) Many kids like the rolling backpacks-but they often are hard to store in the classrooms, as they're typically too big for cubbies.

#2 Dixon Ticonderoga pencils. These are unanimously teacher's favorite pencils for writing-because they don't break in the sharpener! Don't skimp on the cheaper brands-but remember, if your child attends a public school, pencils should be provided. Still, a couple extra (sharpened) pencils that stay in your child's backpack will make it convenient for her to do homework while waiting for the bus.

Big eraser. The small erasers on the back of pencils inevitably get used much faster than the pencils. The big pink erasers are the best option. Some of the jelly-like erasers with designs and patterns on them don't actually erase very well.

A sturdy folder for homework. A system at home for checking backpacks, doing and returning homework-is a great idea. Having a consistent place to store homework will make it easier for your child to remember to do it! Kids love the two-pocket folders with fun graphics on the covers. Keep in mind, many teachers will use a particular homework folder for every child in the class-so check with your child's teacher if you're not completely sure you want to make the purchase.

A small, durable pencil case. Again, your child's teacher will likely provide the class with necessary supply containers. However, it's a great thing for your child to keep in her backpack with a few sharpened pencils and a good eraser-to take advantage of long waits for the school bus, or for you to pick her up, and get some homework done.

A notebook/journal. Kids love to doodle, write, and draw-and having a special notebook gives them a constructive and fun place to do so. Again, certainly not a must-have, but if you're going to splurge on an item your kid really wants, this one should be at the top of the list.

DON'TS:

Pencil sharpeners. Unless your teacher specifically asks you to provide one, skip it. They inevitably make a huge mess-everywhere.

Multiple-subject notebooks. For the early grades these are completely unnecessary. For the older grades, wait and see exactly what your child's teacher asks you to supply. Many times little kids end up hauling these around in their backpacks for weeks-without using them for anything!

Glue sticks & tape. Again, unless your teacher specifically asks you to provide these items, don't. Unless you send them in for the whole class---which is often a boon for teachers working with tight budgets. Independent kids with glue sticks however, can make a mess and get into trouble by using them when they aren't't supposed to be.

Rulers. Elementary age kids will not need rulers for school. Every classroom should have an adequate supply. Middle school kids doing geometry might, but again, your child's teacher will be very clear if you need to make that purchase.

Stapler. See above. And oy, have you ever noticed how much young children LOVE to staple EVERYTHING?

Post-it Notes. These are tempting-especially in all the cute styles and designs that are available. But they immediately become a distraction among peers, and are generally not a good idea.

Binders. Most elementary students (K-3) won't need a binder for any reason. Older students who are learning how to keep notes, or do homework from multiple classes might, but your child's teacher will let you know if this is a must have.

Scissors. Again-all elementary classrooms should have an adequate supply.

Crayons. Ditto. Every elementary classroom will have plenty of these!

Hopefully this list will help you navigate the lively process of buying back-to-school supplies with your child. These are tips of course, from my experience. I'm curious to hear what you have found are some back-to-school supply must-haves?

Video games and kids -- you can argue about whether or not they make a good combination, but there's no question that the latter loves the former. But even if you don't approve of playing video games, writing them is certainly a different story. Only, how the heck does a kid learn to do that? Well, in North Carolina, they can do it by going to the library.

The main library in Charlotte, North Carolina is offering kids a summer workshop where they can learn the rudiments of video game design. Students have to decide where to place objects in the game, how high characters can jump, and how non-player characters react to the players' characters. Naturally, the four-day sessions only touch on high-level concepts, but they serve to get kids interested and off to a good start.

Kids like video games and learning to create them is a great way to get kids interested in software development -- a fun (for the first twenty-five years or so, anyway) and lucrative career path. It's great that the library is offering this introduction; I only wish it was the norm rather than the exception.

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Gas prices, food prices, a lazy stock market, heck, even my dog's food increased in price significantly last month. There's no denying it, the cost of every day living is on the rise, and families are feeling it in their pocketbooks. That might not be good news to retailers, most of whom are gearing up right now for the back-to-school season. A whopping 90% of parents who completed an online survey said that they'd change their shopping habits this year, while 71% said they'd spend less, and 83% said they'd cut back on new clothes.

I can almost hear the protesting teenagers now.

As a mom and a grown woman, the pragmatic me says, "Kids don't need new clothes in July (or September, for that matter). Why not wait until they weather cools down, or even until Christmas?" The teenager who still lives inside of me, though, cringes. I remember needing that "perfect" outfit for the first day of school. My own daughter is young enough to be thrilled by a new backpack and some sharp looking pencils (as well as the dozen other items her teacher will likely require), but I know my day is coming when how much we spend on school clothes will be an issue at my house.

Will your back-to-school budget be affected by the economy this year?

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He's simply a boy anxious to start kindergarten, but even at age five, Adriel Arocha is learning that, sometimes, things just aren't that simple. Adriel's dad is Apache and believes that Adriel's hair should remain uncut for traditional reasons. Adriel himself says that he needs his long braids because,"they tell me how long I've been here."

But when the family made plans to move to Needville, Texas and enroll their child in kindergarten, they didn't exactly receive a warm welcome. Adriel's mom emailed the school to inquire about enrollment and to mention his long hair, which, she explained, was always neatly kept in two long braids. The school emailed back that their dress code did not allow boys' hair to touch their collars. After a flurry of emails, phone calls, and meetings, the district decided that they were unwilling to budge on their rules for Adriel and his family.

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When John Hammond decided to clone dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, everyone knew it was going to end badly. But what if you could give your child the excitement of meeting a "real" live dinosaur, without worrying that you'll be devoured for dinner?

The dinosaur experts at the L.A. Museum of Natural History may have accomplished just that. Check out this walking, snorting, growling, menacing dinosaur in the hallway of the museum. It doesn't actually roar or even attempt to strike, but it sure looks like it could at any moment!


Extinct, my ASS! from The Original Joe Fisher on Vimeo.

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Feist's hit song 1234 might not be what you want to use to teach your little one to count -- she leaves out a couple numbers on the way to ten. For an upcoming appearance on Sesame Street, however, she's changed the lyrics to focus on learning to count just to four. Stick with what you know, I say. In advance of the clip appearing on the show, it's made its way to YouTube.

Of course, Feist isn't the only celebrity to show up on Sesame Street. I remember seeing Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Billy Joel on the show when I was younger. Now that I have kids of my own, there have been even more great performances -- Ladysmith Black Mambazo, REM, Norah Jones, and Denyce Graves, to name a few.

Feist apparently enjoyed her performance with the Muppets an awful lot -- she told reporters at the Juno awards that "it was the best day of my life. I'm sorry Junos, but the Muppets trump everything!" Who could blame her, after all? Once upon a time, performing at Carnegie Hall was the hallmark of success, but if you ask me, getting to be on Sesame Street beats that hands -- or flippers, or paws, or whatever -- down.

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Who should decide whether a book is age appropriate for your child? Is it you? Is it her teacher? How about the librarian? What about the entire education system? Or, perhaps the publisher? In a move that is sure to gain controversy, publishers are attempting to put age-appropriate information on the covers of their books.

The guidelines would be much those of the movies, which determine what may or may not be appropriate for someone of a given age. Authors among others are vehemently against such guidelines. Among them is none other than J K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books (the movies of which naturally are advertised with such guidelines). Also among them is Philip Pullman, the author of the His Dark Materials books on which the movie the Golden Compass was based.

Pullman perhaps put it best when he said that by adding age limits it would exclude a group of readers and that he doesn't want to do that. I would imagine the last thing an author would want is to have fewer readers of his books! Look, I read Clan of the Cave Bear when perhaps I was a little too young to fully understand it--but I turned out all right. I think books are different than movies, somehow, but I can't put my finger on it. I don't know how I feel about age guidelines for movies--those don't mean anything anymore as the studios use them to get more viewers--but I can't say I champion the idea of putting restrictions on books. Henry Miller will spin in his grave!

Pic by Nils Geylen.

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In most high schools, senior pranks are par for the course. Every year, graduating classes across the country try to top their predecessors with the most outrageous stunts they can come up with. Most pranks are harmless enough, but even those can get you in trouble.

19-year-old Calvin Morett had what I'm sure he thought was a great idea for a harmless prank for this year's Saratoga Springs High School graduation ceremony. He dressed up in a 6 foot tall penis costume and ran across the stage spraying Silly String on the audience. His prank was a hit on YouTube, but not so much with the attendees of the ceremony.

Earlier this week, a judge ordered Morett to write a formal apology to the city of Saratoga Springs. He must pay to have that apology printed in the local newspaper as well as perform 24 hours of community service to atone for his deed.

I watched the video and I thought it was pretty funny. But it wasn't the most important day of my kid's life, so I can see where some parents might not have seen the humor.

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Summer is almost over. It happens so fast, really, though I say this from the standpoint of a teacher--and not as a parent (although I have a three year old who does his share of crawling up my legs in boredom.) I know that for most of you, the end of July starts feeling like the final stage in a marathon: you're counting the days until you can send your kids back to school and enjoy your morning cup of coffee in peace.

Still, there are a couple weeks of summer left, and it is the perfect time to help your child review and practice number concepts that may have gotten left on the back burner for most of vacation. Strong math skills are critical for young learners to excel, and all too often the focus in the early grades is unduly put on reading.

Without a solid understanding of numbers, children in first and second grade can really struggle as new and more complex mathematical concepts are introduced. But a good foundation in math depends on a whole lot more than algorithms and repetition. While the workbooks that many kids do over the summer can build confidence, what they rarely do is build comprehension. Children need to understand the concepts behind number operations in order problem solve with flexibility.

So, while a grade-level appropriate workbook might have been a great way to practice and review some concepts at the beginning of the summer, now is the time to set it aside, and start playing with numbers.

Following are a few activities that you can integrate into your daily routine at home that will give your child practice with the most fundamental concepts in math: comparing, quantifying, counting on, counting back, etc. Mastery of these apparently simple skills is actually what allows young learners to problem solve with flexiblility and apply multiple strategies when encountering new math problems--rather than relying only on a memorized algorithm.

· While cooking dinner: take a handful of dried pasta, beans, etc and have your child count the pile. Notice how she counts. Is it by ones? Twos? Challenge her to count it in at least three different ways.

· While driving to and from anywhere: count by twos, fives, tens, and ones. Once your child has mastered counting forward (to 100) practice counting backwards. Then shake things up by starting at random numbers (i.e. "count by twos starting at 46" or for an even greater challenge ask your child to count by twos starting at an odd number like 37.)

· While eating breakfast: ask your child to estimate how many pieces of cereal might fit into a measuring cup. Talk about what it means to make an estimate (in school I tell kids it's a "good guess") and what might be a reasonable or an unreasonable estimate.

· Anytime: ask your child to compare amounts of objects. Buttons, beads, marbles, stickers, etc are all fun objects to count and compare: which has most? Which has the fewest? How do they know?

· Before dinner: tell your child you need his help finding out what the family wants for dinner. Give him two menu options and have him take a survey of what each family member prefers. Surveys are a great way for children to practice collecting and organizing data. Other survey ideas: let your child use the phone to poll relatives on their favorite color, food, sport, etc. Or take a clipboard and a pencil to the park for some informal tallying.

· If you only have 3 minutes: Ask your child a bunch of quickie questions to get them thinking about the number system. "What comes before 21?" "What comes after 56?" What is one more than 18?" etc.

· If you have 5 minutes: Grab a ball to toss in the yard. Every time you toss your child the ball ask a question relating to a number pattern (such as any number plus one, any number plus two, doubles facts, any number plus 10.) This activity is especially great for hands-on learners. If your kiddo stumbles on a particular fact, keep coming back to it until it becomes familiar.

· If you have 10 minutes, ask your child to solve a problem using pictures, numbers and words. Using multiple approaches helps children become flexible with their problems solving, and encourages them to double check and support their thinking. Problems can be as simple as: how many legs are in our family? To something more complex-such as how many fingers and toes (knees, elbows, and tongues!) are in our family all together?

Almost anytime and anyplace presents itself as an opportunity for playing with numbers, once you're in the mindset. So have fun, and give your child a head start on the school year by using numbers daily in various settings.

What sort of parent would let their daughter wander around the forest alone? Especially when there are bears about? Or take a shortcut through the woods to Grandma's house, regardless of how in need of cookies the old lady might be? At the very least, teach the kid not to talk to strangers, especially wolves!

It seems that fairy tale parents are worse than real-life parents -- hence the fates of Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood. Luckily, kids understand that these are tales of caution, not suggestions on how to live their lives -- or do they? In South Australia, the Education Department isn't so sure. They want teachers to give kids warnings when reading children's stories such as these. Professor Freda Briggs, who helped develop the curriculum, explained that "this is about appropriately empowering the child."

On the other hand, critics are worried about scaring children too much. "You don't want to scare children too much and create an environment of fear," said Australian Family Association spokesman Jerome Appleby. "We don't want to create little nervous wrecks."

Personally, I always thought the whole point of fairy tales, like fables, was to teach a lesson in a way that children could relate to the message. On the other hand, perhaps, kids these days need that message spelled out a little more clearly.

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Lest your kids think that Elvis is a Swedish girl, the British government is there to make sure they know that the King of Rock and Roll was actually a gypsy, even if it ends up costing them $150,000. In fact, the magazine handed out to classrooms as part of Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month also pegged Charlie Chaplin and Rita Hayworth as being of Gypsy stock.

According to the Department of Children, Schools and Families, the magazine was supposed to increase awareness of the cultural heritage of the gypsies as part of a month-long celebration patterned after the Black History Month we have here in the States. Although ministers were chastised over the magazine, a department spokesman said that materials were developed and selected by the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community. "Although the department endorsed the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, responsibility for the organisation and material produced has been handed to the community as they are best placed to educate and inform on their cultural heritage."

I don't know if Elvis came from gypsy stock or even if it matters in the grand scheme of things, but it seems to me that while the department may not always be the best choice to compile information, they should always be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of that information before it gets to the kids.

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In an effort to help teachers and child-care workers spot budding racists, the UK's National Children's Bureau (NCB) has come out with a 366-page guide called Young Children and Racial Justice. The guide includes helpful hints and tips on what to look for in determining if a little child is a potential racist.

For example, if a child should refer to someone with the words "blackie", "Pakis" or even "those people", the guide advises that the action should be condemned and reported to authorities. Playgroup leaders are further advised that even little babies are suspect when it comes to having a racial bias since they can "recognize different people in their lives".

Now, I would agree that if I child is using some of those words, there is a good chance that child has a racist adult in his or her life. But what about the pamphlet's advice regarding food? According to the NCB, if a child reacts with "yuk" to culinary tradition other than their own, that is a sign of racism.

The pamphlet encourages workers to report as many incidents as possible to their local council, saying: "Some people think that if a large number of racist incidents are reported, this will reflect badly on the institution. In fact, the opposite is the case." In other words, the more the better. Even if you have to invent them.

But the bigger question here is what exactly are they doing with this information? Are they going back to the parents or other adults and accusing them of racism? Is the child who dislikes spicy food going to end up with the word 'racist' in his or her permanent file?

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We've been taught for ages now the importance of reading to our children. From the earliest age, and even in the womb (your child can hear as soon as her ears form, even if she can't see the pictures from in the womb), parents are being instructed to read to their little ones.

Why? Well, it's supposed to make 'em smarter. Now, apparently, it makes them more tolerable nicer too. Just when you thought you couldn't possibly read Goodnight Moon ONE MORE TIME comes reason to celebrate doing so. Researchers reported to The Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology that kids whose parents gave them plenty of intellectual stimulation--that's reading to them, talking to them, etc.--during their first year of life were less likely to have behavior issues such as bullying and disobeying their parents. The study was conducted on 1,863 U.S. children and their mothers (but not their fathers, oddly enough).

Naturally, that theory only goes so far. The temperament of the child during her infant stage also plays a large part in determining how she'll be later. The actual article, however, deflects back onto the parenting skills and makes a case for giving parents the skills they need to do the job right.

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At four years old, my daughter knows what a penis is and (more or less) that it's something that boys have. After all, she has two brothers and a dad, so it's not like she hasn't seen one before. According to the Brook Advisory Centres and the Family Planning Association, two British non-profits that focus on sexual health and education, she's off to a good start.

The two organizations are calling for mandatory Sex and Relationships Education, beginning as young as four years old. Brook's CEO, Simon Blake, said that "If we get high quality sex and relationships education in every primary and secondary school across the UK, all the evidence shows teenage pregnancy rates will continue to fall and will improve young people's sexual health."

"Young people will find information and if we don't give it to them in a responsible way, they'll find it from elsewhere," notes Julie Bentley, CEO of the FPA. "Pornography is a good example... what it does is it distorts their understanding about sex." The organizations want to make sure that kids get adequate and accurate information about both the emotional and practical aspects of sex, in part to help stop the rising numbers of cases of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage abortions.

Naturally, there are parents who don't like the idea. "I wouldn't be discussing it with my children at that age so I wouldn't want the school to be doing it," says one mother of a six-year-old and a one-year-old. I don't know -- I know my daughter is aware that boys are different from girls and I certainly don't want her to grow up believing myths such as "you can't get pregnant the first time." I want her to have good information and if the schools can work with experts to develop an age-appropriate curriculum, that seems like a good idea to me.

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About a month ago my husband was playing around with one of our son's toys and realized it was censored. The toy in question is a Leap Frog brand caterpillar called an Alphabet Pal with letters on each of its twenty-six legs. Among the things you can do with the caterpillar are set it to play different kinds of music (each leg plays a different song) and say the letters on the legs. You can also set it to pronounce the sound the letter makes when it is spoken. So, if you hit the leg with the letter "B" on it, you hear "Buh." As a joke my husband tried to sound out a dirty word. The caterpillar denied him! Instead, if you, say, try to sound out "fff" then "ugh" you get a "heh heh, that tickles!" before the caterpillar will pronounce the "kuh."

Now, I can assume my kiddo isn't going to be using this caterpillar to sound out dirty words. Most children who are the age the caterpillar is designed for--between one and two years of age--don't even know what those are. But it still brings up an interesting point: Isn't that censorship? I mean, whoever designed this toy, which is a lot of fun and a great educational tool (it also says the colors of each letter on each leg in another setting), had to think that someone like my husband would try some funny business and came up with a plan to avoid the caterpillar saying bad things.

I'm starting to wonder if this was a one-time thing or if all toys of this nature are set to ensure they don't spell or say dirty words. Also, who decides such things? And does that person get to decide what constitutes a dirty word and what doesn't? At home with television and the Internet, for example, parents can set their own standards for what their children are allowed to watch and read or look at. The maker of this toy did that for us. Thoughts??? Should companies be censoring toys for us or are they doing the job of the parents?

Pic of caterpillar by j / f / photo.

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