Category Archives: childhood development

helicopter parenting

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This article has gotten quite a bit of traction in the news in the last week; I do not like the demonization of parents AND I am always trying to help us as parents get out of our own way … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, adult development, childhood development | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

raising boys who read

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Raising Boys who read! This is a great resource on books for boys. The secret to raising boys who read, I submit, is pretty simple—keep electronic media, especially video games and recreational Internet, under control (that is to say, almost … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Power of Stories: Seven Hills Guest Storyteller, Muriel Johnson…

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

On Friday, September 18, The Seven Hills Lower School hosted our annual Reading Celebration, a moment where we celebrate the summer reading accomplishments of our youngest students. Students log their summer reading and a final tally is shared on this day: … Continue reading →

Posted in childhood development, documentary theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Must Read Picture Books for the Fall of 2015

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Since we know there is no such thing as “too early” when it comes to reading to young children, telling stories and promoting literacy, even in very young children, by allowing them to listen to language, here is a great … Continue reading →

Posted in academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, education, literacy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Raising a Daughter? Handle with Care- Especially when she’s fourteen….Chicago Tribune, by Elizabeth Egan

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

No truer words were ever spoken. So much of this applies to my experience with my own mother and then as a mother to my 24 year old daughter, Hannah. And I also learned so very much from each of … Continue reading →

Posted in adult development, childhood development, parenting in 2015 | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Parenting looks pretty different in many cultures, but mostly it’s parenting here that is the odd practice out…

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This post on TED IDEAS underscores many ideas about different cultures’ parenting priorities. Is ours really focused on happiness? Or is it that we are constantly trying to predict what the future will hold, rather than just prepare our children … Continue reading →

Posted in childhood development, education, parenting in 2015 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Families and the talk about alcohol and teens

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This scares me as I think back to some of the stories we have heard about students in high school and college.  All things in moderation. This we must address head on. Is there a family history of substance or … Continue reading →

Posted in childhood development, education, motherlode, NY Times, parenting in 2015 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Great New Yorker piece on teenage brains!

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This very well written article in The New Yorker, by Elizabeth Kolbert, coalesces some great research and opens up the conversation about WHY teenage brains are so different from adult brains. Fascinating reading, and “sobering” (pun intended!) The Terrible Teens

Posted in childhood development | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The JOY in learning; there is joy at Seven Hills!

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

My favorite line from this post on KQED: Finland leads the world in its scores on international tests, and the country has become an educational model for many in the U.S. Rantala and Määttä’s paper is a welcome reminder that academic excellence can … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, education | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Leadership: Nature or Nurture?

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

The beauty of independent schools is that with smaller classes, individual attention and lots of hands on experiential experiences, even our youngest students can practice leadership. Equally important is followership: that is to say, understanding the difference between taking the … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, HBS, leadership in children | Tagged , , | Leave a comment