Newsletter

Read Past Newsletters Every Tuesday, Natalie answers questions from subscribers, breaks down important education news, and shares tips to help your children thrive in school. Subscribe here: https://newsletter.primaryfocus.tv/

Newsletter

Great Books for 5 year olds: Gift Guide

Need a gift for a four year old? These books are must-haves in every four year old's child's library! Four year olds can comprehend a lot more now! Select books with more characters and interesting plot lines. The love series with repeated characters and scenes.

Newsletter

Great Books for 4 year olds: Gift Guide

Need a gift for a four year old? These books are must-haves in every four year old's child's library! Four year olds can comprehend a lot more now! Select books with more characters and interesting plot lines. The love series with repeated characters and scenes.

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Why Every Grandparent Should Read to Their Grandchildren

Reading to grandchildren builds lasting bonds while boosting their learning. Discover how this simple activity creates connections and supports early literacy.

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Is Pre K Necessary?

Many parents wonder: Is preschool or pre-k necessary for my child? The simple answer is no—your child isn’t required to attend. However, it’s important to ensure they still have meaningful learning experiences to help them grow socially, emotionally, and academically.

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How Grandparents Can Help Grandkids be Kindergarten-Ready

Starting kindergarten is a huge milestone for a young child. There are a lot of firsts which can be overwhelming for a four-, five-, or six-year-old. As their grandparent, you can take small intentional steps to help prepare your grandchild for school.

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Do Kids HAVE to go to preschool?

People ask me, should I send my child to preschool? Preschool can be a great experience for children, but it's not a viable option for all families.

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What's Summer Learning Loss?

This is a time of year teachers dread: summer break. Over the course of 2 months, children can lose up to 6 months of learning. This is called summer learning loss aka summer slide.

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My child failed a test we thought they'd ace

I had an interesting conversation with a parent the other day. Their first grader was doing well in school all year, no signs for concern. Two weeks ago, they took their NWEA/ MAPs test and BOMBED IT.

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😴 Do kids still NAP in kindergarten?

Kindergarten is much more rigorous than it was when we were kids. Once upon a time, kids went to half day kindergarten and it looked a lot more like preschool...but has everything changed?

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Easy Tip: Stop your child from procrastinating during homework

🕵️‍♂️ Some children are so good at avoiding homework, they could be secret agents. There's one technique that could change their tune about this...

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🤯 2 hours of homework??

Homework has always been a controversial topic. But when it comes to homework policies, it feels like parents get left out of the conversation. So what should you do when it's all too much?

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Target Circle Week Picks: Spring Fashion, Sandals, Patterned Rugs, and Skincare

Target Circle Week starts Sunday April 7-13. They are not paying with these mark downs! Here are my top picks for the sale starting with women's spring fashion, women's sandals, cute rugs, and skincare.

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🚫 This won't fly in school:

Teachers will never let your child say this...

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What's going on with North Carolina School Vouchers?

North Carolina, like many states, has been pushing school vouchers to supplement the cost of private schools. But over the last month the inequity of this program was revealed

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How do I teach my child to embrace other cultures?

This is exactly why multicultural education is so important. It helps us understand that people are just people- and we should see our differences as interesting and worth celebrating. The good news is, it's easy to incorporate multiculturalism into your routine.

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🍀 3 spring holidays that aren't St Patrick's Day

Every spring there are a multitude of festivals and holidays celebrated around the world. Many of them will be observed in your own town. I picked out 3 that are really fun and more likely to have celebrations you could attend.

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😰 Will my child be BULLIED for this?

Recently, I've had a few consultation calls with parents of rising kindergartners. I've been asked this question by them and followers so many times I had to address it. Let's talk about summer babies...

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Hack: Kids Mental Health Meets Reading

When reading fiction with your child there's one reading comprehension question you should always be asking. How is the character feeling right now?

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that feeling in your gut

Have you ever had that feeling in your gut...like something is wrong? Maybe it's happened with your child. You have concerns with their learning, or a teacher's advice doesn't seem to fit what you needed. That's why I started Primary Focus.

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Homework ruins my day!

Is homework time stressful? Take these tips from a teacher encourage your child to work independently, ask for help without whining, and be time efficient.

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3 Signs your Child Needs a Tutor

It's incredible the amount of support a tutor can give...but how do you know it's time to hire one?

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February packs a punch!

This Thursday begins the shortest longest month of the year for preschool and lower elementary school teachers. If this is your first year with your child in school, buckle up! There's so much going on in February!

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5 Ways the School May be Able to Help in Your Divorce

A lot of families experience divorce or separation. Most schools and teachers are well practiced in supporting students through this transition. Take advantage of all the ways the school can help you!

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If you hate writing emails, this is for you

Have you ever had to write a difficult email to your child's teacher? Did it fill you with anxiety? I've got three tips for you to make writing that email go a lot smoother.

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It's been 2 years since I quit...

I'm taking a step away from my typical content to get a little personal today. Last week marked 2 years since I decided to resign from teaching. I'm sharing 3 Lessons I've Learned Since I Quit Teaching.