Diane Wagenhals

Category: Education

  • The “Forgetting Curve”

    I am a big advocate of personal and professional growth—my own and promoting growth in others. For decades I have written all kinds of curriculum to invite people to become more aware of a given topic, gain understanding, learn skills, change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors and integrate all these into their own personal internal system…

  • Homework Woes

    On her Facebook page, a friend recently posted information from a website about some of the dilemmas parents face around homework. Here is the link to that site. [https://www.handinhandparenting.org/2017/08/child-doesnt-want-to-do-homework/ ] Now that school is in full force for many children and therefore parents, issues can arise around homework. Sometimes homework can lead to full-blown battles.…

  • The Importance of Helping Kids Learn Social Skills

    I recently came across some research that shows how important it is for kids to learn social skills. It stressed how significanct their social abilities – from kindergarten through high school – can be in relation to their successes later in life. Social skills, which also can be called social intelligence, involve abilities to interact…

  • Legalizing Abuse? How Can We Expect to Stop Violence?

    Recently someone shared the following link from Fox News with me containing the headline “Texas School District Approves Paddling for Misbehaving Students.” The article begins with the following: “Officials at a Texas school district have approved a controversial new disciplinary practice on students: paddling. The Three Rivers Independent School board of trustees in South Texas…

  • What Children Really Need to Succeed in School

    Journalist Paul Tough wrote a powerful book in 2012 that described his research on what helps children succeed in school, especially in the early grades. [How Children Succeed] I think the following quoted section speaks for itself: Tools of the Mind, a relatively new kindergarten in prekindergarten curriculum that was created by two educators in…

  • Parents and Children Seeing Eye to Eye: The Power of Your Gaze

    Have you ever noticed how romantic novels often include descriptions of lovers gazing into each other’s eyes? How often do we notice someone may be saying something with a straight face but have a little twinkle in their eyes that gives away their real feelings? Or eyes that flash with anger even if the person otherwise…

  • Parents: Have You Felt the Terrible Pain of Regret?

    I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences… I’m human, not perfect, like anybody else. ~ Queen Latifah I think the subject of parental regret has largely been ignored. Much emphasis comes from those who study the science of parenting, on things like: learning about child development what promotes emotional and relational…

  • What Are the Potential Risks of Cry It Out Parenting (Conclusion)?

    In my previous post, I invited readers to begin thinking about the possible connections between brain science and the somewhat popular cry-it-out method for sleep training. I believe it is extremely important for parents to understand the neurobiological fact that high levels of repeated stress can cause a baby’s brain to release neurochemicals such as…

  • What is the HPA Axis and Why It Is Important to Early Childhood?

    Babies look so sweet and helpless. People used to think they were just little blobs of humanity who really weren’t impacted much by the world around them. How wrong those beliefs are turning out to be! Take a look at the book, How Children Succeed  This powerful book by Paul Tough is one I recommend…