Imagine a topic of study that could strengthen reading skills, increase retention across all subjects, and enrich historical and cultural understanding. This topic could also be tailored to engage students with differing abilities, fostering their curiosity and creating a lifelong learning tool. What could it be? Etymology—the study of word origins. Although it may seem like an obscure academic pursuit, or maybe something reserved for older students, etymology is actually one

When we call someone “intelligent” or “smart,” what do we actually mean? This post explores how Harvard professor Howard Gardner disrupted long-standard beliefs about IQ by exploring the many ways people learn, think, and demonstrate their understanding. For decades, people thought the best way to determine a person’s intelligence was with a standardized test that determined their intelligence quotient—or IQ. The resulting number revealed information about what the person ha

Young children have a wonderful way of thinking about the world, and they explore their thinking with creative abandon. Why is it so common, then, for people to lose their curiosity and creativity as they grow up? In this post, we’ll explore the power of the arts and the art of making mistakes, and we’ll also celebrate the late great Sir Ken Robinson, who encouraged people to find their unique creative “element.” Sir Ken Robinson, the British author and renowned expert on edu

We know that learning in and through the arts can help children become curious, confident thinkers. So why are these subjects so often overlooked? In this post, we’ll discuss how people often misunderstand the value of the arts, and we’ll explore how the arts can help strengthen our thinking in four ways. Most people see the arts as a way to use the imagination to create, explore, and have fun. And this is certainly true; the arts do allow for wonderful exploration and play.