Articles by Dr. Jorgenson

  • What We Lose in Winning the Test Score Race

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted May 17, 2012

    Value-added assessment model could be a win-win solution.

  • Understanding Today’s Children: The Digital Learners

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted April 21, 2012

    In schools, there’s a stark contrast between the needs and preferences of digital learners and the “typical” classroom experience they have each day.

  • Parenting 101: Middle School Means Tremendous Changes

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted December 21, 2011

    In middle school is when many of our children assume their identities as learners and discover their gifts in the various intelligences.

  • The Children are Watching

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted September 17, 2011

    How can parents counter negative media influences and cultivate wholesome, productive social awareness in our children?

  • Ten Questions to Ask Your Child’s New Teacher

    Posted August 12, 2011
  • If Mom Does My Homework, What Do I Learn?

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted May 5, 2011

    The point of homework and projects is for students to practice skills, reinforce concepts, conduct research, shape work habits, and so forth. When parents do the work, they nullify skill development for their children.

  • Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted February 28, 2011

    There are many factors to consider when deciding if your child is ready for kindergarten

  • The First Years of School: Critical, Underappreciated, and in Crisis

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted January 14, 2011

    Our nation doesn't put nearly enough emphasis on our children’s elementary school preparation, as becomes evident in times of financial peril.

  • Media Alert: Children, Screen Time, Gaming and Learning

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted December 24, 2010

    Some parents view text messaging, social networking, video gaming and Internet surfing as harmless modern replacements for the distractions and time-wasting behaviors of our own childhoods. But as evidence mounts, this increasingly appears an ignorant and shortsighted perspective.

  • Parents beware: The dangers of energy drinks

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted October 22, 2010

    Many parents may not be aware of the serious risks posed by so-called “energy drinks” that teenagers, and increasingly children, are consuming in staggering volumes.

  • Ten qualities help identify excellent schools

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted July 30, 2010

    How can parents determine what constitutes a great school for their children?

  • Risky business: Not talking to your child about drugs, alcohol, and sex

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted April 23, 2010

    Your children are going to hear about drugs, alcohol and premarital sex – and likely be tempted to learn more – and you have a choice.

  • What can be done to prevent cyberbullying?

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted December 25, 2009

    While bullying and harassment have always posed troubling and even life-changing trauma in a child’s path to adulthood, never before have our children been exposed and vulnerable to the degree of torment, humiliation, threats, and pain as in our interactive Internet and digital age makes possible.

  • Are you raising a healthy child?

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted December 18, 2009

    Raising healthy children is a goal for every parent I’ve met in the Almaden Valley, and a genuine preoccupation for many of us.

  • Bullying 101: What every parent should know

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted September 18, 2009

    “Bully.” Few words raise a parent’s blood pressure faster – whether our child is the victim of bullying, or alleged to be victimizing others. Bullying is a hot topic today and it seems to be more widespread than ever. What is bullying, and what can parents do to prevent it?

  • Exit to where? Questions about California’s high school graduation exam

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted September 11, 2009

    It is unclear that high school exit exams have a meaningful impact on the quality of our graduates, for a variety of reasons.

  • How to avoid the first day jitters

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted August 14, 2009

    There are a number of steps parents can take to minimize the first day jitters, while preserving all the eagerness and anticipation and enabling a successful beginning to the school year.

  • Don’t let your children experience the “summer slide”

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted July 23, 2009

    Research shows that during the long, lazy days of summer, children who aren’t encouraged to read experience the “Summer Slide,” a measurable drop in reading and learning skills that has been documented in several major recent studies.

  • Are you raising a happy child?

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted July 10, 2009

    The foundation for a happy adulthood is built in childhood. You may be surprised to discover what leads to adult happiness — and what does not.

  • Leaving the children behind

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted June 5, 2009

    The legacy of too much testing and educational budget cuts.

  • Dangers of overparenting

    Dr. Ole Jorgenson
    Posted February 19, 2009

    “Involved parenting” takes on a new meaning today, as the pressures of middle and upper-middle class society create a hyper-competitive environment for childrearing that has replaced fun and exploration with skill acquisition in a constantly monitored “safe” environment. What happened to the carefree ideal of childhood (that many parents might even remember firsthand)?