Fun, smart ways to help your kid study effectively for reading, spelling, math, science and social studies tests.

Your child may be turning five before your school's deadline, but chronological age should not be the sole determinant of whether he is ready for Kindergarten. It's a huge leap from preschool, day care or the home setting to Kindergarten, with its longer, more structured day, larger class or group size and focus shift from play to academics.

It may look like they're just playing, but pint-sized pupils are developing skills that will last a lifetime. Playing dress up, finger painting, pushing trains around a track - preschool certainly looks like a lot of fun, but you may be wondering, Will my child really learn anything? And in today’s tough economic climate, is it worth the expense? Most definitely, say early-childhood experts, who insist that play is the ideal way for three and four year olds to develop essential academic and social skills. Here are some of the important lessons young children will absorb under the guise of play.

Congratulations! You are thinking about home educating one or more of your children. According to Alex Roslin, author of The New Homeschooling article in a recent issue of Today’s Parent magazine, the number of homeschooled children in Canada is around 70,000 children or about 2 per cent of the school-aged population. With the prevalence and tremendous growth of the popularity of online courses, which are not included in the statistics for home education, the trend of ‘home’ education is growing exponentially.