Radical Teaching

Attention

Help Teens Charge Their Attention-Control System

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on December 31, 2025

With strengthened attention and focus skills, teens become better at persevering, planning for goal achievement, organizing, sustaining motivation, and managing emotions.

With strengthened attention and focus skills, teens become better at persevering, planning for goal achievement, organizing, sustaining motivation, and managing emotions.

Child Development

From Math Phobia to Math Confidence

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on October 18, 2025

Children’s math negativity adversely impacts their dedication and successful learning. Here, we’ll suggest interventions to promote children’s positive attitudes about math.

Children’s math negativity adversely impacts their dedication and successful learning. Here, we’ll suggest interventions to promote children’s positive attitudes about math.

Cognition

How to Ignite the Preschooler's Brain

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on July 20, 2025

Preschool years are a period of rapid brain development. By age 5, children's brains are approximately 90 percent of adult-sized brains. How to boost young children's brain growth.

Preschool years are a period of rapid brain development. By age 5, children's brains are approximately 90 percent of adult-sized brains. How to boost young children's brain growth.

Parenting

Help Children Build Tools for Learning and Life Success

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on April 22, 2025

As your children progress in school, you can help provide them with the skills they'll need to navigate present challenges and future opportunities.

As your children progress in school, you can help provide them with the skills they'll need to navigate present challenges and future opportunities.

Time Management

Teens Need Better Planning Skills

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on February 19, 2025

Here's how parents can help teens develop the planning skills that are critical for time management now and in the long run.

Here's how parents can help teens develop the planning skills that are critical for time management now and in the long run.

Education

What to Do When Your Child Hates School

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on November 22, 2024

When you connect kids' classroom studies to their interests and their lives, you can reverse school negativity and promote children’s more positive responses to school.

When you connect kids' classroom studies to their interests and their lives, you can reverse school negativity and promote children’s more positive responses to school.

Dopamine

How to Start the School Year With a Positive Mindset

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on September 5, 2024

Here is your chance to improve your child's outlook for the new school term by promoting motivation and perseverance for a bright start.

Here is your chance to improve your child's outlook for the new school term by promoting motivation and perseverance for a bright start.

Education

How Music Can Enhance Your Child’s School Success

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on May 30, 2024

Why is it easier to recall lyrics to a song than to memorize a poem? The answer is music.

Why is it easier to recall lyrics to a song than to memorize a poem? The answer is music.

Cognition

Helping Teens Get the Most From Their Schoolwork

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on March 4, 2024

Metacognition, or thinking about how they think, can help teens understand their strengths and weaknesses and the strategies that are most useful to them in specific situations.

Metacognition, or thinking about how they think, can help teens understand their strengths and weaknesses and the strategies that are most useful to them in specific situations.

Parenting

Helping Kids to Persevere Despite Mistakes

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on December 4, 2023

To help kids build perseverance through mistakes, encourage multiple approaches to problems, and provide opportunities for them to make decisions and choices.

To help kids build perseverance through mistakes, encourage multiple approaches to problems, and provide opportunities for them to make decisions and choices.

Education

Don’t Raise Math-Phobic Kids

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on September 11, 2023

Most of us either loved or hated math in school. If you grew up with negative feelings about math, you can avoid inadvertently passing these attitudes to your children.

Most of us either loved or hated math in school. If you grew up with negative feelings about math, you can avoid inadvertently passing these attitudes to your children.

Education

Successful Teens Know How to Prioritize

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on June 12, 2023

Teens with the skills of prioritizing evaluate which tasks are the highest priority and break the habit of putting off the ones they like least, but that count the most.

Teens with the skills of prioritizing evaluate which tasks are the highest priority and break the habit of putting off the ones they like least, but that count the most.

Parenting

Help Your Teens Be Better Organizers

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on March 13, 2023

Parents can help teens build skills to independently manage their school assignments. With better organizational skills, they scramble less and family strife decreases.

Parents can help teens build skills to independently manage their school assignments. With better organizational skills, they scramble less and family strife decreases.

Stress

Help Your Teens Navigate Their Emotional Highways

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on December 21, 2022

You can’t keep all stress out of their lives, but you can help them develop detours around stress-induced roadblocks to developing positive responses and actions.

You can’t keep all stress out of their lives, but you can help them develop detours around stress-induced roadblocks to developing positive responses and actions.

Motivation

Motivating Teens to Do School Work

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on September 21, 2022

“What can I do to get my teenagers to put in the effort needed for success in school? How can they build their skills, persevere through setbacks, and be independent learners?"

“What can I do to get my teenagers to put in the effort needed for success in school? How can they build their skills, persevere through setbacks, and be independent learners?"

Motivation

How to Avoid Kids’ Summer Learning Slides

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on June 21, 2022

You can provide environments and experiences that sustain and boost your children’s memories of what they learned in school this year before they are deleted.

You can provide environments and experiences that sustain and boost your children’s memories of what they learned in school this year before they are deleted.

Motivation

How Goal-Setting Can Stop the Battles With Your Kids Over Reports and Projects

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on March 22, 2022

If you are like most of us, you’ve been through the travails of supervising, shopping for, pushing and arguing, and finally doing much of our children’s projects.

If you are like most of us, you’ve been through the travails of supervising, shopping for, pushing and arguing, and finally doing much of our children’s projects.

Attention

What Children Want As Parents’ New Year’s Resolutions

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on December 23, 2021

As we make New Year’s resolutions, boost your parenting success by finding out what resolutions kids want parents to make this year.

As we make New Year’s resolutions, boost your parenting success by finding out what resolutions kids want parents to make this year.

Memory

Help Your Kids Study Less and Remember More

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on September 24, 2021

Do your kids do well on the unit tests, but forget what they memorized and need to study it again for final tests? Sustain their hard work with neurological strategies.

Do your kids do well on the unit tests, but forget what they memorized and need to study it again for final tests? Sustain their hard work with neurological strategies.

Neuroscience

Parents' Powerful Impact on Young Children’s Brains

Judy Willis M.D., M.Ed. on July 1, 2021

The brain’s most rapid growth occurs during gestation while an intense second period of accelerated growth occurs between ages 2 and 7.

The brain’s most rapid growth occurs during gestation while an intense second period of accelerated growth occurs between ages 2 and 7.