Best Ideas for Getting a Better Education from 2014

From eating healthy foods that fire up the brain and organized work stations to very good reasons to fit more art and reading into your family time, 2014 was filled with great ideas for how you can live a life infused with learning and, ultimately, give your kids a better education. In fact, many families discovered the best education for their children through online learning this year. K12 teachers now serve more than 130,000 students with award-winning curriculum in their own homes. As part of Learning Liftoff’s Best of 2014 series, the following stories illustrate some of the best ideas for getting a better education that we covered in the past year.

10 Best Breakfasts for Kids Brains

We all know breakfast is important, but we told you how to take it a step further by incorporating “brain foods” into the morning meal to get that mental edge. Read more

5 Tips for Connecting with Your Teacher

Research has shown strong benefits for families who have a very strong connection with their teacher. A former teacher offers key insight on how to make that happen. Read more

10 Reasons Why Arts in Education is Important

We’ve all seen the trend of schools cutting the arts from their curriculum. We uncovered some compelling reasons why you should find a way to work it into your child’s education. Read more

Cool Homework Stations and Homeschool Rooms

Whether your kids need a space for a few hours of homework, or you’re a homeschooling family and require multiple study stations for a full day of learning, these colorful spaces and clever organization solutions are designed to inspire. Read more

The Importance of First-Day Traditions

Though originally part of our back to school coverage, we’ve included this article in our Best of 2014 because it offers practical tips on how parents can ease children’s transitions with a special memory. Certainly, these traditions can be useful after taking a winter break or switching schools as well. Read more

Free Online Children’s Classical Literature via Project Gutenberg

K12’s Director of Primary Literacy, Kristen Kinney-Haines, loves Project Gutenberg and explains why families who want the best education for their kids should too. Read more

Top 5 Reasons to Switch Schools Mid-Year

Homeschooling mom Lori Beverage writes about why K12 students start school at various times all year long and their myriad reasons for choosing online education. Read more

We look forward to bringing you many more ideas for giving your kids a better education in the year to come. Happy 2015!