WANT TO SEE BETTER REPORT CARDS IN 2018?
MAKE READING A FAMILY RESOLUTION
SET REWARDMILESTONES Positive reinforcement will propel your kids to keep reading long after the calendars have turned. For a certain number of books completed or hours spent reading, offer them a prize. You can even create a big end goal to really cement those reading habits. Better yet, set a combined goal that the entire family can work toward. Don’t be afraid to pull out all the stops. If your kids know that reading one book per week through June means an extra-special summer vacation, their enthusiasm won’t wane come spring. recommendations, share ratings, and create lists of both completed and to-be-read books. Users also create reading lists based on topic, genre, decade, and more. With over 2 billion books added, you’ll never run out of inspiration. Biblionasium offers the same services, but it’s designed specifically for children. Talk to other parents and create a network of friends and classmates. After all, nothing is cooler to a kid than what their friends are doing. Avid readers tend to do better academically from kindergarten through college. In fact, a study from the Journal of Education and Practice found that reading comprehension predicted success in other subjects more than any other factor. If you want to see improved report cards, make a reading resolution for your entire household. USE READING APPS Goodreads is a social network for bibliophiles. You can find
Every parent wants to see their child do well in school, and there’s one fun activity that benefits students of all ages: reading. In a world with so much stimulation, however, it can be difficult to motivate kids to put down a screen and pick up a book. New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity to make reading a priority. Here are a few tips to make 2018 the year your kids become bookworms. MAKE IT A FAMILY RESOLUTION There’s no better motivator than solidarity! Plus, we’re guessing everyone in your household could stand to read a little more. You don’t have to read the same books or set identical goals, but it’s a lot more fun when everyone participates. Schedule weekly reading discussions so everyone can share the cool stories they’ve read. Stack your completed books in your house somewhere as a monument to all the knowledge your family has gained. Like many industry-changing inventions, Invisalign began with one person’s quest to improve technology. Zia Chishti was a student at Stanford and an adult orthodontics patient when he got his braces removed. Getting brackets and wires removed is a time-intensive, cumbersome procedure. As Chishti sat in the chair, he wondered if there was a better way. When the doctor presented him with a retainer, his mind began racing. It was an old-school plastic-and-wire retainer, but it was also the germ of the idea for the plastic aligners that Invisalign is famous for today. After meeting with Kelsey Werth, another Stanford student, the two began to develop prototypes. Eventually, they came upon the idea of custom, 3-D printed clear aligners that would straighten teeth. By 1997, Chishti and Werth founded Align Technology and set to work securing a patent and FDA approval. The Invisalign system hit the market a year later. When the technology was introduced, orthodontists were hesitant to use it. Invisalign was brand-new, developed by people outside of the industry, and unproven. Venture capital companies in Silicon Valley, however, sensed an opportunity. Flush with cash, Invisalign started a marketing campaign designed to win the hearts and minds of not just doctors, but of prospective patients as well. The New York Times called it “the most aggressive consumer advertising plan the dental profession has ever seen.”
HOW INVISALIGN REVOLUTIONIZED ORTHODONTICS A TRULY ALTERNATIVE IDEA
Though the product was sound, Invisalign had serious spending issues. They threw away much of the funding they had secured. After a change in leadership, they began to focus on making Invisalign an operable business instead of simply a good idea. Despite an inauspicious start, Invisalign is now regarded as a viable alternative to traditional braces for all but the most severe cases. Because they are clear and removable, they’ve become extremely popular among adults seeking orthodontic treatment. Invisalign has continued to improve their technology, even creating an Invisalign Teen system aimed at adolescents. As patients have come around to Invisalign, so too have dentists and orthodontists. Most dental schools require that students complete Invisalign training before graduation. While traditional braces are still popular, Invisalign is clearly not a flash in the pan. Millions of patients have experienced great results using the clear aligners, and the number continues to rise. The days of Invisalign’s reputation as a scrappy young startup are long gone. Despite some initial roadblocks, the company has set itself on a clear path to long-term success.
Made with FlippingBook Online document