Although there is no set age at which a child can be left home alone, there are guidelines parents can use to help determine if their child is physically, mentally and emotionally ready for this type of independence.

Paying for college can be difficult, particularly for those students who face certain barriers to higher education including disability. With the cost of college tuition steadily increasing, more and more students are turning to scholarship funding to help relieve some of the financial burden.

A study led by Sandra Calvert of the Children’s Digital Media Center found that 21 percent of children two years and younger use computers, achieving the ability to use them independently at three years old. In addition, 58 percent of three- to four-year-olds use computers, as well as 77 percent of 5- to 6-year-olds.

A child who is reading below grade level is most likely frustrated and embarrassed. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation website, 34 percent of fourth graders tested in 2009 did not have adequate basic reading skills.

Your 5-year-old is on the cusp of learning to read and is developing the small motor skills necessary to write. According to LD Online, the majority of children learn to read by the time they are 7.

According to Kids Health, self-confidence is a necessary part of being a kid. Children experience many new things as they grow, and having a strong feeling of self-worth will enable children to navigate the growing-up years successfully.

Teaching your children moral values is the process by which you help them develop their moral compasses. The morals your children learn as kids will affect how they see the world and behave as adults.

From running a marathon to brushing your teeth, all of your actions involve motor skills. Gross motor skills include running, jumping and other large movements; fine motor skills are small movements such as picking up a pencil and writing.

Active listening skills facilitate effective communication throughout life. Children often struggle with listening skills, missing key pieces of information in the communication process. Helping your child improve his listening skills at an early age benefits him in school and in his social relationships.

Preschoolers need guidance to help them interpret their own feelings and emotions and to interact appropriately with others.

From birth, children are developing skills that will help them participate in, understand and respond to their environment, as well as interact with their parents, caregivers and peers. Children make physical, cognitive and creative developmental progress mostly through play.

Even though many theories exist regarding the stages of child growth and development, one of the most respected and influential theories has been that of 20th century psychologist Erik Erikson.