Here is stats research and compiled for Project Teen Canada by University of Lethbridge sociologist, Dr. Reginald Bibby.

An article called, Kids These Days - The Emerging Millennials, outlines some of the stats for you.

An excerpt:
90 Percentage of female teenagers who expect to stay with the same partner for life, 2008, up from 89% in 1992
95 Percentage of male teenagers who expect to have children in 2008, up from 83% in 1992
91 Percentage of female teenagers who expect to get married in 2008, up from 86% in 1992

There’s also the good news that teens hold much the same interpersonal values today as teens did in the 1980’s. Honesty, concern for others, courtesy, and forgiveness are still significantly important to teens. That alone should fill adults with hope for the future and make it all worthwhile.

The Edmonton Journal has a nice exploded pie-chart as well as some stats from the study. The page is called, School life better for kids than it's been in years.

So, congratulations teens! You are doing well.

That's all for now...

Cheers - Mike

I don't normally get into software for use in schools or for parents to help their children, but I was asked to do this review.

This is about spelling quiz software which parents and kids can use to help make spelling a fun activity.

The first one is called SpellQuizzer from http://www.SpellQuizzer.com. Dan Hite wrote me and he advises that, "I'm currently offering SpellQuizzer free to any educator who contacts me at http://www.SpellQuizzer.com/Contact.htm. An email address associated with an educational institution must be supplied to qualify."

Dan says, "I've developed an educational program for Windows called SpellQuizzer that helps students learn their spelling and vocabulary words. You set up the students' spelling lists in the software and then students practice their words with SpellQuizzer. It really greatly helped my own children with their weekly spelling lists."

The program is rated 5 of 5 at Windows Vista Software Archive and the installer is about 7.9MB is size and can be downloaded as a 30 day free trial.

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To be fair I must include other contenders in the spelling quiz arena. These programs, to all intents and purposes, do the same, but the presentation is different.

Here is one called, Spelling Made Simple, which is functionally like the one mentioned above, but is a higher price than the other programs. However before you can download the trial version you must enter your name and email address, which I wouldn't do. So this one will not be tested and compared.

The next one is called, Spelling Teacher and has the same features as the two mentioned above. The trial download is over 26MB is size which seems rather large for a reasonably simple program.

The next one is called, Spelling Test Practice and again does what the other ones do but a little differently. There are two versions and is the smallest download at approximately 1.23MB.

There is probably many more out there but these should get you started.

I have not tried any of these programs, so it is, as always, up to you as to whether it suits your needs and worth what you feel is right to pay.

Cheers - Mike