Determining the most valuable college degrees depends on what criteria makes a degree valuable. One basic way of measuring a degree is by ranking the average starting salary of graduates entering the workforce. Bloomberg Businessweek partnered with PayScale in 2011 to dig deeper and calculate the cost of a degree at various top-ranking universities compared with the average net earnings over a 30-year career.

According to the Children's Reading Foundation, 29 percent of children entering the third grade read at a first grade level or lower as of March 2011. This gap in reading proficiency makes it difficult for these children to understand classroom lessons, causing them to fall even further behind in their intellectual development. Getting a child excited about reading at a young age can help develop good reading habits that last a lifetime. Teaching a child how to read through the use of games can help excite her imagination and make reading an appealing alternative to TV and video games.

Polynomials have many real-world applications. It might seem like parabolas -- second-degree polynomials -- which perfectly describe the path of a projectile, are the only polynomials of use in physics and engineering, but polynomials of the third degree and higher are frequently used to model complex data in such fields as electrical engineering and graphic design.

Many science fair projects for fourth graders don't involve chemicals. The good news is a non-chemical project won't hurt a student's grade. Veteran elementary school teacher Kathy Whitehead says that successful science fair participants connect their projects with their interests and everyday lives. Angie Broussard, a science fair judge and biologist, agrees, adding that the most important factor for success in a science fair is to follow the fair's instructions. Tie the choice of topic to the fourth grade curriculum for maximum educational benefit.

Classroom themes are popular with children because they bring something new and exciting to the everyday school routine. You can use many popular themes; all offer a chance for you and the children to unleash your creativity. Children are likely to enjoy a jungle theme in the classroom, if you tie it in with things they tend to like, such as music, food or toys.