OK, I made that last sentence up. In fact, while I've read several articles and listened to NPR's discussion of the book, I haven't yet read it. I do intend, as soon as I finish this post, to get download it on my Ipad.
In the meantime, I've been thinking about the parenting styles that I see around me.
1. Parent as partner. I know some kids whose mom is their partner in learning. At the end of the school day, each subject is reviewed along with upcoming assignments, projects, and assessments. The parent helps organize the homework plan and often with studying. The homework and approach to school is a daily partnership with the parent playing the role of organizing and supervising.
2. Parent as resource. This is where I tend to hangout. When the kids ask for help, I try to provide it. I often ask them about their homework but it's more episodic than systematic.
3. Parents uninvolved. Many parents just don't have the time or really focus on the kids grades and school work. When kids ask for help, their response is that they already got through school, it's now the kids turn.
4.Parents who focus on grades. There's a lot of this and it overlaps the others. Grades are considered by many parents to be the purpose of schools, its about getting credentials, particularly once you hit high school. Many parents consider (sometimes rightfully) to be the lessons taught in school to be irrelevant to "real life" and they equate getting good grades to "pleasing your boss" and something that kids need to learn to be successful.
I'm just starting to think about this area. Any help for me? What sort of parenting do you see in this regards?
3 comments:
Children need their own space so that they can explore their talent and creativity. We, the parents should always stand beside to help them learning different things. We should teach them different subjects in different innovative ways so that they love to learn them.
Parents, especially mother is the best teacher in a child’s life. The way, she can guide a child, no other can! However, sometimes, it becomes hard for the parents to help children doing homework. In that case, they can take advantage of online tutoring services like tutorteddy.com.
I've downloaded the book onto the kindle software on my Ipad (that's a post for another day). It's an interesting and provocative read. Very fast. I'm reading it and thinking about it. A lot!
I believe too much coddling around schoolwork can backfire. Kids don't experience the consequences of putting a project off to the last minute if mom was up till midnight finishing it for him. A low grade can be a powerful teaching tool, and experiencing that in 3rd grade is a lot better than being hit with it in college when the stakes are higher.
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