Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Parental Involvement is Key to Student Success + Parenting for Academic Success

In a recent article, entitled "Parental Involvement is Key to Student Success," Grace Chen writes that: "Extensive research has shown that students achieve more in school when their parents are involved in their education."  The article discusses in depth the critical role that moms and dads can play in a child's education, with detailed support for the following conclusions:
  1. Academic achievement increases when parents are involved in their children's education.
  2. Parental involvement leads to better classroom behavior. 
  3. Parents should stay involved in their children's education from preschool through high school.
  4. Training helps parents of disadvantaged children get involved.
  5. Reading together at home greatly improves reading skills.
  6. Schools can encourage parental involvement in many ways.
  7. Parental involvement lifts teacher morale.
  8. Parental involvement benefits children and parents.
  9. Time constraints are the greatest barrier to parental involvement.
Grace then outlines 18 tips for being an involved parent and concludes: "Parental involvement in a child's education is an advantage that money cannot buy. All parents, regardless of economic status, race, or primary language, can do simple things like asking a child about school or attending a parent-teacher meeting. Being involved in your child's education not only helps your child to achieve more academically, but it also lifts teacher morale and provides you with the satisfaction of making a difference in your child's education." 

It is well-worth reading the whole article. And Please consider taking, or letting others know about, our Parenting for Academic Success Course described below!




We are excited to announce that Learning Revolution (and Classroom 2.0 and Library 2.0) will be hosting an ONLINE version of the much-sought-after course: 

Parenting For Academic Success (and Parental Sanity)
REGISTER HERE

This course is a five-part series of classes co-taught by Greg Smith and Chris Loper. Chris will share the key ideas from psychology and neuroscience that are most relevant for parents, while Greg will discuss how to apply this knowledge at home. Meanwhile, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions, and you’ll be given pre-class journaling questions, supplemental readings, and additional resources to support the course material.

“This parent seminar is like no other. Understanding the learning process and the development of executive functions is a component of parenting that is often overlooked. Greg and Chris are exceptionally skilled at what they do and amazing communicators. In this seminar, they provide a baseline of information that will help any parent become more empathetic and knowledgeable as they help guide these wonderful young persons in developing their own independence and confidence. This seminar applies to so much more than just academics – it applies to life skills.”  
–Jenifer Dobson (More testimonials below...) 

Your Instructors

Greg Smith: Greg has been an educator for 35 years, and he is the owner of Northwest Educational Services. He has over 40,000 hours of one-on-one experience supporting students and parents in their respective learning processes. Greg is married with two teenage daughters and understands the challenges of parenting from both a professional and personal perspective.
 
Chris Loper: Chris has been an academic coach since 2014. He writes an education blog for parents and students at NWTutoring.com, and he is the owner of South Cove Tutoring in Issaquah, WA. Chris is also the creator of BecomingBetter.org, where he writes about self-improvement and works one-on-one with adults on habit formation.

The Classes

#1 Psychology and Neuroscience Essentials 

  • The history of the human brain as it relates to academic success
  • Brain health: the effects of sleep, nutrition, exercise, and technology
  • Positive psychology: encouraging mental health and success
  • Leading by example: the importance of modeling healthy habits

#2 Growth Mindset Parenting

  • The dynamic human brain: how the brain changes and grows
  • Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset
  • Growth-minded language
  • Leading by example: the growth-minded lifestyle
  • Cultivating healthy self-esteem and self-efficacy

#3 Studying and Learning

  • Test anxiety: where does it come from and what can we do about it
  • What is “studying?”: learning techniques and memory formation
  • Problem-solving: technique, strategy, and the value of real breaks
  • Technology: distractions, multitasking, and tech-addiction
  • The pursuit of mastery and love of learning: curiosity and depth vs. grade management

#4 Behavioral Change and Productivity

  • Realism: how change actually happens
  • Using willpower wisely: habits, strategies, and reminders
  • Self-perception: how outer change drives inner change
  • Procrastination: why we do it and how to do it less
  • Perfectionism: moving away from debilitating all-or-nothing thinking

#5 Cultivating Executive Function

  • Park the helicopter: how micromanaging hinders development
  • Skinned knees: what kids learn when they’re allowed to fail
  • Coaching vs. teaching: encouraging resourcefulness and independence
  • Talking with your child about school: navigating the emotional difficulties of academic conversations
  • Active agent vs. passive victim: blame, parental language, and cultivating responsibility

If you miss a class, we will provide you with a recording of the lecture, but in order to maintain the privacy of the families who attend, we will not be recording the Q&A.

Dates and Times

Thursday evenings 7:00 - 9:00 pm US-Pacific Time (PDT) beginning 7/22/2021 and ending 8/19/2021.

Cost & Registration

$299 per family (a set of parents and/or guardians). Space is limited, so please let us know right away that you’d like to reserve a spot. To reserve your spot, please register here:

Parenting For Academic Success (and Parental Sanity)
REGISTER HERE

If you need to pay by check, please email admin@learningrevolution.com and we'll hold the reservation and send an invoice. Please send questions to admin@learningrevolution.com.

Other Testimonials

“I took the parenting course in summer 2019 and learned so much about how the developing brain, growth mindset, and the importance of modeling (as opposed to managing), and much more. I still have my notes and refer back to them periodically. I highly recommend the course for anyone interested in supporting their children as they grow into lifelong learners.” 

–Caitlin Moulding

“Chris and Greg’s parent seminars are not to be missed! In a short time, I became more savvy about myself and my kids as learners. Their coaching tips aim to reduce parent-child conflict by leveraging current research on the brain and descriptive stories of their students. I highly recommend their seminars for parents of all kids!” 

–Vicki Pettiross

"We attended Northwest Educational Services’ parent seminar series in 2019 - the content was highly relevant and well presented, and the welcoming setting provided us the opportunity to engage directly with expert educators and other parents.  As parents of middle and elementary school students, we were able to relate to the information shared, and apply the seminar’s concepts directly into our own family interactions and dynamics.  We look forward to attending again this year.” 

–Jill Nolton

"We are the fortunate parents of twin daughters, both with unique-to-them strengths and challenges in the learning environment. No one-size-fits-all approach for us. We were looking for some coaching to sort out the best ways to give each daughter the specific support they needed to be successful in their school environments. The Parenting for Academic Success classes we took through NWES provided us with that and more.

"Coaches Greg and Chris spoke to all learning types, teaching parents how to encourage their kids to identify and articulate what they needed, and how to ask for it, so that they could become independent drivers of their own academic success. Once we began to implement some of the tools we learned, both of our students began to, more and more readily, reach out for help from resources beyond us (other students, academic coaches, school tutors, and teachers) and do so in a timely manner, before test anxiety or project panic set in.

"We also learned new tools to support both daughters in becoming more consistent in their study habits. Instead of ‘cramming’ the night before an exam, the girls began to develop habits which vastly reduced last-minute, stress-driven studying.

"Our daughters have now transitioned to great-fit universities where they are happy, engaged, independent, and consistently experiencing academic success.

"Greg and Chris brought their combined years of expertise coaching students at all grade levels, and advising parents who desire to support student success, and shared concrete, well informed, research based, ground tested, information and strategies that aided us in our efforts to support our unique learners. We cannot recommend them highly enough."

-Kelly and Steve Nolan Shafer


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