Schools that have effective programs for preventing students from using drugs succeed because they have the help of parents. But to get parents’ help, schools—and the agencies they work with to create a safe and drug-free program—must provide parents with encouragement and strategies for influencing their children. Foremost, parents need advice in two areas: how[…]
A fun activity for a parent-child workshop this month might be kite-making. But rather than making kites to fly outside, parents and their children can make reading kites. All they need is colored construction paper and some yarn. For each book they read this month, children can add another “tail” to their kite. The tail[…]
Why do some teachers get along well with parents … and others don’t? Research points to several personal attributes that have a positive influence on teachers’ relationships with both parents and students: warmth, openness, sensitivity, flexibility, reliability and accessibility. Parents say that these teacher characteristics are also desirable: trust, closeness, positive self-image, effective classroom management,[…]
Most schools strive to turn out responsible citizens—people who not only know how to read, write and compute, but are guided by basic moral and ethical principles. To help instill these principles, schools implement character education programs. Perhaps the most successful programs have at least two things in common: They focus on students’ moral development,[…]
There is no single profile of a hard-to-reach parent. One might be a recent immigrant struggling to manage language barriers and transportation issues. Another might be a single mom who has difficulty arranging for child care. Yet another might be a busy professional whose long hours and hectic schedule leave little time for anything else.[…]