In "Dear Parents, From Your Child's Loving Teacher," Dana
Arias, longtime parent, teacher, and school librarian, has
written a heartfelt book with the purpose of enhancing
communication between teachers and parents. Dana's goal is for
parents to understand where teachers are coming from in terms
of what they actually do in the classroom and why, and what
parents can do to help teachers help their children. Dana has
written the book as a series of letters, like a teacher might
send home with a child, each letter building on the letter
before it to discuss ways parents can help their children to
learn and to create an environment that will better allow them
to learn.
I was really amazed by these letters because they contain
simple information that should almost be common sense but that
I'm sure most parents never think about. Dana walks the
parents step-by-step through various topics, including how to
help children to pay closer attention in the classroom and how
a child's thinking process develops. One simple example that
made total sense to me was the importance of having a regular
dinner time together for a family. Besides the family bonding
that dinner time provides, it teaches children how to sit
still for a sustained period, which will also help them with
focusing on paying attention in school and sitting still while
doing homework.
Homework is a big part of the discussion in these letters.
Dana explains why teachers give homework, how much homework
children should have, and why it needs to be consistent, not
once a week but daily. Homework becomes more than homework in
these discussions-it becomes a means to a child's success as
it teaches children how to manage their time, form a routine,
and have structure-all elements that will help them to survive
and thrive in the real world.
Something else I loved about this book was the focus on how
children can become better writers. Before children can write
well, they need something to write about. Most children don't
know what to say in their writing because they haven't been
taught how to converse on topics or had their self-esteem
raised to believe they have things worth saying. Dana walks
parents through how to converse with their children so their
children feel good about themselves and believe their opinions
are of value; when children are listened to, they become more
open to expressing themselves in many ways, including through
drawing, verbally, and in writing. Dana's discussion here
includes better ways to converse with your child, including
how the conversation can help your child to improve his or her
developmental thinking, which in turn helps to develop
writing.
Far more information is included in this book than I can
discuss here. In brief, "Dear Parents, From Your Child's
Loving Teacher" is filled with examples of games parents can
play with their children, sample conversations they can have,
activities, and even ways to discipline one's child in a
loving but firm way so he or she will learn to follow the
rules and abide within the boundaries parents set. Dana even
explains why rewarding children when they get good grades is
counterproductive to their learning and development, and how
to turn the situation around so children will want to succeed
and do the right thing regardless of whether or not they
receive a reward.
Perhaps most refreshing is how Dana takes time to talk about
the importance of "me" time for parents. Parents often err on
the side of doing too much for their children, thinking they
have to drive their children to sporting events, playtime, and
cater to their child's every wish. The result is that children
take their parents for granted and become ungrateful. Dana
shows parents how to set boundaries so their children can
realize that their parents do sacrifice for them and they come
to love and respect their parents for all they do for them.
As I read, I kept nodding my head in agreement and amazement
with all of the great advice in this book. Dana Arias, who is
bilingual, having grown up in Mexico, and who teaches in a
multicultural school in the Chicago area with students who
speak forty different languages, is someone parents have long
been waiting for. She can explain what seem like difficult
concepts and make them simple so parents and children can both
benefit and so parents and teachers can be on the same team
together, working to succeed in their goal-children's success.
As a former English professor myself, I especially thought her
discussion of writing and developmental thinking made eminent
sense, and so without reservation, I can truly say that any
educator, parent, or grandparent would benefit from reading
"Dear Parents, From Your Child's Loving Teacher," and when
they follow the advice in this book, their children will
benefit as well.
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