Are we raising a generation of great test-takers but uninspired thinkers? Stacy DeBroff thinks so. In The Mom Book Goes to School, DeBroff doles out some essential advice on how parents can make sure their children are getting the most out of elementary and middle school in an age when high-stakes testing all too often seems to supplant creativity and joyful learning. Here’s the best part: she explains how to do it without becoming the pushy parent every teacher secretly dreads.
A well-known parenting guru who’s written a series of mom-centric advice books, DeBroff views education as a family affair. In The Mom Book Goes to School, she recognizes that creating a home environment that encourages academic success is just as important as fostering a good parent-teacher relationship. She suggests ways to help children organize their homework, get excited about learning and make the morning rush as stress-free as possible. DeBroff also demystifies the parent-teacher relationship, right down to what kinds of gifts are most useful for teachers and how to approach teachers when problems arise.
In the course of her research, DeBroff talked to hundreds of parents and teachers, whose words of wisdom are scattered throughout the book. While DeBroff herself is clearly an expert on the issue, the anecdotes from those in the field lend a valuable dimension. The easy-to-digest bullet point format makes this book a must-read for even the busiest parents.
