Parents, are you ready for back-to-school? Your parenting mindset just might be the most important way to impact your children’s learning and development!
The following authors share the latest thinking and research on learning, achievement, family well-being, parent engagement, special needs children, youth sports, media, technology, discipline, homework, bullying — all the things parents think about at back-to-school time.
As your children get back to school in EAST COBB and resettled into their routines, take some time for yourself – to reflect on your own values about education and how you can more intentionally support your children. Here is a compiled list of some of the best back-to-school articles for parents – from a variety of reputable bloggers. The list is divided by topic, with a short summary of what you will find in each one.
For “big picture” thinking about education and child development, check out my free eBook Reframing Success: Helping Children & Teens Grow from the Inside Out. It shows how grades and test scores are only one aspect of success and how we all nurture vital skills and abilities in young people. You can also download a free guide about The Compass Advantage framework, showing how parents and schools impact eight pathways to youth success.
Read the articles that pique your interest now and bookmark others for later. And if you like particular authors, be sure to follow their articles throughout the school year by signing up for their RSS feeds or email subscriptions. I’ve also included links to their Twitter accounts and Facebook pages to make following your favorites easy.
I guarantee you’ll find some meaningful food for thought here – whether it’s back-to-school time or anytime! You’ll meet some great people who support children’s positive growth and well-being. Happy reading!
Back-to-School Basics: Learning & Achievement
- The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt in The Atlantic. Will your children become good critical thinkers? A look at the trend to protect children from feeling uncomfortable. Gregg’s Twitter; Jonathan’s Twitter
2. When Success Leads to Failure by Jessica Lahey at The Atlantic. Learn how the fear of failure destroys children’s love of learning. Twitter; Facebook
3. Education for the Greater Good by Miguel Angel Escotet, Ph.D. Lack of social ethics is one of the causes of violence. Dr. Escotet calls for a new ethical revolution in education. Twitter
4. The Developmental Psychologists’ Back-to-School Shopping List by Gabrielle Principe, Ph.D., atPsychology Today. Five ways to improve children’s learning at all ages, grounded in scientific research.
5. Build Your Young Child’s Future School Success NOW by Judy Willis, M.D., at Psychology Today. Help your child build skills of patterning and predicting. Twitter
6. A Link Between Relatedness and Academic Achievement by Ugo Uche, LPC, at Psychology Today. The key to student success relies not just with the teacher’s attitude toward the student, but also with the student’s attitude towards the teacher. Parents help develop these attitudes! Twitter
7. Parents & Teachers: 6 Ways to Inspire the Teen Brain by Sandra Bond Chapman Ph.D., at Psychology Today. Get tips to stimulate the teen brain from findings in neuroscience. Twitter
8. Seven Ways to Encourage Reluctant Readers by Steve Reifman, M.Ed. A teacher’s strategies can turn your child from a reluctant to a willing reader. Try them out! Twitter; Facebook
9. Boys and Girls Learn Differently by Patti Ghezzi at SchoolFamily. Get insights on how to help your son or daughter at home and in the classroom. Twitter; Facebook
10. The Success Myth by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D., at Psychology Today. Rethink your ideas of what makes us succeed, then apply them to your parenting. Twitter
Family Well-Being
11. Relationships are the Key to Performance not Ability by Rick Ackerly at the Genius in Children. Learn why family and school relationships have the most impact in helping kids develop well-being and learning to succeed in life. Twitter
12. The Happy Teen: A Primer on the Positives in Youth Development by Stephen Gray Wallace, M.S.Ed., atPsychology Today. Read some good news about adolescent development.
13. Beginning Family Meetings by Jody McVittie, M.D., at SoundDiscipline. Back-to-school time is perfect for planning regular family meetings. Twitter; Facebook
14. 11 Ways to Raise a Child Who is Entitled and Rudeby Christine Carter, Ph.D. at Positively Positive. A great list of what NOT to do with your children!Twitter; Facebook
15. The Moment I Stopped Being Perfect: The Truth About Perfect Moms by Katie Hurley at Huffington Post. Why perfectionism is not the best parenting strategy. Twitter; Facebook
16. The Seven Best Gratitude Quotes by Melanie A. Greenberg, Ph.D., at Psychology Today. How to bring gratitude into your family’s life. Twitter; Facebook
17. Positive Parenting: How to Follow Through With Limits by Ariadne Brill at Positive Parenting Connection. Excellent advice on why and how parents should set limits, particularly with young children.Twitter; Facebook
18. 4 Surprising Ways to Support a Child’s Self-Regulation & Avoid Melt Down by Lindsey Lieneck. A great article on mindful strategies that brings kids’ awareness to their bodies and help them manage their emotions. Twitter; Facebook
19. It Isn’t Easy Being a Parent by the Search Institute. Nine strategies every parent should know based on fostering developmental assets in children. Twitter; Facebook
20. Healthy Parenting after the Marriage Ends by Kevin D. Arnold, Ph.D., at Psychology Today. How to support your children’s social, emotional and intellectual health after divorce. Twitter
21. How to Teach Your Kids it’s OK to Have Less than their Friends by Jacoba Urist at TODAY Moms. As economic disparity grows, children need to understand their family’s values more than ever. Twitter
Parent-Readiness and Engagement
22. Parent Involvement: The Missing Key to Student Achievement by James Norwood, Ph.D., at Teaching in the Middle. Learn why developing a partnership with school is one of the most important things you can do to help your child. Twitter
23. 9 Tips for Parents if Your Child is Changing Schools by Meryl Ain, Ed.D., at Your Education Doctor. Must-read tips for parents to help children get comfortable in a new school. Twitter; Facebook
24. The Unique Power of Afterschool Learning by Leah Levy at Edudemic. Learn how afterschool programs impacts child development and what to look for in programs that “get it right.” Twitter
25. The Case for Dedicated Dads by Jessica Lahey at The Atlantic. Research shows that fathers play a critical role in their children’s education. Twitter
26. Developing Belief Systems About Education: It Takes a Village by Nicole Rivera, Ed.D., at Psychology Today. Children develop beliefs about education through what their parents believe.
27. Top 10 Pinterest Boards for Parents by Cathy James at the NurtureStore. If you are looking for educational projects to do with preschool and elementary school-age children at home, Pinterest is the place to be! Twitter; Facebook
Back-to-School Anxiety
28. Back-To-School Worries by Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D., at Psychology Today. How to help children cope with starting a new school year. Twitter; Facebook
29. Ease Back-to-School Stress by Christine McLaughlin at SchoolFamily. How to help your child switch from the laid-back fun of summer to homework and routine.Twitter; Facebook
Children with Special Needs, Abilities & Personalities
30. For Extroverts: 15 Ways You Can Be an Even Better Parent to Your Introverted Kid by Jennifer Granneman at The Quiet Revolution. Learn how introverted children are special and how to cultivate their passions. Twitter; Facebook
31. When Your Child Really Doesn’t Care About Schoolby Cindy Goldrich, Ed.M., at ImpactADHD. Good advice on setting expectations, managing time, and using low-tech strategies to support children with ADHD at back-to-school time. Twitter; Facebook
32. Five Ways to Help Your Child Transition Back to School by Chynna Laird at Special-Ism. Mom of a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) talks about creating a transition plan for supporting special needs children. Twitter; Facebook
33. The Need to Believe in the Ability of Disability by Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D. and Kevin McGrew atHuffPost Education. How our beliefs help or hinder children with disabilities. Twitter
34. The 200 Best Special Education Apps by Eric Sailers at Edudemic. Great apps for teachers and parents who work with special needs children. Twitter
35. From Perfection to Personal Bests: 7 Ways to Nurture Your Gifted Child by Signe Whitson at HuffPost Parents. How to develop a growth mindset in your high-ability child. Twitter; Facebook
Homework: A Back-to-School Reality
36. Reducing Homework Stress by Lori Lite at Stress Free Kids. Back-to-school and homework go together. Here are 10 tips to help parents, teens, and children with the daily homework routine. Twitter; Facebook
37. Who Takes Responsibility for Homework? What is the Parent’s Role? By Rick Ackerly at The Genius in Children.Helping kids understand the consequences and rewards of homework. Twitter; Facebook
38. Keep Your Middle Schooler Organized by Nancy Darling, Ph.D., at Psychology Today. How to help kids develop organizational skills and relieve the homework struggle. Twitter
Youth Sports
39. Soccer, Baseball or Karate? Top 10 Reasons to Involve Your Kids in Sports by Signe Whitson at Psychology Today. Reasons why being a sports chauffer can pay big rewards. Twitter; Facebook
40. Emphasize the Internal Rewards by Jeffrey Rhoads atInside Youth Sports. How to help your child experience the internal rewards of playing sports. Twitter; Facebook
41. How to Help Kids Be “Winning” Losers in Youth Sports by Patrick Cohn, Ph.D., at The Ultimate Sports Parent Blog. Learn how losing in sports develops internal skills like perseverance, determination, and the ability to adapt to adversity. Twitter; Facebook
42. Heads Up Concussion In Youth Sports by Shannon Henrici at Stress Free Kids. Learn about concussions and what you can do as a parent. Twitter; Facebook
Bullying
43. Mean Girls: Why Teenage Girls Can Be So Cruel by Chris Hudson at Understanding Teenagers. Learn how gender influences adolescent behavior in friendship groups and why girls have a natural tendency toward social aggression. Twitter; Facebook
44. Bully Proof Your Child by Lori Lite at Stress Free Kids. What parents can do to protect children from bullying. Twitter; Facebook
45. How to Protect Kids from Cyber-Bullying by Michele Borba, Ed.D. How to keep an electronic leash on your child! Twitter
46. Bullying Runs Deep: Breaking the Code of Silence that Protects Bullies by Michelle Baker at HuffPost Education. A poignant and personal story with deep insights for parents. Twitter
Media & Technology
47. Parenting: Who is More Powerful: Technology or Parents? By Jim Jaylor, Ph.D., at Psychology Today. How are you flexing your parenting muscles against the strength of today’s media? Twitter; Facebook
48. How Much Television is Too Much? Science Weighs In by Todd B. Kashdan, Ph.D., at Psychology Today. Science vs. common-sense parenting. Twitter
49. Effect of Video Games on Child Development by Danielle Dai and Amanda Fry at Vanderbilt University. The positives and negatives of video games, according to research.
50. Teen Sexting: What messages should we be sending our teens about sexting? by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, M.S., L.P.C., at Psychology Today. Learn about sexting and how to protect your teen. Twitter;Facebook
Discipline
51. Is It Ever Okay to Spank a Child? by Andrea Nair atThe Atlantic. Spanking is always a controversial subject. What’s your opinion? Twitter
52. What is in Your Discipline Toolbox? By Jody McVittie, M.D., at WAFCET. How to use kindness and firmness when disciplining children. Twitter; Facebook
53. Why Punishment Does Not Make Good Neurological Sense by Meredith White-McMahon, Ed.D., atDevelopment in the Digital Age. How punishment differs from discipline. Twitter
54. Connection before Correction by Jane Nelsen, Ed.D., at Positive Discipline. How positive discipline creates respectful connections with children. Twitter; Facebook
55. The 5 C’s of Effective Discipline: Setting Rules for Children by Ben Martin, Psy.D., atPsychCentral. Important and simple discipline rules to remember.
This popular article is republished and updated with a collection of new articles each year at RootsofAction.Copyright 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 by Marilyn Price-Mitchell. Please see reprint guidelines.
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