Teacher Letters Inspire Parent-Teacher Teamwork to Enhance Children’s Learning

In “Dear Parents, From Your Child’s Loving Teacher,” Dana Arias, a longtime mother, teacher, and school librarian, has written a moving book for the purpose of enhancing communication between teachers and parents. Dana’s goal is for parents to understand where teachers come 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 would send home with a child, each letter builds on the previous letter to discuss ways parents can help their children learn and create an environment that supports them. allow to learn better. learn.

I was really surprised 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 guides parents step-by-step through various topics, including how to help children pay more attention in the classroom and how a child’s thought process develops. A simple example that made perfect sense to me was the importance of having a regular dinner together for a family. In addition to the family bond that dinner time provides, it teaches children how to sit still for an extended period, which will also help them focus 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 should 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 them how to manage their time, form a routine, and have structure, all elements that will help them survive and thrive in the real world.

Another thing that 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 do not know what to say in their writing because they have not been taught to converse about topics or have not had their self-esteem raised to believe that they have things worth saying. Dana explains to parents how to talk to their children so that they feel good about themselves and believe that their opinions are valuable; When children are included on the list, 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 conversation can help your child improve developmental thinking, which in turn helps develop writing.

Much more information is included in this book than I can discuss here. In summary, “Dear Parents, From Your Child’s Loving Teacher” is filled with examples of games that parents can play with their children, examples of conversations they can have, activities, and even ways to discipline their child in a loving but loving way. sign so that he or she will learn to follow the rules and respect the limits set by the parents. Dana even explains why rewarding children when they get good grades is counterproductive to their learning and development, and how to change the situation so that children want to be successful and do the right thing regardless of whether or not they receive a reward.

Perhaps most refreshing is how Dana takes the time to talk about the importance of “me” time to parents. Parents are often wrong to do too much for their children, thinking that they have to take their children to sporting events, play games, and satisfy all their children’s wishes. The result is that children take their parents for granted and become ungrateful. Dana shows parents how to set limits so that their children realize that their parents sacrifice for them and come to love and respect their parents for everything they do for them.

As I read, I kept nodding in agreement and in awe of all the good advice in this book. Dana Arias, who is bilingual, grew up in Mexico and teaches at a multicultural school in the Chicago area with students who speak forty different languages, she is someone for whom parents have been waiting for a long time. She can explain what seem like difficult concepts and simplify them so that parents and children can benefit and so that parents and teachers can be together on the same team, working to be successful in their goal: children’s success. As a former English teacher, I especially thought that your discussion of writing and evolutionary thinking made perfect sense, so without reservation I can say that any educator, parent, or grandparent would benefit from reading “Dear Parents, From Your Child’s Loving Teacher “And when you follow the advice in this book, your children will benefit, too.