My wife, Susan, and I have five children and we’ve learned – sometimes the hard way – a few school lessons along the way. Our kids have experienced every type of school: public school, private school, and home school. And we have experienced every type of learner. In Susan’s free eBook, Every School Year Counts: 6 Ways a Mom Can Make this Year Count, she starts off by sharing the challenges one of our kids had to overcome in the classroom.
“I am convinced my fifth child, Grant, has the most unusual school record in the country. He never went to school until he was nine years old. Then, he was in third grade twice, fourth grade once, fifth grade twice, he skipped sixth grade, and ever since seventh grade he has been spot on, progressing one grade a year. Grant has an unusual story that doesn’t apply to many children in the United States and certainly doesn’t apply to his four older siblings. Grant was adopted at the age of nine from a small village in Siberia where he had never attended school. I affectionately call him my Jungle Book child. I am amazed at the steep learning curve Grant had to climb to get to where he is today. Grant didn’t know any of the following:
How to Behave in Class.
My little wilderness child had never been required to sit still, ever.
How to Make Good Grades.
Grant had never been evaluated for anything and actually felt frustrated with having to meet expectations.
How to Be Organized.
Grant had never been to a school, owned a notebook, or been required to “do” anything.
How to Manage Time.
Grant had never owned a watch, could not tell time, and didn’t know the seasons of the year, the days of the week, or even his own birthday.
How to Communicate.
Appropriate communication of feelings and needs is tough for any child, let alone one who couldn’t speak English.
How to Make Friends.
Making friends took Grant the longest. We have a socially sophisticated culture that does not demonstrate much grace to the child that falls outside the parameters of what we have defined as ‘normal.’
Every school year was really important for bringing Grant up to speed. Your child probably doesn’t have these hurdles, but they may have others. I believe every school year is important for every child.”
Think about this additional thought Susan shares in the book, “Your children will spend roughly 2,340 days, or 6.4 years of their life in school from kindergarten through twelfth grade. That’s why school is the laboratory of life. It is the opportunity to learn about more than just academics. It is where they will spend half of their days for twelve years. It is a test tube for academic, social, and emotional growth.”
So that’s why it’s so important to know the 6 Ways a Mom Can Make this Year Count which Susan addressed in a very practical fashion.
- Lesson 1: How to Be Organized
- Lesson 2: How to Manage Time
- Lesson 3: How to Behave in Class
- Lesson 4: How to Improve Grades
- Lesson 5: How to Communicate
- Lesson 6: How to Make Friends
I’ve learned a lot from Susan over the years and I hope you’ll glean some of her wisdom as well as you enjoy her free eBook.
Dads, a mom is not the only one that plays a role in back to school. All Pro Dad has a school program to help you with your role in back to school. And check out iMOM’s back to school printables collection, too.
