This valuable resource provides educators and mental health professionals with research-based strategies for conducting a 10-session, parent-involvement program for children and adolescents in grades 3-12.
The book presents essential skills and information for increasing parents’ ability to influence their children’s academic motivation in positive ways. Covers areas such as providing emotional support, setting appropriate expectations, monitoring progress, communicating with school personnel, promoting self-determination, establishing study skills, helping with homework, and more. The sessions are flexible, interactive, and learner-centered. Instructional methods include reminiscing, role-playing, group discussions, and homework assignments.
An accompanying CD provides reproducible session handouts, student worksheets, checklists, quizzes, and evaluation measures.
Book Reviews
“This book is a new reference for any school counselors’ library. The lessons align easily to any comprehensive school counseling program. Most of all, the book takes a different but important approach in focusing on the role of the parent in assisting the student with succeeding academically.”
—Deborah Hardy, New York State School Counselors Association NEWS
“This book is a comprehensive program consisting of 10 guided lessons for parents. An advantage to this program is that parents can elect to attend all 10 sessions or just those they are interested in. . . . The design of each session lends itself well to collaboration between the facilitator and the parents, with the parents actively participating, rather than the usual ‘sit and deliver’ model for some groups. These sessions could be led by the school counselor and/or a teacher. I especially liked the vignettes for each session, which help guide group discussion.”
—Linda Kopec, North Carolina School Counselors Association NEWS
“The lesson plans can be readily implemented by a leader with any level of experience, as they include a leader checklist and evaluation, and background information on the topic to be presented. . . . the author encourages using these lesson plans for single topic parent meetings or for a shortened series of sessions based on parental interest. . . . The language of the author’s prose is easy to read and the layout and formatting of the book make finding specific information straightforward.”
—Lynn Merlone, New Hampshire School Counselor Newsletter