What do you really know about how children learn? How helpful are different types of assessment and what do the results mean? Is homework necessary and how you can you encourage your child at home? Will ability groups and setting help your child achieve more? How do you choose the right school to suit your child? The government and the media have a lot to say about education, but what is the evidence behind these debates? This book walks you through all the most important issues in education, comparing commonly-held beliefs with simple summaries of the evidence, providing you with clear, jargon-free information. It covers topics including school choice, testing and assessment, homework and revision, primary- and secondary-specific topics, stress and mental health, and special needs. Most importantly it ensures you will be able to ask schools the right questions, interact positively with teachers and effectively support your child throughout their education. "Chris & Stuart have written a parent's guide that is jam packed with practical advice, research and informative summaries that any parent can use to support their child to succeed at school. It's organised so you can easily dip in and out when looking for information and guidance, and gives answers to questions that parents may have about their child's education. I recommend this book to all parents & guardians that want to work alongside their child's school to get the best out of their time there." Dawn Cox, Teacher and Blogger

Re-writes the rule book on raising a child. Based on over 700 scientific studies into children's development, the author and child psychotherapist explains how to develop your child's potential to the full. He reveals how touch, laughter and play build emotional wellbeing for life, and also strategies for dealing with temper tantrums and tears.

The bestselling, step-by-step guide to the primary school curriculum from Toby Young and Miranda Bondy. What is your child learning each day in school? How can you tell if they are doing well or badly? And what can you do to help? This practical, detailed and user-friendly manual contains absolutely everything you need to know about primary schooling and the UK curriculum, ensuring your child will succeed and flourish every step of the way. Taking us year-by-year through our children's schooling, we'll be given simple explanations of: - What they'll be taught and why (from phonics checks to SPAG tests) - What they need to know at the start of each year - What they should be able to achieve at its end - The games and exercises we can do at home to help out Not only will this guide help you understand your children's journey through primary school, but it will also help you prepare, encourage and nurture them every step of the way. It's the manual every confused, unsure or worried parent has been waiting for.

Bragging rights and bumper stickers are some of the social forces fueling today’s parenting behavior—and, as a result, even well-intentioned parents are behaving badly. Many parents don’t know how best to support their teens, especially when everyone around them seems to be frantically tutoring, managing, and helicoptering. The Parent Compass provides guidance on what parents’ roles should be in supporting their teens’ mental health as they traverse the maze of the adolescent years. For anyone daunted by the unique challenge of parenting well in this pressure-laden and uncertain era, The Parent Compass offers: Advice on fostering grit and resilience in your teen Strategies to help your teen approach life with purpose Guidance on how to preserve your relationship with your teen while navigating a competitive academic environment Clear explanations of your appropriate role in the college admission process Effective ways to approach technology use in your home, and much more! Using The Parent Compass to navigate the adolescent years will help you parent with confidence and intention, allowing you to forge a trusting, positive relationship with your teen.

A counselor and popular Washington Post contributor offers a new take on grades 6-8 as a distinct developmental phase--and the perfect time to set up kids to thrive. Middle school is its own important, distinct territory, and yet it's either written off as an uncomfortable rite of passage or lumped in with other developmental phases. Based on her many years working in schools, professional counselor Phyllis Fagell sees these years instead as a critical stage that parents can't afford to ignore (and though "middle school" includes different grades in various regions, Fagell maintains that the ages make more of a difference than the setting). Though the transition from childhood to adolescence can be tough for kids, this time of rapid physical, intellectual, moral, social, and emotional change is a unique opportunity to proactively build character and confidence. Fagell helps parents use the middle school years as a low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they'll need to thrive now and in the future, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, be their own advocates, and more. To answer parents' most common questions and struggles with middle school-aged children, Fagell combines her professional and personal expertise with stories and advice from prominent psychologists, doctors, parents, educators, school professionals, and middle schoolers themselves.

How can you help your children do well at school and beyond? It’s a question millions of parents are asking themselves as they go to ever greater lengths to secure the best education results for their children. By the time they leave home, many parents will spend 10,000 days trying to help their children prepare for adulthood. Here for the first time are the essential evidence-informed tips to make you an effective parent educator. The Good Parent Educator provides the tools that will turn excessive parenting into effective learning. Whether it is helping children learn to read or revise, engaging with teachers, paying for private tutors, choosing a school, or deciding which degree or apprenticeship to apply for, this is the must-have expert guide. It reveals what really matters in education, debunking the many education myths and misconceptions that can harm children’s learning. Enabling parents to focus on effective uses of their time will lead to better outcomes, but also to a more balanced life. Based on the findings of thousands of studies, but also filled with personal parenting stories, the book’s ultimate aim is to empower children through education so they become independent thinkers ready to prosper in the world.

Raise Your Kids to Succeed: What Every Parent Should Know describes what parents can do to be effective and help their children succeed, both in school and in life. Part I opens with some big, foundational questions, including the need for parents to realize their own importance. It goes on to discuss how to create a family mission statement, the importance of creating family traditions and rituals, and the pivotal need to model good behavior. Part II starts by exploring ways to let your kids know the importance you attach to education. It stresses the importance of really listening to your kids, reading to them, getting outside with them to enjoy nature, and teaching them life skills. Part III explores ways for you to be present at your child’s school and to be an advocate for your child. It also focuses on the issue of bullying and how to counter a toxic, sexualized and violent culture. Raise Your Kids to Succeed will help your children succeed and reach all of the dreams that you have for them—and, more important, the ones they have for themselves.