Parent as Learning Coach

Purposeful conversations about learning are key to being connected to your child's learning. A parent-child connection conversation is intentional and involves specific questions focused on school and learning. These conversations help you gain information about your child’s learning experience at school or at home. They also give you information about any barriers you can help solve. Have these conversations regularly with your child to help keep them moving forward in their schoolwork with confidence.

For more tips, join Parent As Learning Coach and to check out the guide, "Connect With Your Child About Learning" here 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

The practice of goal setting helps build focus, perseverance, and can help keep your child on track with their schoolwork. It also increases their self-awareness and sense of responsibility-- ultimately building their confidence because they’ll learn that they can set an intention and achieve that outcome. When it comes to setting goals, reflection is a good place to start. Try this:

- Next time your child completes a big assignment, ask key questions to gauge their understanding of the work. This helps your child become clear about how they can improve.
- As you ask questions, begin with a positive. This might sound like: What do you like best about the story? Or what do you think you’re good at so far, when it comes to the reading?

For more tips, join Parent As Learning Coach and check out the guide "Help Your Child Set and Achieve Goals" 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Learning not only takes place in the classroom-- it also happens when our children play! Play builds social, physical, and verbal skills, and it provides an opportunity for kids to use information in different ways. Both scheduled and unscheduled playtime is beneficial. Try this:

Look over your child’s weekly schedule. Are there openings that can be used for play? Scheduled playtime might be with another child or as a family. Consider having a conversation with your child and discussing what kinds of play might be fun to incorporate throughout the week.

Check out more tips for coaching playtime in our guide "Coach the Learning By Playing" when you join Parent as Learning Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

As parents, we model the behavior we expect from our children. We help our children understand why our expectations are important and beneficial. If we permit our children to slide on expectations, we are permitting them to not do what is required. One way we can reinforce expectations is to revisit the expectation with our child. This involves explaining the why behind it-- and how it can help our child be successful. This may involve modeling what it looks like when done correctly.

For more tips on how to effectively reinforce expectations, check out the guide, "Consistently Reinforce Expectations" when you join Parent As Learning Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Learning is an emotional experience. It's helpful for children when we understand and support the emotions they experience when learning. Try this:

Talk with your child about their emotions and your emotions. You can talk through your child's emotions by asking questions such as "Why do you think you were frustrated by that assignment?", for example. Next time you're feeling apprehensive or insecure, you can use that as a teachable moment. Let's say you're going to try a new recipe or attempt to wallpaper a room in your home. You might say: "I'm feeling a little unsure... I've never tried this before, and I hope I don't run out of this ingredient or that supply."

Find more tips for supporting your child's emotions while learning in the skill session, "The Emotional Side of Learning", when you join Parent as Learning Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Success is really a series of small wins. That's true for both adults and children. Tip: Help your child recognize small wins, and then celebrate them! Some examples of small wins might be:

- turning an assignment in on time
- helping with chores
- making a new friend
- finishing a difficult project

Brainstorm with your child on what small wins look like. Then, identify some recent small wins together and celebrate!

Join Parent As Learning Coach and to check out the guide, "How Can I Help My Child Celebrate Small Wins?" here 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Reading is one of the most important skills your child will learn in life. You can help coach your child to become a reader. Create a game plan for how you will coach your child to reading success. Start with small steps and decide which one strategies you’ll use first.

Find out how to create your game plan as well as tips to help develop your child as a reader in our skill session, "Reading Matters", when you join Parent as Learning Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Check out this Live to get tips on how to use our top questions for your next parent-child connection conversation.
1. What is working well with your schoolwork?
2. What is getting in the way of you doing your best work?
3. Who has been most helpful in your learning this week? What did they do?
4. What can I do to support your learning?

In case you missed it, check out the second Live video in our Parent as Learning Coach on Instagram series, Transitioning Back to School. Here, we share tips for talking with your child about school. We also share questions you can ask in your next parent-child connection conversation. Watch now! https://bit.ly/3se6oVB

Check out this Live to get tips on how to use our top questions for your next parent-child connection conversation. 1. What is working well with your schoolwork? 2. What is getting in the way of you doing your best work? 3. Who has been most helpful in your learning this week? What did they do? 4. What can I do to support your learning?

When learning from home, your child may look to you for recognition of good work. How you deliver feedback is important. Research shows that delivering three positives for every one constructive or negative feedback is the ideal balance. Try this:

Highlight the positives often. Praise your child for what they're doing well as much as possible, and be specific in your praise.

Find examples of how delivering positive feedback can sound, and check out more tips in our guide, "How Do I Focus on the Positives with My Child?" when you join Parent as Learning Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Help feed your child's curiosity by paying attention to what’s happening when they’re investigating things. Ask questions so you can learn more about where they are and help them get to the next level. Questions help make them make connections.

🎙️ In Episode 23 of the , our Studer Education colleague, Basil Kuloba, who is also Executive Director of Inertia, shares tips for making learning fun. Listen now to Episode 23: STEAM-powered Learning 👉 https://bit.ly/3rd95Gr

Join us Live on Instagram Wednesday, April 7, at 4:00 CT! We want to help you and your child Transition Back to School. Head over to Parent as Learning Coach on Instagram and follow us to be notified when we go live!

When we go live, you'll hear:

- Our top questions to use when you talk to your child’s teacher.
- Some strategies for making the most of a conversation with your child’s teacher.

In less than 30 minutes we'll share these tips that you can use right now as your child transitions back to school!

You can use these questions to talk to your child’s teacher about school anytime! Join us live on Wednesday and bring your questions!

As you Transition Back to School,
check in and make sure you Go Back with the Right Mindset. In this session, we give 2 practical tips for having the right mindset. We also talk about how your mindset about school can impact your child’s mindset.

In case you missed it, you can catch the first in our series of Transitioning Back to School. Here, we share 2 practical tips for having the right mindset. Watch now 👉 https://bit.ly/3dsEI9V

As you Transition Back to School, check in and make sure you Go Back with the Right Mindset. In this session, we give 2 practical tips for having the right mindset. We also talk about how your mindset about school can impact your child’s mindset.

*SLIME RECIPE* 🔬✨ Here's a fun weekend idea to try with your child... make some slime!

You'll just need a few things to create your own slime:
- Cornstarch
- Liquid - water
- Food coloring
- Glitter (there's also an edible version!)

In Episode 23 of the School House Podcast Executive Director of Inertia Basil Kuloba says making slime is a great learning activity. He also shares many more tips for making learning fun. 🎙️ Listen now to Episode 23: STEAM-powered Learning: https://bit.ly/3d18TVy

Reflection is an important part of the learning process, and you can help your child build this valuable habit. Reflection builds self-awareness, which will help them succeed in school and life.

3-2-1 is a tool that helps your child reflect and it takes just a few minutes. It works by providing your child with three reflection prompts related to the topic they're working on.

An example might look like this:
- Tell me three new things you learned this week at school.
- Ask me two questions about anything you learned that you don't understand.
- Tell me one thing that happened this week at school that you're grateful for.

This is just one example. In addition to using 3-2-1 to reflect over the week or the day, it can also be used to help your child reflect over specific subjects or assignments. Learn more about how to use this tool by joining Parent as Learning Coach, where you can access all parent guides including "Use 3-2-1 to Help Your Child Self-Reflect"👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Help! My child is having a schoolwork meltdown! Parents, one of the best ways to get through a schoolwork meltdown and back on track with the assignment is to take a breather.

Give your child 10 minutes to walk away from the work and reset.

6 things your child can do during the break:
-Calming breaths
-Color
-Eat a healthy snack and drink water
-Jump rope
-Hula hoop
-Bounce a ball

🔗Find 4 more ways to get through a schoolwork meltdown in our guide: How Do I Help My Child Through a Schoolwork Meltdown? Get it when you join Parent as Learning Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Just like adults, kids like patterns and structure. Routines and procedures can help children feel successful and help them get things accomplished. Helping your child understand exactly how a task should look can help them move forward confidently with their schoolwork.

In 3 steps, learn how to teach your child procedures that eventually become routines. Join Parent as Learning Coach and checking out the guide Teach Your Child Procedures 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

The words we choose when communicating with our child’s teacher matter. Pausing to plan out the message before talking to the teacher can help make for a successful conversation. In our parent guide, Use Key Words to Talk to the Teacher, learn how to prepare for those discussions in three key steps.

🔗 Join Parent As Learning Coach and check out the guide now 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

Building a positive connection to your child's teacher benefits all involved, most importantly your child. When parents and teachers work as a team, students have the greatest opportunity for success.

Make contact early in the school year and find out the teacher's preferred method and times of communication. This shows that you respect their time and that you care.

Get involved! Parents who volunteer in the classroom or offer support in other ways often get access to the teacher that strengthens the relationship.

Acknowledge and appreciate your child's teacher, and your child will too!

Check out more tips in our guide Build a Positive Connection with the Teacher when you join Parent as Learning Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

@ Tag a parent who needs to see these questions!

Movement breaks of any kind are beneficial for kids, but coordinated movement (think learning a dance routine or kicking a soccer ball into a goal) has added benefits... Movement that is more complex triggers the release of chemicals that support brain functioning. And-- coordinated movement with others takes it a step further-- also developing your child's social and emotional skills. Inspired to help your child move, yet?

🔗 Get more tips for incorporating movement into your child's day to support the learning, by listening to Episode 20 of the School House Podcast, Movement and Learning >> https://bit.ly/3rDljZV 🎙️

It’s not easy to watch your child struggle, but it's actually an important part of learning and growing. But how do you know when to let the struggle happen and when to step in and help?

🔗 In Episode 9 of the , When Your Child Struggles, pick up 4 tips on how to coach your child as they face a new challenge: https://bit.ly/2OtZX2C 🎙️

We're going Live to help as your kids Transition Back to School. Head over to our Parent as Learning Coach Instagram and join us for a 3-part series that will leave you feeling ready to coach the learning...in any setting.

Transition Back to School:
✏️ Go Back with the Right Mindset | Wednesday, March 24 at 4:00 – 4:30 CT
✏️ Talk to Your Child about School | Wednesday, March 31 at 4:00 – 4:30 CT
✏️ Reach Out to the Teacher | Wednesday, April 7 at 4:00 – 4:30 CT

Follow us on Instagram to notified when we go live:

In less than 30 minutes, we’ll give you our best tips for transitioning back to school.

This series is for the parent who is full of concerns, the parent who isn’t even sure what concerns they should have, and the parent who just wants to make sure they are offering the right support. We’ll talk about what you can do to prepare your child and yourself.

Come with your questions and learn some strategies that will help you and your child transition back to classroom life.
✔️Bonus: These strategies are timeless! You can use them for years to come.

As parents, we coach our children every day; it’s just what we do. Telling our children to say “thank you” or “please,” reminding them not to run out in the street, and encouraging them to share are just some of the ways we coach our children.

Coaching your child's learning sometimes feels different from the usual coaching we do and may even seem intimidating, but it’s really not.

There are some simple strategies you can use to coach learning.

Try these tips:
-Celebrate your child’s learning successes (even the small ones)
-Identify an area needing improvement and then support your child in making that improvement

To learn more how to coach your child’s learning, click the link in bio to join Parent as Learning Coach and check out the Tips for a Learning Coach guide 👉 https://bit.ly/3pkSCis

School can feel stressful sometimes -- for students and parents. Tip: Spend 10 minutes doing something you love everyday. You deserve this time for yourself. Encourage your child to do the same. As school social worker Robin Matarrazzo puts it in Episode 19 of the , creating moments of joy each day is key for getting through overwhelming moments.

What brings you joy and refreshes you? Make our day and let us know in the comments 👇

For more tips on overcoming overwhelm, listen to Episode 19: Overcoming Overwhelm as a Parent https://bit.ly/3q79sBO 🔗

There's always a silver lining. 💡 📚 In a recent Harvard Business Review article, former CEO of Guardian Deanna Mulligan reminds us all there's opportunity during these unique times we can embrace.

https://hbr.org/2021/01/the-former-ceo-of-guardian-on-using-values-to-drive-strategic-planning