"By parents, for parents. That is what makes Smart Parents: Parenting for Powerful Learning different from most parenting books. Drawing on personal parenting stories and expert advice from more than 60 contributors, this guide will leave you with ideas you can put into action immediately."--from back cover.

Award-winning education journalist Peg Tyre mines up-to-the-minute research to equip parents with the tools and knowledge necessary to get their children the best education possible We all know that the quality of education served up to our children in U.S. schools ranges from outstanding to shockingly inadequate. How can parents tell the difference? And how do they make sure their kids get what's best? Even the most involved and informed parents can feel overwhelmed and confused when making important decisions about their child's education. And the scary truth is that evaluating a school based on test scores and college admissions data is like selecting a car based on the color of its paint. Synthesizing cutting-edge research and firsthand reporting, Peg Tyre offers parents far smarter and more sophisticated ways to assess a classroom and decide if the school and the teacher have the right stuff. Passionate and persuasive, The Good School empowers parents to make sense of headlines; constructively engage teachers, administrators, and school boards; and figure out the best option for their child—be that a local public school, a magnet program, a charter school, homeschooling, parochial, or private.

WINNER! Mom's Choice Gold Award for parenting books -- Mom's Choice Awards: The best in family-friendly media "My kid is smart, but..." It takes more than school smarts to create a fulfilling life. In fact, many bright children face special challenges: Some are driven by perfectionism; Some are afraid of effort, because they're used to instant success; Some routinely butt heads with authority figures; Some struggle to get along with their peers; Some are outwardly successful but just don't feel good about themselves. This practical and compassionate book explains the reasons behind these struggles and offers parents do-able strategies to help children cope with feelings, embrace learning, and build satisfying relationships. Drawing from research as well as the authors’ clinical experience, it focuses on the essential skills children need to make the most of their abilities and become capable, confident, and caring people.

Leading family psychologist and personal therapist to Jaycee Dugard, Rebecca Bailey tells parents how to keep their children safe in this accessible, must-have guidebook, with a foreword by Terry Probyn, Jaycee's mother. Whether their children are toddlers or teens, six years old or sixteen, whether they live in a rural town, suburb, or a bustling city, all parents worry about threats—from cyber-bullying to exploitation and abduction. What should they tell their children and when? What practical steps can they take to reduce the risks and keep their kids safe? Dr. Rebecca Bailey, with the assistance of her sister and registered nurse, Elizabeth, gives easily understood, easily followed answers. Safe Kids, Smart Parents builds on Dr. Bailey’s years of experience as a family psychologist helping real families deal with real situations. From abduction to abuse, Bailey explains how parents can speak to their kids about troubling topics while building their self-esteem and teaching them how to protect themselves. A smart, comprehensive, and easy-to-read resource, Safe Kids, Smart Parents is the most important book a parent can own.

A commonsense book that helps parents help their children get the most out of learning and school by indicating what should be happening at given levels of the child's education. FROM CHAPTER ONE: "And so it is clear that the more parents can do to help their children reach full potential in school, the more likely the children are to find fulfillment in the competitive era ahead. This is a book meant to help parents achieve that goal; it is a blueprint for success. Parents must start early to groom their children for school. By the time a child is three years old, a substantial portion of his or her intelligence has already developed. And by the age of six, according to some experts, the child’s whole future is determined."

A fully revised edition of the most comprehensive guide to sensory processing challenges "At last, here are the insights and answers parents have been searching for." —Dr. Temple Grandin For children with sensory difficulties—those who struggle process everyday sensations and exhibit unusual behaviors such as avoiding or seeking out touch, movement, sounds, and sights—this groundbreaking book is an invaluable resource. Sensory processing challenges affect all kinds of kind—from those with developmental delays, learning and attenion issues, or autism spectrum disorder to those without any other issues. Now in its third edition, Raising a Sensory Smart Child is even more comprehensive and helpful than ever. In this book, you'll learn: * How the 8 senses (yes, 8!) are supposed to work together and what happens when they don't * Practical solutions for daily challenges-from brushing teeth to getting dressed to handling holiday gatherings * Strategies for managing sensitivities to noise, smell textures, and more * "Sensory diet" activities that help meet sensory needs, with new ideas for kids, teens, adults, and families * Parenting tips for handling discipline, transitions, and behavioral issues * How to practically and emotionally support children and teens with autism and sensory issues * Ways to advocate for your child at school and make schools more "sensory smart" * How to help your child with sensory issues use technology effectively and responsibly * Ways to empower your child and teen in the world * Where to get the best professional help and complementary therapies ***WINNER of the NAPPA GOLD AWARD and iPARENTING MEDIA AWARD***

Confident Parents, Confident Kids lays out an approach for helping parents—and the kids they love—hone their emotional intelligence so that they can make wise choices, connect and communicate well with others (even when patience is thin), and become socially conscious and confident human beings. How do we raise a happy, confident kid? And how can we be confident that our parenting is preparing our child for success? Our confidence develops from understanding and having a mastery over our emotions (aka emotional intelligence)—and helping our children do the same. Like learning to play a musical instrument, we can fine-tune our ability to skillfully react to those crazy, wonderful, big feelings that naturally arise from our child’s constant growth and changes, moving from chaos to harmony. We want our children to trust that they can conquer any challenge with hard work and persistence; that they can love boundlessly; that they will find their unique sense of purpose; and they will act wisely in a complex world. This book shows you how. With author and educator Jennifer Miller as your supportive guide, you'll learn: the lies we’ve been told about emotions, how they shape our choices, and how we can reshape our parenting decisions in better alignment with our deepest values. how to identify the temperaments your child was born with so you can support those tendencies rather than fight them. how to align your biggest hopes and dreams for your kids with specific skills that can be practiced, along with new research to support those powerful connections. about each age and stage your child goes through and the range of learning opportunities available. how to identify and manage those big emotions (that only the parenting process can bring out in us!) and how to model emotional intelligence for your children. how to deal with the emotions and influences of your choir—the many outside individuals and communities who directly impact your child’s life, including school, the digital world, extended family, neighbors, and friends. Raising confident, centered, happy kids—while feeling the same way about yourself—is possible with Confident Parents, Confident Kids.

This book has been replaced by Smart but Scattered, Second Edition, ISBN 978-1-4625-5459-1.

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Wise and addictive... The Gifted School is the juiciest novel I've read in ages... a suspenseful, laugh-out-loud page-turner and an incisive inspection of privilege, race and class." –J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Friends and Strangers, in The New York Times Smart and juicy, a compulsively readable novel about a previously happy group of friends and parents that is nearly destroyed by their own competitiveness when an exclusive school for gifted children opens in the community, from the author of The Displacements This deliciously sharp novel captures the relentless ambitions and fears that animate parents and their children in modern America, exploring the conflicts between achievement and potential, talent and privilege. Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado, The Gifted School is a keenly entertaining novel that observes the drama within a community of friends and parents as good intentions and high ambitions collide in a pile-up with long-held secrets and lies. Seen through the lens of four families who've been a part of one another's lives since their kids were born over a decade ago, the story reveals not only the lengths that some adults are willing to go to get ahead, but the effect on the group's children, sibling relationships, marriages, and careers, as simmering resentments come to a boil and long-buried, explosive secrets surface and detonate. It's a humorous, keenly observed, timely take on ambitious parents, willful kids, and the pursuit of prestige, no matter the cost.

A groundbreaking parenting guidebook addressing the trait of “high sensitivity” in children, from the psychologist and bestselling author of The Highly Sensitive Person whose books have sold more than 1 million copies With the publication of The Highly Sensitive Person, pioneering psychotherapist Dr. Elaine Aron became the first person to identify the inborn trait of “high sensitivity” and to show how it affects the lives of those who possess it. In The Highly Sensitive Child, Dr. Aron shifts her focus to the 15 to 20 percent of children who are born highly sensitive—deeply reflective, sensitive to the subtle, and easily overwhelmed. These qualities can make for smart, conscientious, creative children, but also may result in shyness, fussiness, or acting out. As Dr. Aron shows in The Highly Sensitive Child, if your child seems overly inhibited, particular, or you worry that they may have a neurodevelopmental disorder, such as ADHD or autism, they may simply be highly sensitive. And raised with proper understanding and care, highly sensitive children can grow up to be happy, healthy, well-adjusted adults. Rooted in Dr. Aron’s years of experience working with highly sensitive children and their families, as well as in her original research on child temperament, The Highly Sensitive Child explores the challenges of raising an HSC; the four keys to successfully parenting an HSC; how to help HSCs thrive in a not-so-sensitive world; and how to make school and friendships enjoyable. With chapters addressing the needs of specific age groups, from newborns to teens, The Highly Sensitive Child is the ultimate resource for parents, teachers, and the sensitive children in their lives.