A Parent's Guide to Educational Planning

Would you like to help your child succeed in high school and go to college? Of course you would. That's why Take Stock in Children has designed this Parent Guide to College - to give parents of Take Stock in Children scholars information and tools they can use to prepare their children for college. This Parent Guide is a mini-course full of practical tips, activities, and ideas that will make your child's educational planning and preparation much easier and more productive.

If you read each section of this course and use the information, you will greatly increase the chances that your child will do better in school and stay on track for college. Many of these things are so simple and obvious that parents often overlook them. Remember, however, that the little things you do everyday can sometimes make a big difference in your child's life! Helping prepare your child also can be a great way to strengthen your relationship and show him how much you care about his future.
What The Course Can Do

Become Your Child's Advocate.

You might think that you will have to learn how to tutor your child to help him with school, but this is not the case. In fact, your main job is not to help your child understand the subject matter of courses, but to make sure that experts - teachers, counselors, tutors - are addressing your child's needs. As a parent, the first thing to realize is that you don't have to go it alone. Preparing a child for college is long-term activity that requires the assistance of many people. This course will show you how to be your child's advocate. Being an advocate means helping others help your child. This course will show you how to be an effective advocate for your child.

Raise Expectations.

The first thing you have to do is to remember that your child is special and that he is capable of improving: if he believes he can. Children most often perform at the level that everyone expects them to. If they believe they are "average," they will perform at that level. They will also begin to lose faith in their ability to improve. "I just don't do well in school." If you believe your child is special, your child will begin to act out this belief. You are a role model for your child. You can be a role model for your child by treating his education as the most important thing in the world! This course will show you how to be a role model to raise the expectations of your child to new heights.

Coaching Your Child.

Do you know how many championships Michael Jordan won before Phil Jackson was his coach? How many did Shaq win? Or Kobe? The answer is none. Could Phil Jackson win without such talent? No. The point is that talent needs to be coached to bring out its full potential. Coaches identify players' skills and potential, give them winning strategies, and motivate them in all sorts of ways. This course will teach you how to be an academic coach for your child.

Learning How to Learn.

An athletic coach is one who helps build players' physical skills; an academic coach helps build academic skills. Did you know that parents can help their children learn how to learn? This is one area that schools often take for granted: the development of good study habits and skills. Without these habits and skills, students are not likely to perform well, no matter how gifted they may be. This course will show you how to teach your child some basic study and academic skills so that he can get the most out of his potential.
Click here to view the complete course.