ABCs of School Success by Wesley Sharpe
Reviewed by Karri Compton
"If all you need is a quick reference guide to some of the major issues children face in school, this fits the bill."
Parents want their children to succeed in school. But many parents don’t know what they can do to help them get the most out of their education. Many kids struggle through school with varying degrees of difficulty, but eventually graduate to live productive lives.
But are our children reaching their full potential? Dr. Sharpe says they can, and that we as parents are key in that objective.
The author gives a wealth of information on such topics as safety (including internet safety), bullying, learning style, creativity, discipline, teacher conferences, and traits of a good family. As is true with most things, the narrower the subject, the deeper a book can delve into the subject. Conversely, the broader the subject, the more shallow the book will have to be unless it is inordinately long. This book belongs in the latter category. But that isn’t to say there is not great value in it.
Suffice it to say, if you need help with your ADD/ADHD child, go buy a book on that. Or if you want detailed resources for homeschooling, get a home school catalog or book. This work skims the surface of these issues, acting as a starting point for help in those areas, or a springboard that can lead you to more in depth study.
My favorite chapter is the one titled “Don’t Forget About Values.” The author asserts that it isn’t the number of rules that help children succeed in school, but clearly set values about right and wrong that are exemplified by the parents. An illustration of what values a family may have and which rules a family may set for children in order to encourage acceptable behavior is included in this chapter. This is very helpful for the family who hasn’t thought out exactly what they value and how they will cultivate these values in the home.
I love numbered lists, and there are an almost innumerable amount of them in this book. Readers who enjoy the “ten-easy-ways-to” style of learning will find much help within these pages. And you don’t have to read the book all the way through (202 pages) to get benefit. It is more of a reference that one can keep returning to when different problems arise with kids.
If all you need is a quick reference guide to some of the major issues
children face in school, this fits the bill. If your child is struggling
with one or two particular school-related problems, you may want to search
further and obtain a more specialized group of materials to assist you.
Karri
Compton,
wife and mother of three, devours Christian fiction whenever possible. Her favorite
genre is suspense/thriller, especially Ted Dekker novels. Since promoting biblical
worldview fiction is dear to her heart, she reviews on her blog, Fiction
Fanatics
Only! and is a staff reviewer and interviewer for such sites as The Christian
Suspense Zone. Her latest published work appears in Peculiar People's novel collaboration,
Delivered. She is a member of such writers' groups as The Lost Genre Guild and
FCW. Editing the completed first draft of her novel keeps her busy, as well as
performing in musicals put on by her local community theater association.
