I liked the focus on on finding opportunities to learn all around us. The book is easy to understand, without any complicated jargon or language. It's a comprehensive guide for parents, and I had the opportunity to interview the author to learn more.
Why did you write this book?
As an educator I noticed that a lot children weren’t prepared to become a Top Student, once in school and after twenty years of experience in education and years of research, even with my own children and students, I realized that there was a need for a guide to help parents jumpstart their children’s education before school. This book is for the parents who are able and willing to go the extra mile in order to help their children become all they can be.
Why is it important for parents to have a guide to help them through the educational process for their children?
Most parents believe school is the beginning of their children’s education and that’s just not true. According to scientific research, the critical learning period for children is between the ages of 8 and 18 months, and by the time they are 8 years old they are already set in molds that determine their academic futures. While preschool programs beginning as early as age 3 certainly help, the child’s critical learning period is still missed.
When we send our children to kindergarten, they automatically fall into the top, middle, or bottom of the class. Those whose parents give them the best foundation for learning during their preschool years are the fittest. They begin school with a head start; they’re confident, have the beginning of a healthy self-esteem, have advanced vocabularies, speak in complete sentences, and learn their ABC’s and numbers with ease. Having done a good job preparing them for school, their parents help and support them by making certain they understand their assignments and do their homework.
At the other end of the spectrum are the children who receive little preparation for school. Rather than bedtime stories, their days usually end in front of the television. When they enter school, they’re already at the bottom of the class; they’re shy and withdrawn, have poor language development and comprehension skills, must learn how to follow simple instructions, and have difficulty learning their ABCs and numbers. They can’t compete, because the top students are learning much more rapidly, becoming further ahead, while these poor kids struggle to learn what the others already know when they enter school. Many of them never catch up, because they don’t do their Top Students, Top Parents work, or even understand how to do it.
Why is there such a discrepancy in the manner in which children are prepared for school?
The difference is, parents of the top students know how to prepare and support their children, and they are willing to go the extra mile to see that their children receive the best start in life. For decades, American students have been underperforming compared to other nations. Billions of dollars continue to be thrown away on the same old remedies in hopes of increasing students’ test scores: better teachers, new books, updated curriculum, and expensive studies to determine how to help kids learn. None of these “fix-its” have worked.
What sets this book apart from other books about school success?
Top Students Top Parents leads the way with straightforward language that cuts through all the academic jargon of so many other books. It is by far the most comprehensive guide for parents on the market today. This book can also be applied to a homeschool environment as well. It’s not based off a set curriculum; yet coming from my experience as an educator I understand the fundamentals needed for a student to be truly successful in the classroom and what parents can do to aid in their success, even without knowing curriculum and formal education. 
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