Two veteran teachers guide parents through the challenging waters of a child's elementary school years.

Parents want their child to succeed in school. This book helps them promote smooth sailing for their child through all those important early school years, encouraging them to communicate with teachers early and regularly. The authors, two teachers who are also mothers, share ways to establish positive parent-teacher relationships and provide an insider's understanding of how schools actually work. Here is outstanding practical advice that parents need to help their child thrive in school.

Tips for parents cover a variety of topics, including:

• Establishing a positive relationship with teachers and the school
• Managing homework
• Interpreting report cards
• Suggestions for successful parent-teacher interviews
• Addressing conflict
• How to prepare young children to enter school
• Early reading and writing development
• Effective home-school communication
• Improving their child's study skills
• Tips for parents who need to help their child deal with peer pressure and bullying

Special chapters include information on the different ways children learn, legal and medical matters and special education concerns. There are also fun and educational activity pages for family-oriented activities that support school curriculum topics.

Borowski and Mayne have extensive experience sitting on both sides of the parent-teacher conference table, and they offer valuable insights from both perspectives.

by Betty Borowski and Laura Mayne ; with illustrations by Scot Ritchie

Betty Borowski's profile page

by Laura Mayne ; Illustrations by Scot Ritchie

Laura Mayne's profile page

Scot Ritchie est un auteur-illustrateur primé vivant à Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique. Il a illustré, et parfois écrit, plus de 40 livres pour enfants, dont Suivons la carte, Dis-moi pourquoi et There was an Old Lady that Swallowed a Puck.

Scot Ritchie is an award winning illustrator who lives in Vancouver British Columbia. He has illustrated over 40 children's books, (some of which he also wrote) including Let's Go! The Story of Getting from There to Here, Up, Up and Away and the Basics for Beginners series, Hockey, Baseball and Soccer.

Scot Ritchie's profile page

Find answers to questions such as "How do I handle parent-teacher conferences?" and "How can I establish a good relationship with my child's teacher?" plus much more in this book written by two veteran teachers and mothers. The book covers a wide array of topics, including homework and study skills, how to incorporate math into everyday life, and coping with peer pressure and bullying. First-time parents will find this guide a lifesaver during the first few years of school.

Atlanta Parent

When I first saw the American spelling in Meet the Teacher, I wondered seriously who the audience was. How can there be a book about navigating the school systems when the American and Canadian systems are so different? But Betty Borowski and Laura Mayne have achieved the seemingly impossible: they have written a book that rings true for the experience of parents across both nations. Borowski and Mayne are neither too general nor too specific to be useful to parents wherever they are.... The most salient of messages, though, is one that pervades the text: the involved, caring parent is the most powerful agent in ensuring in a good educational experience for the child.

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A must-read book for first-generation Canadians and newcomers helping their children prepare for their first Canadian school season

Canadian Newcomer

Meet the Teacher offers valuable insights to guide parents through their child's elementary school years. Two veteran teachers who are also mothers share ways to establish positive parent-teacher relationships and provide an insider's understanding of how schools actually work.

North Bay Nugget

This is an awesome book for parents with children entering school or who have been in it a few years but have questions.

SMS Book Reviews

Meet the Teacher is full of practical advice. In the chapter on reading, there are lists of recommended books categorized by type.... In the chapter on special education, you will find a feature box on the terminology used in special education and a section on steps in the special education identification process. The chapter on report cards and parent-teacher conferences includes a section on how teachers assess students and how to interpret the report card. Because of the subheadings and feature boxes, it is very easy to hone in on the information you are most interested in. The book is written in a no-nonsense style that will make parents feel comfortable and well-informed. Included in the back of the book is a list of recommended reading and web resources if parents would like more in-depth information than what is offered here. Highly recommended.

Canadian Materials