Understanding the education system and a parent’s role in it can be quite the challenge.
After many requests, we have created this page to help parents. Continue to email us with your questions and we will post the answers!
People for Education is a parent-led organization working to support public education in Ontario’s French, Catholic and English School Boards. They have lots of useful information, including Parent Tip Sheets – general school-based information for parents, including information about what to ask teachers during parent/teacher interviews.
Are you looking for information on EQAO Testing, provincial testing for students in grades 3, 6 & 9? The EQAO website has loads of helpful information, as does the People for Education site.
Helping Your Child Learn
Looking for tools and tips to help support your child’s learning? Here are some excellent resources:
School fees are voluntary. This means parents do not have to pay for the agenda or for curriculum-related books (math workbooks). If a family does not pay for the agenda (or other requests), the school still needs to find the money, which is why they are asking for your help. The school will help make these voluntary fees affordable if needed. Please discuss with your child’s teacher.
LINKS
WEBSITES
CHILD DEVELOPMENT
- THE TUFTS CHILD AND FAMILY WEBGUIDE
The Webguide is a directory of expert-reviewed sites on children and families that evaluates, describes and provides links to hundreds of sites containing child development research and practical advice.
- ENCYCLOPEDIA ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
This encyclopedia is available free of charge. It covers topics related to the development of the child, from conception to the age of five, and presents the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. There are information sheets for parents and service providers available on the website as well.
- THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
This website is designed to provide the information and tools parents need to understand their unique children. Includes parenting articles, news, and tips on raising happy, healthy, successful kids and teens.
PARENTING
- THE OTTAWA PARENT RESOURCE CENTRE
The Parent Resource Centre presents this website to connect you with Ottawa resources available to all parents, caregivers and those who support them. This website offers information about programs, workshops, and where to get parenting help
- PARENTBOOKS
For Families, Parentbooks offers the most comprehensive selection of resources available anywhere — from planning a family to everyday parenting issues to special needs of all kinds. For Professionals, Parentbooks’ selection of resources for caregivers, counsellors, therapists, educators and clinicians serving the everyday and special needs of families is unequaled.
- LIVES IN THE BALANCE
Providing hope, compassion, support, and help for behaviorally-challenging kids and their caregivers, Lives in the Balance is the non-profit organization founded by child psychologist Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School. Provides free, web-based resources to help people understand these kids in ways that are more compassionate and accurate, and to help them in ways that are more effective.
- CHILDREN AND DIVORCE, ROBERT EMERY
Dr. Emery explains, step by step, how parents can manage the potentially toxic feelings of their divorce and deal more effectively with the necessary daily tasks—from talking to children and creating a workable parenting schedule to dealing with legal issues.
- PLANNED PARENTHOOD
A parent-to-parent guide on how to talk to children about sexuality
MENTAL HEALTH
- eMENTALHEALTH
eMentalHealth is a comprehensive mental health website serving various geographic locations throughout Canada. Its goal is to improve the mental health of individuals and communities by making it easy for them to connect to mental health information and resources. Includes information sheets on a variety of mental health issues.
- THE ABC’S OF MENTAL HEALTH
The ABC’s of Mental Health provides two free, web-based resources – one for teachers and one for parents. The Resources include ideas for promoting the mental health of children and adolescents, information about how children change as they get older, descriptions of behaviours that might indicate a problem, and practical suggestions for steps to take.
- CHEO – WAITING FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Offers advice on what you can do while you wait to see a mental health professional.
- STOP PICKING
Offers the only interactive program for self-injurious skin picking (SISP), a fee-based behavioral program designed to help reduce skin picking and that can be completed online.
- PROMOTING RELATIONSHIPS & ELIMINATING VIOLENCE NETWORK
PREVNet is a national network of leading researchers and organizations, working together to stop bullying in Canada. Through education, research, training and policy change, PREVNet aims to stop the violence caused by bullying.
- MAUDSLEY PARENTS
A site for parents of eating disordered children.This is a volunteer organization of parents who have helped their children recover from anorexia and bulimia through the use of Family-Based Treatment, also known as the Maudlsey approach: an evidence-based therapy for eating disorders.
- EFFECTIVE CHILD THERAPY
This site was developed to educate the public and professionals about evidence-based mental health treatment for children and adolescents. These mental health treatments have the strongest scientific support, and are most likely to work.
NUTRITION
- EAT RIGHT ONTARIO
A government-funded initiative where Ontario residents can email or call a dietitian for free.
BOOKS
RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR PARENTING
- Webster-Stratton (1992). The incredible years: Trouble Shooting Guide for Parents of Children Aged 3-8.
- Lee Canter (1995) Managing the morning rush: shaping up your family’s morning routine. Canter & Associates
- Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish (1999). How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk. Avon Books
- Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish (1987). Siblings without rivalry. Avon Books
RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR PARENTING TEENAGERS
- Adele Faber (2006). How to talk so teens will listen and listen so teens will talk. Avon Books
- Dr. Peter Marshall and Barbara Coloroso (2007). Now I know why tigers eat their young: Surviving a new generation of teenagers.
- Anthony Wolf (2002). Get out of my life but first can you drive me and Cheryl to the mall?
- Russell Barkley (2008). Your defiant teen: 10 steps to resolve conflict and rebuild your relationship.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR ANXIETY FOR PARENTS
- Tamar Chansky (2004). Freeing your child from anxiety: powerful, practical solutions to overcome your child’s fears, worries, and phobias, Broadway Books.
- Ronald M. Rapee (2000). Helping Your Anxious Child: a Step-By-Step Guide for Parents, New Harbinger.
- John S. Dacey, and others (2001). Your Anxious Child: How Parents and Teachers Can Relieve Anxiety in Children, Jossey-Bass.
- Dr. Katharina Manassis (1996). Keys to Parenting Your Anxious Child, Barron’s Educational Series.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR ANXIETY IN TEENAGERS
- Albert Ellis (2000) How to control your anxiety before it controls you, Citadel Press.
A guide to controlling unhealthy anxiety explores the wide range of anxiety-related dysfunctions and includes more than two hundred rational maxims for staving off anxiety.
- Albert Ellis and Arthur Lange (1994). How to keep people from pushing your buttons, Birch Lane Press.
This book provides specific, realistic ways to keep people and events from pushing your buttons.
- E. Jane Garland and Sandra L. Clark (2002). Worry Taming for Teens.
A guide for teens on understanding and overcoming anxiety, panic, shyness, and other worry-related conditions
- Judy Blume (1972). Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great.
A novel about Sheila Tubman, a girl with many fears and anxieties, a few of which she has to face one summer.