Parents as Talent Developers

Many parents are able to recognize their child’s talents, but it is a rare parent that devises ways to develop these talents to their fullest. Parents who do accomplish this goal exist at all levels of society and in all ethnic groups. There are also sensitive and caring teachers, mentors, and coaches who are able to recognize inherent talents and find ways to development them. This book contains the secrets of minority parents who achieved this goal. The title of this book, Parents as Talent Developers, captures this achievement. How did we find such parents? Our research teams went to public schools in minority neighborhoods in New York City and Long Island to find high achieving African American and Latino children. We then visited their families and interviewed the parents and children separately to uncover what the parents did to warrant such high achievement. These exceptional parents, as we refer to them, took the initiative in working with their children, expressed their expectations openly, and followed through with the necessary behavior and support to ensure their child performed well and gained the sense that he or she could really “make it” in school. It is these minority parents who are the instructors in this book. We have talked with them, wrote down their stories, and extracted the parental practices that we call “kernels.” Kernels is a technical research term derived from the treatment and prevention field. Kernels are seeds in the plant world. The kernels on an ear of corn are the seeds needed to grow the next generation of corn. We use this term in the sense that each parental practice that we highlight in this book should be viewed as a seed for your child’s academic growth. The structure of this book is designed to provide an easy resource to read and share with extended family members. Our goal is to empower parents and the extended family by giving them tools, strategies, and game plans needed to help their children become high achievers in school. By helping these children be more productive during their formative years in school, they provide a solid basis for high achievement in adulthood. Parents will always be the essential link between the child and a successful school experience. In the minority community this is especially true. The support and involvement of the minority family is one of the most significant factors in determining student academic success. The 96 kernels presented in this book are central to its mission. They are embedded in the text where they are explained in detail. They are also summarized in the Appendix to help parents focus their attention on them. Frequently referring to the kernels will help parents pick and choose among them as they construct the particular course of action for their child. Our exceptional minority parents defied all expectations by getting their children to excel despite minority achievement gaps that have persisted for many years. This book has its roots in research initially started in 1985 with high achieving children in five countries (United States, Greece, Japan, Thailand, and China). Our on-going studies have been underway for more than 30 years. We tested over 12,000 students. Their parents’ efforts are one of the key ingredients to their children’s success at school. Some of the kernels listed in this book will be simple statements of fact. When this is the case, the kernels will provide parents with some vital piece of information that leads to specific actions -- things you can do. There are other kernels that are “how to” approaches. Other kernels listed at the beginning of different chapters are specific do’s and don’t’s. They clearly define what an acceptable behavior is and what behaviors should be avoided. Kernels are easy to use. Kernels help organize the learning process. Kernels can contribute to motivation. Kernels contain no professional jargon. Kernels are micro level things that effective parents use.