Let Them Thrive: A Playbook for Helping Your Child Succeed in School and in Life

by Katie Novak

Let Them Thrive provides parents with a practical understanding of how education works--and how it can work better--for their children. Every learner is as unique as his or her fingerprints. But one-size-fits-all schooling doesn't account for those variations. In this highly readable book (with unique cartoon illustrations), bestselling author, educator, and parent Katie Novak introduces the research-based framework Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Parents learn the origins of UDL in the learning sciences and in practice. (UDL is prominent in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act). They also learn strategies, tips, and tools to support their children's learning in school and in life. Let Them Thrive is an important new contribution to the growing literature on UDL, the first such book directly aimed at parents.

170 pages, Trade Paperback

Published August 1, 2017

About the author

Katie Novak, Ed.D., is an internationally renowned education consultant, author, graduate instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. With 20 years of experience in teaching and administration, an earned doctorate in curriculum and teaching, and ten published books, Katie designs and presents workshops both nationally and internationally focusing on the implementation of inclusive practices, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), multi-tiered systems of support, and universally designed leadership. Novak’s work has impacted educators worldwide as her contributions and collaborations have built upon the foundation for an educational framework that is critical for student success.

Dr. Novak is the author of the best-selling books, UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classrooms, Innovate Inside the Box, with George Couros, Equity by Design, with Mirko Chardin, and UDL and Blended Learning with Catlin Tucker.

Reviews

[Leslie Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

School would be so much better if students could select their learning material from a buffet, rather than a casserole. Educator and mom, Katie Novak, describes this and more in LET THEM THRIVE

When I was a kid, I hated math. I never understood the 'why,' to many of the the concepts. It wasn't put into real-world perspective (at least for me when I was a kid). And then I read Katie Novak's description of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in her book, LET THEM THRIVE: A Playbook for Helping Your Child Succeed in School and Life and it made perfect sense.

Learners (even adult learners) need to understand the 'why' of learning for it to be meaningful. That's what the UDL calls the 'affective' piece of learning. Recruit their interest. The second piece is 'the recognition network,' that is, the 'what' of learning; what they need to know and the third component is the 'strategic network,' activating and action plan to express the new information in a meaningful manner.

THRIVE is teaching kids to be effective life-long learners; it's about the *process* of learning rather than the outcomes (memorization that may not have any lasting meaning or significance to the student).

Novak's writing style is conversational, approachable, and accessible for just about anyone, but I felt THRIVE might be best geared toward teachers or parents who *are* teachers. Home schooling parents could benefit, too. Novak presents some really great charts and tips for breaking down the UDL into understandable terms and presenting them into real-world examples.

My only 'concern' with this style of teaching and learning (which is highly hands-on and creative) is that teachers will grumble that they don't have enough time or resources to put the principles of UDL into action. A teacher would need to be very open to new ideas using different technology, arranging the classroom in such a way that students can have multiple learning stations, etc. If I were a teacher, I'd totally do this, but not all teachers have the same skill set. Ah, which goes to say not all children have the same learning capacity; that's *exactly* the message of THRIVE.

THRIVE is a great parent-teacher primer for the back-to-school season and will give you a framework for teaching at home and supplementing lessons your children in school.

For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
Special thanks to PRbytheBook for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Yonasan Aryeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Dr. Novak introduces the research-based framework on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The goal is to assist parents with enabling their children to have success in school and in life. In this playbook, Novak uses UDL to focus on how parents can be intentional and involved in their child’s education process, looking at how each child has options and notices about how they learn and what to do with that. A departure from the traditional model that gives all students the same experience and those that deviate as needing “fixing,” UDL is designed to help personalize experiences to enable student success and long-term growth. This book removes the home/school barrier and presents a more holistic alternative.

Novak starts the book with a reasonable argument: if technology evolves to meet the needs of society, then why shouldn’t education evolve to meet the needs of youth today? It’s a great point to consider. Additionally, she has the statistics to prove her points. What Novak argues for in the book is a great idea, but the application is much the harder, and she recognizes this. It will take not just parental support, but parental involvement (beyond PTA) to change the trajectory of this ship. This book is a great start to the conversation, one that has the initial step: reading it. Luckily, it’s not just the idea that’s engaging, but Novak’s voice as an author, as well. Easy to engage and encouraging, Her method of writing is the same as what she’s teaching: multiple ways to engage, multiple ways to comprehend, and multiple ways to express.

Personally, this approach is essential. It’s what Portland Seminary does with their Doctor of Ministry dissertation track: give students ways to learn, express, and teach in order to go beyond mastery of the material.

Disclosure: I have received a reviewer copy and/or payment in exchange for an honest review of the product mentioned in this post. This product is reviewed based on content and quality in consideration of the intended audience. Review or recommendation of this product does not solicit endorsement from Reviews by J or the reviewer.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personalize for Successful Learning

Everyone is unique, and we prefer to learn in different ways. Some people are visual learners; others are auditory learners; and some, sensory or tactile learners. Capitalizing on each student’s strength leads to a successful learning experience.

In Let Them Thrive, Novak presents a framework, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to facilitate using variety to reach all students. Parents are encouraged to be part of the process. Each experience at home whether baking cookies or traveling can be a learning experience designed to engage the child.

There are several major drawbacks to this good idea. Schools are structured along traditional lines with many schools providing specific lesson plans. They strive for homogeneous classrooms to make this approach work. UDL suggests that teachers need more freedom to present concepts to their class in a way that benefits those learners. Teachers are supposed to be professionals. They should be treated that way.

Another drawback is busy parents. With both parents working high pressure jobs, there’s little time to interact with the children. This is something parents have more or less control over. It may not be easy, but there’s always a way to find time to spend with your children.

I enjoyed the book and hope some of these ideas find their way into the classroom. Certainly, interested parents should get started. They may also be helpful in getting schools to adopt and more flexible approach to learning.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not the target audience for this. This book is for parents within the school system. We homeschool for many of the reasons she is critical of organized schools. There was some other info about learning styles and love languages but this was not new information to me.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great beginner guide to UDL (Universal Design Learning) and how it can be useful in classrooms across the country. This book is intended to be read by parents but as an educator, I can say it was highly informative for me. It makes me want to jump into another book to learn even more.