Teachers aren’t IT when it comes to how and what children learn. Family Playlists help kids teach their parents. And that’s helping kids to increase their school performance. Oh, and it’s also helping both parents and their kiddos to learn.

So, what is this program and how does it help students? Family Playlists is an interactive homework tool created by the educational nonprofit PowerMyLearning. Teachers using this program assign Family Playlists to their students as homework assignments. The educator can choose from either a ready-made standards-aligned Playlist (for students in grades 3 through 8) or create a new one.

The “family partner”, either a parent or other adult family member, receives a text with a link to open the Playlist on their phone. Magic! Kind of. Through the power of technology, parents can connect with what their children are learning and know when it’s time to start an assignment. Instead of quietly doing homework on their own, the child becomes the teacher. Yep, that’s right. The child teaches their adult about what they’re learning in school, using collaborative activities.

When the activity or project is done, the “family partner” sends feedback to the teacher. Along with strengthening the learning relationship between the parent and the child, the end result gives the teacher much-needed info on how they can better meet the child’s needs — academically and social-emotionally.

What do you think about using a program, such as Family Playlists, to increase parental engagement in student learning? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

—Erica Loop

 

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