How to Raise Smart Kids as an Immigrant

The other day my husband and I sat down to talk about raising smart kids for a requested You Tube video. We really wanted to do the topic justice and provide as much relevant information as possible. We are parents to three teenagers that by most standards have done well academically under the circumstances. As any parent knows, it is hard to raise a smart, moral, well rounded child, whether you are an immigrant or not. Certainly immigrant parents have some unique challenges like adapting to a new culture or new standards of education while dealing with isolation from their birth home or extended family.

In the video below we highlight tips that any parent with a young child, or even teenager, needs to know to raise a successful child. We discuss everything, from discipline to delayed gratification, early reading and even racism. We also highlight some tips that may be helpful for the single parent raising a child abroad.

Below are links to resources you may find helpful for your child, many we have used with our children, and most are FREE. And most of all, you can access them on line regardless of where you live!

CORE EDUCATION

Khan Academy provides a wide range of subject matter, from math and science to the arts, for study and review. Imagine your very own personal tutor for your children or for yourself. Its a great way for students to reinforce what they are learning or brush up on material they find challenging. Either way, it’s a great resource for parents seeking to supplement their child’s education.

LANGUAGE

Duolingo is a fantastic free program that offers basic language classes utilizing word association and subject object relationships – the same way we all learned to speak as children. The program is also multi-platform so your child can not only practice on a PC but with a tablet or smart phone as well.

MATH

Desmos is a free, interactive HTML5 online graphing calculator that help students learn and develop a passion for math.

(MS)2 Summer Math & Science Program for Minority Students @ Andover Phillips Academy is a residential program offering a rigorous and challenging learning environment for students who may not have the opportunity in their home communities..

National Numeracy is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving math literacy for children and adults in the UK.

Screenshot of www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk

COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

Code Academy teaches a variety of programming languages (Java, HTML, CSS, etc) through an interactive, hands on approach. What’s great is that students can go as fast and as far as they are comfortable. And the best part – it’s FREE!

girls who Code is a summer immersion program that provide a wonderful learning opportunity for 10th and 11th graders across the United States. Applications are available now.