1. Were you surprised to learn that punishment of children is the least effective way to enforce rules? Why do you suppose that some parents rely on punishment rather than consider more effective parenting strategies?
2. How do different family structures influence school success? What can schools and teachers do to accommodate different family structures?
3. Why is bullying more common at the middle school level than at others? Why is it more common in males than in females? What can teachers do in their own classrooms to address this problem?
4. Consider a situation in which a parent asks a young child to pick up her toys before coming to lunch and the child responds by asking why. How do you think the autocratic parent would respond to the child’s question? How do you think a parent who is influenced by Montessori would answer the child’s question?
