Greetings Future-Ready Parent! It’s Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

Let me ask you something:

When was the last time your child memorized something for a test—only to forget it a week later?

Or when they asked you a deep question and you said, "I’m not sure… we’ll look it up later." But later never came.

Here’s the hard truth: Schools teach facts. But facts don’t build a future.
Thinking does. Problem-solving does. Adaptability does.

And those skills? They don’t come from school.

• Research shows that 90% of your child’s success isn’t about their school or teacher—it’s about HOW they learn.

• The biggest difference between kids who thrive and those who struggle isn’t grades—it’s curiosity, critical thinking, and knowing how to learn anything.

Today, you’ll learn:
✅ How a Microsoft engineer is capturing teachable moments with AI (so her kids don’t just memorize—they understand).
✅ A 3-step “smart learning” method that rewires HOW your child learns—for life.
✅ A community poll that will change how you think about AI’s role in your child’s future.

Because the truth is: Schools aren’t enough. But you? You are.

Let’s dive in.

THE BIG PICTURE:

Schools Teach Memorization. The World Requires More.

If school worked the way we hoped, kids would graduate ready for the real world.

But the reality?
📌 School focuses on what to think. The future requires kids to know how to think.
📌 Schools test memorization. But the best jobs of the future will be given to the best thinkers—NOT the best memorizers.
📌 Teachers are doing their best. But the system? It’s moving too slowly to keep up with AI, automation, and rapid change.

• A major study by cognitive scientist Douglas K. Detterman found that teachers and schools only account for 10% of a student’s success.

• The other 90%? It’s about how a child learns, processes, and applies knowledge.

One mom—a Microsoft engineer—realized this. And instead of waiting for schools to catch up, she took her kids' education into her own hands.

Here’s what she did.

TODAY'S MICRO-ACTION:

The 3-Step Smart Learning Framework

Why This Matters:

Have you ever watched your child ace a test, then forget everything a week later?

Or worse—have they struggled with a subject, feeling like they “just aren’t good at it”?

That’s not their fault.
They’ve just never been taught HOW to learn.

💡 Here’s how to change that in 5 minutes today.

✅ Step 1: Show Them the Difference Between Passive vs. Active Learning

Ask your child: “What’s the difference between reading about swimming and actually jumping in a pool?”

Let them think about it. Then explain:

📌 Passive Learning = Watching, reading, listening. (Most of school.)
📌 Active Learning = Doing, applying, explaining. (How real-world skills are built.)

• Let them pick a topic they’re interested in. (AI, history, business, music—anything.)

✅ Step 2: The “Explain It Simply” Challenge

Tell them:

“Explain this topic to me like I’m 5 years old.”

• If they struggle, that means they don’t fully understand it.

• If they can explain it simply, they’ve mastered it.

🧠 Why this works: Teaching forces the brain to organize information—which strengthens understanding 2X faster than memorization.

✅ Step 3: Apply It to the Real World (The Game-Changer)

Ask them: “How can we use this today?”

Here are some ideas:
📌 Learning about AI? Try an AI chatbot together and explore something fun.
📌 Curious about money? Let them price and sell something small at home.
📌 Into history? Have them debate with an AI assistant acting as a historical figure.

The Takeaway:
✅ This one shift—learning through explanation & action—will transform how they learn anything.
✅ They’ll retain knowledge faster, apply it more effectively, and build thinking skills that set them apart.

Try this today. It takes 5 minutes—but could change their future.

WISDOM WEDNESDAY:

How a Microsoft Engineer Uses AI to Teach Thinking

A Microsoft engineer realized that AI was moving faster than schools could keep up.

So instead of waiting, she turned AI into her parenting superpower.

Here’s how she does it (and how you can too):

• Teachable Moments on the Spot
  Her daughter spotted a rare flower on a walk and asked, “What is that?” Instead of saying, “We’ll look it up later,” she used Microsoft’s AI Copilot to snap a picture and identify it right then and there. Lesson? Learning is most effective when curiosity is at its peak.

• Breaking Down Tough Topics
  Before a school debate, she had AI explain both sides of an issue—so her child learned to think critically instead of just memorizing a viewpoint.

• Teaching AI Skepticism
  She asks her kids to fact-check AI responses—training them to question, analyze, and verify information.

The Result?

• Her kids stay engaged and curious.

• They’re comfortable with AI tools, preparing them for the future.

• They’re developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills—far beyond memorization.

💡 Takeaway: You don’t have to be a tech expert to give your child an advantage. Just start using AI to explore their curiosity in real-time.

⚡ PARENT TO PARENT

A Community Member’s Perspective:

📢 Amilyn Castro wrote in with this:

💡 Do you know of resources or groups that might be a great fit for Amilyn’s mission? Hit reply—we’d love to connect like-minded parents!

🫡 CLOSING THOUGHT:

The future isn’t waiting for schools to catch up—and as parents, neither should we. By making small shifts in how our kids learn at home, we give them the best possible advantage for whatever comes next.

We also want to acknowledge that today’s newsletter is reaching you a bit later than usual. Due to inclement weather and an incoming blizzard in Iowa, I experienced some unexpected delays. I genuinely appreciate your patience and understanding.

Now, over to you: What’s one way you’ve used AI (or any tech tool) to help your child learn something new? Hit reply—we’d love to hear!

Until next time,
James Brauer
Founder, Future-Ready Parents

💬 Have something else in mind? Hit reply—we’re listening.