Yes, Your Child Can Succeed in Elementary School & Beyond
Your Child CAN Thrive, Inside and Outside the Classroom
Are you concerned that your child is getting lost in the system?
Finally, there’s a compassionate, step-by-step approach to help you confidently guide your child’s academic, social, and emotional growth. Inside, you’ll find:
- Grade-by-Grade Milestones – Understand what to expect and how to support your child’s growth.
- Bullying & Advocacy Tips – Proven strategies to address bullying and build strong relationships with teachers.
- Technology Management – Practical advice for healthy device use and online safety.
- Alternative Education Options – Guidance on private school, hybrid, and online learning if a change is needed.
Filled with real-life insights from someone who is both a teacher and a parent of uniquely-wired children, this book provides a proactive and flexible roadmap, empowering you to help your child thrive.
This book will leave you feeling empowered and equipped with everything you need to help your child thrive in elementary school and beyond. You have more control over your kid’s school journey than you think. With the right tools and support, any student can succeed.
About Ali Sims
As the oldest of five children, Ali Sims enjoyed “playing school” with her younger siblings. She was always the teacher. Ali assumed that the teaching profession was where she would land after she grew up.
But instead, after graduating from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu with a bachelor’s degree in English, Ali began working in the broadcast media and advertising business back on the mainland. Ali was a part of many large advertising and marketing campaigns involving international companies. She was based in Los Angeles and later in San Francisco.
She also spent much time working on projects in New York City. Later she held positions in the real estate and construction industries.
Her last corporate position was in management at a Fortune 500 company. The job was high paying, but the hours were grueling. She began to feel ready for a career that had more meaning for her and offered better work and family life balance.
During that time of pondering, Ali came across an article that discussed how a high percentage of people serving time in prison could not read and write effectively. She wanted to do something to be a small part of the solution to a terrible problem. Ali also felt that her “real world” experience might make her an asset to her students in the classroom. She decided to go into teaching mid-career.
Ali earned three teaching credentials—one for elementary, one for secondary (7 th -12 th), and one single-subject secondary credential for teaching English. Concurrently, she completed her master’s degree in education, at the University of Phoenix, in curriculum and instruction.
Ali’s first teaching position was teaching in one of the largest school districts in the country. While receiving her initial training there, she began to learn about “the system.” Later, she taught in a medium-sized suburban district which further gave her a window into the workings of a smaller-sized district. The similarities between the school district structure and the business environment (regarding operations) surprised Ali. She also observed how many parents struggled with dealing effectively with the school system which is not particularly accessible or welcoming.
Then Ali and her husband became the parents of two uniquely-wired kids. While teaching, Ali had to continuously research and hunt down resources for her children’s needs, beginning at preschool age. Ali began to appreciate further the challenges her students’ parents faced when dealing with the system.
Eventually, Ali wanted to “write the book series I wish was around when I was going through the K-12 school system.” And so, Elementary School Success for the Uniquely-Wired Child was written.