The Educated Child: A Parents Guide From Preschool Through Eighth Grade

This book is an essential guide for parents. It tells us what we need to know and do to make sure our children receive excellent educations. Use this book as a valuable guide. Your children will benefit greatly.Parents are primarily responsible for ensuring that their children receive a good educational experience. You need to devote your time and intellect to this goal. And that starts in the home. This book gives you a general guideline of what you need to do to supplement your children's learning.This book also gives you an excellent blue print of what a good school district should be like. The ideas are proven, common sense, and based on firm empirical research. I didn't find them rigid at all. Compare the learning experience in your children's schools to what you read in this book. Hopefully, your childen are experiencing a quality educational experience.Luckily, the portrait of a good school vividly describes the elementary school my seven-year old child attends Cedar Ridge). My wife and I have observed and participated in numerous classes, and I can tell you that it feels good to know that our children live in a great school district, (even if the class sizes could be just a little smaller).And a reminder... we starting educating our children long before they started school. The earliest years of life are the most important. That's when you need to work on vocabulary, thinking, reading, learning, etc.Despite the fact that William Bennett is a social conservative, I found nothing obviously conservative about this book. The materials in the book are well respected, practical, and accurate. Use these guidelines to make sure your children learn what they should.Some activist types might consider some of the study topics liberal or conservative, such as civil rights and the classics, respectively. But I see them as simply what our children need to know. I really don't see anything political about this book. I suspect that the meat of this book really comes from the work of other education experts, with Bennett the visionary to bring this core knowledge to the public through mass publication. After all, he was the Secretary of Education, a position of leadership.I praise Mr. Bennett and his colleague for putting together an outstanding book grounded in excellent education fundamentals.I also recommend the excellent books by E. D. Hirsch (editor) on what your children need to know at various stages of education. (What Your First Grader Needs to Know, etc.) Do a search for E.D Hirsch. The books include great children's stories, fun poems, songs, basic history, art, and much more. We've been reading the first grade book at bed time for awhile now, and both my seven-year old and four-year old enjoy different parts of it. Next year we'll buy the kindergarden and second grade books.I also strongly recommend the outstanding children's music by Raffi, the Mr. Rogers of children's music. "Singable Songs for the Very Young; Great with a Peanut Butter Sandwich" would be my first choice for precious young children. It has sales surpassing the Triple Platinum mark in North America, and it's just right for little ones. Do a search for "Raffi."

Gives great questions to not only ask your child’s school but, questions you need to hear and answers as well. In todays times there is just no telling the kinds of things they are being taught when not with us…..which is why it is so important for us to stay involved and ask questions!

This book saved me the time and effort to prepare a baseline of information a young person growing up should know. I wish it would cover 9-12 as well. Students over time have mastered less and less of this material. No excuse for becoming sheep.

For the past 20 years, Chester Finn has been a behind the scenes and in some cases, in front of the crowd leader for most of the great education reforms that have occurred in the past 20 years. Having had the great fortune to be one of Finn's students at Vanderbilt many years ago, I have had a chance to read the plethora of great books and articles that Finn has published. This is another in that series. Don't just buy this book go back and buy all his books. Finn is a great academic who is blessed with an ability to communicate to the common person.Finn may talk about the education that children receive but he is the best educator a parent can ever find. We are expecting our first grandchild in a few weeks and I want my daughter to read every book that Professor Finn ha written. It will ensure the success of my grandchild's future.Don McNay...

I am not a professional educator or homeschooler, but as a Dad I need to be sure my kids are learning the things they need to learn. This is a very helpful resource to me because it gives an overview of what kids should be learning at each stage along the way. (Fortunately, my kids' school seems to be doing pretty well in most areas.) This resource helps me plan what areas to supplement with home reading and projects.

Solid overview and detailed reference guide for managing your kids' education through 8th grade. Wisely encourages parents to focus on content and environment, not methods, and provides them with a guide to do so. The main thing I wish they would include is a chapter on foreign languages, including immersion programs. However this is still a great resource for managing your kids' early and primary education.

The authors make the case for parent involvement by providing a clear picture of America's public school system. Without providing a blanket criticism of all schools and teachers, parents are reminded that only they can make sure their children receive the education they need to become successful citizens. By listing curriculum objectives by grade level they empower parents to ask questions about what their child is learning. Suggestions for working within the system - and within the family to supplement the system - are provided. Every parent should be this involved.

This book is an outstanding treatise on what is so often lacking in today's classrooms. I especially like that Bennett emphasizes the role parents play in ensuring a good education for their children, not only in working with the teachers, principals, and school boards, but in supplementing their children's school lessons at home. My only criticism is that this book only goes throught eighth grade - I would like one through twelfth grade.