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Editorial Review Product Description
The Educated Child defines a good education and offers parents a plan of action for ensuring that their children achieve it. Combining the goals that William Bennett enumerated as Secretary of Education, key excerpts from E. D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Sequence, and the latest research, it sets forth clear curricula and specific objectives for children from kindergarten through the eighth grade, including: What children should be studying and the kind of work they should be doing Important facts to learn and essential reading lists When children should master specific math skills, spelling and grammar basics, and scientific facts Test preparation, homework, and other areas that require parental involvement The Educated Child also examines timely issues such as school choice, sex education, character education, and the phonics/whole language debate. Perhaps most important, it encourages parents to become advocates for their children by learning what to look for in a good school, how to talk to educators, and how, when necessary, to push for needed changes. For parents concerned about their children's current education and future lives, it is the ultimate handbook.Amazon.com Review
William J. Bennett, that doyen of common sense who brought usThe Book of Virtues, has returned to the topic of childrearing, delivering a massive canon on the education of youngchildren. He joins fellow veterans of the U.S. Department of EducationChester E. Finn Jr. and John T.E. Cribb Jr. in offering a traditional,back-to-basics resource for parents. The Educated Child is atome to page through and return to as the years go by, with chaptersdivided by subjects and grade levels. One of the most helpful aspectsof the guide is its outline of what to expect--or demand, in somecases--in the K-8 essentials. The writers list book titles, historicdates, science topics, and other issues that should be covered,borrowing heavily from E.D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Series, thefact-specific book series that begins with What Your KindergartnerNeeds to Know. But Bennett et al.'s take on education goes further, with the authors weighing in on such controversial topics as sex education, TV, the Internet, self-esteem, and school uniforms with statements that largely reflect their conservative reputations. They also stick to the insistence that Western culture be emphasized in American classrooms. In some cases, however, the three don't always agree--acknowledging diverging views on year-round education, for instance. Some of what they cover is basic, instinctive stuff: we don't need another guide telling us to talk to our children about their school day. But there's valuable advice, too, such as how to save your child from a bad teacher and what questions to ask in a parent-teacher conference. For parents puzzled or overwhelmed by what the authors refer to as "the blob" of the education bureaucracy, The Educated Child can be a helpful insiders' view from those who once governed the biggest blob of all. --Jodi Mailander Farrell ... Read more Customer Reviews (31) 
every parent and school system should read this book!
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.
The Educated Child
I have enjoyed reading this book thoroughly! It is a great resource to have on-hand for school-age children, to make sure I, as a parent, am doing my part to help my child succeed in school.
Love this book!
My child is only in kindergarten, but I am already using this book faithfully.The Educated Child helps you determine where your child is versus where he or she needs to be in terms of his/her education.The book offers advice on books that children in certain age groups should read-- I like this especially-- and characters he or she should be familiar with.The Educated Child breaks down what children should be learning in the lower, middle, and upper grades in English, Math, Science, even Arts and Music.It even has a pre-school section.It is a great resource for parents.
Excellent, well-balanced resource for parent involvement
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.
Wow!! A must-have for all parents AND teachers
This book is so good I can't do it justice!As a teacher, I wish all my students' parents had read this.As a parent, I feel confident about the decisions I've made and will make, knowing I have informed, sound advice from such a worthy author.So many problems in education would be solved by teachers and parents reading and implementing what the authors recommend.This book helps parents understand what they should do and why to insure their child has the opportunity to get an excellent education.Money, or the lack thereof, is no excuse for ignorance.This is America and every child is offered a decent education until they are 18, unlike most countries.It is the responsibility of the child to work and earn an education and the parents to monitor them.Among other things, there are great suggestions about TV, not overwhelming your child with toys, specific books for your child, extensive resources for a wide variety of parenting needs, including homeschool, and even tips to help evaluate "expert opinions" and school curriculum.Parents should teach manners at home, self-esteem comes from accomplishing something worthwhile, and if schools spend time teaching those, it takes away time that should be spent teaching academic subjects.These ideas seem like common sense, but popular culture has introduced some bizarre and counterproductive ideas on child-rearing and education in the past 20 years.The tone of the book is empowering, not judgmental, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is involved in educating a child.
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