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

As a mother of three -one in public school, one in private and one home-schooled -I am deeply concerned about my children's education. I've lost count of the number of books I've read in the past 16 years on educating children. Some books were worth my time, many were not. Mr. Bennett's book is standing tall at the top of my list of "best reads". I'm sure we all have horror stories coming out of our kids' education (i.e., the huge amount of wasted time in the classroom, the lack of control in the class, the political correctness of revisionist history), but this book really can help. Mr. Bennett begins by explaining the importance of a solid education that engages a child's imagination by first making sure that child can read well. He builds on that by reminding parents that the main responsibility for educating our kids rests on our shoulders, not the school's. The book goes into detail about more than the Three R's, but covers those subjects extremely well, also. He reminds us that as parents it's up to us to speak up and go to bat for our kids throughout their education thus insuring they get the help they need. Throughout the book are checklists, questions to ask your child's teachers, book lists for you to insure that your child reads what is truly worthy of his time, and tips for incorporating the arts into your child's life. This book is like having a one-on-one conversation with a great educator who will give you the confidence you need to take control of your child's education. Help your child succeed by reading this book and then putting it into practice!

Bennett, Finn & Cribb provide for all parents what parents of special needs children have had for a long time an individualized education plan, a guide for what their children need to learn and a yardstick to measure the school's performance. Since my children are in 3rd and 5th grade, I immediately went to those sections to see how we were doing in our tiny four school district, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we do well here, but could do better. I found their treatment of issues such as learning disabilty, ADHD and giftedness to be even handed and practical. By using this text as a guide parents (and hopefully school boards and principals) will be less inclined to jump on the latest educational bandwagon, and will instead stay focused on what needs to be done. The chapter on "Temptation and Troubles", dealing with the influences of TV, internet and sexual education is excellent, and the advice here will certainly be distributed in my practice as a child Psychologist. This is a must buy book for any parent who cares about what their children learn during these critical years.

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This is such a fabulous book. I have four children (ages 3-9) and I have found more valuable information, guidance, and great ideas in this book than in all the other education related books I have read -combined. I particularly liked the grade specific study topics (core curriculum), reading lists, helpful tips to improve reading and other ways to help your child succeed in school, questions to ask the teacher, info. on gifted and special needs children, and kindergarten readiness list. Even though I consider myself somewhat experienced in the first three to four years of school (due to the volume of children I have), I found that this book provided me with new insight and reinforced my desire to help my children develop a love for learning. I know I will use this as a reference for many years to come. My only regret is that I did not have this book when my oldest child started preschool! Well worth the price!

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This book looks like a college textbook, but is so filled with practical, down to earth common sense that I simply couldn't put it down. I am a teacher and a parent, and am highly recommending it to every person I come in contact with. It outlines what each grade level's expectations should be, and how to spot good education, spotty education and poor education. This man is a breath of fresh air to the education world. I wish I could take all of this information and place it in each parent's head.

One thing I particularly admire about Dr. Bennett's writing is that it is easy to read and reference. He speaks plainly and simply while making huge statements (ex. "There is right and wrong and it is our job to teach children to choose right"--what a concept lacking in our schools!)

Another thing I admire about this book is that it is not politically motivated. He does have some opinions in the last chapter of this book, but over all, he points out that we are to raise and teach moral, virtuous children that sometimes "make their brain sweat" while working out problems. (My daughter really likes to tell me her brain is sweating, so she must be doing a great job).

Another thing I admire about this book is that it is his feeling that if children were taught pride in themselves as Americans, we would see children turning away from drugs, because to support drug dealers is to support enemies of the United States.

If you have a child in your family or are a teacher or student teacher, I cannot rate this book high enough. If it were out in paperback I would personally purchase it for each of my parents in my class.

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This is a wonderful book, a must read for parents with children of any school age. Better yet, buy it before they start school so you'll know what to look for. It's probably the most useful book you can buy as a parent. Your children will benefit from what you learn as well. Don't send your children to school until you read this book!

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