The Educated Child: A Parents Guide From Preschool Through Eighth Grade, by William J. Bennett, Jr., Chester E. Finn, Jr., John T. E. Cribb from Parent Kid Books.com

William J. Bennett, that doyen of common sense who brought us The Book of Virtues, has returned to the topic of child rearing, delivering a massive canon on the education of young children. He joins fellow veterans of the U.S. Department of Education Chester E. Finn Jr. and John T.E. Cribb Jr. in offering a traditional, back-to-basics resource for parents. The Educated Child is a tome to page through and return to as the years go by, with chapters divided by subjects and grade levels. One of the most helpful aspects of the guide is its outline of what to expect--or demand, in some cases--in the K-8 essentials. The writers list book titles, historic dates, science topics, and other issues that should be covered, borrowing heavily from E.D. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Series, the fact-specific book series that begins with What Your Kindergartner Needs 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

Reviews:

Good Analysis / Poor Solution

This book provides a good overview of what children should learn year by year, subject by subject, and how parents can help them achieve their educational goals. One reviewer complained that the authors overemphasized the importance of limiting T.V. and reading to kids, but I am a teacher and can tell you that many parents don't bother to take those basic but crucial steps with their kids. The authors offer a good analysis of the problems with public education today (which both parents and schools can contribute to), but their main solution to the problems of the educational system is standardized testing. As a teacher in Texas, where high-stakes testing rules the public school system (which is why I work at a charter school and will never send my child to a public school in Texas), I have learned that placing such overwhelming emphasis on an annual test does not raise the standards of students' educations, it has actually caused too many schools to teach to the test, cheat, and neglect the needs of gifted students in order to prep the slower ones for the tests.

Unimpressive and unhelpful

I purchased this book to help me with ideas for homeschooling my children. This book is the longest in my collection but it is the least informative. The first 100 pages or so deride the current efforts of public schools, yet offer little advice except "turn off the television" and "read to your children". The most interesting and helpful information in the book was taken directly from the Core Curriculum Series, which is a useful resource for parents who want to ensure that their child is receiving a good education. This book is preachy and redundant.

No need for public school

This book is subversive in today's American culture. It teaches the traditional knowledge and values of Western Civilization. If you read this book and use it with your children, they will be immune to the propaganda of the usual American public school education and will have many problems with their teachers in school - at best they will only be bored, at worst they will end up diagnosed ADHD, on Ritalin and in special education classes at which time they will be throwaway students. Public school education today is all about ecology, multiculturalism and one world government. The 3 R's and individuality are not emphasized in government schools. Be prepared to homeschool your kids all the way thru school if you teach them anything from this book.

What your child should be learning grade by grade

Mr. Bennett and company provide parents with practical ways for parents to be involved with their child's education. They advocate that parents actually take a close look at our children's schools and assess what is being taught. Stress is placed on classical education and the benefits it entails. They provide CORE curriculm examples of what children should be learning grade by grade beginning with Kindergarten and up to Grade 8. There is also an excellent chapter devoted to preschoolers. An excellent reference.

Stop here to help improve your child's education

This author is one of my favorites and he has a very low key, no nonsense approach to education. In this book, he seems to state that education is not just for school, but occurs primarily in the home and needs to remain that way. There are many suggestions and ideas that are easy to incorporate into just about any family routine. In addition to that, there are lists of suggested curriculum for each grade. To conclude, there are several chapters that deal with problems that one may encounter such as difficulties with homework or teachers and some ideas on how to solve them. I truly enjoyed reading this book and have kept it as a reference for ideas for during the summer. It's easy to look at the curriculum and come up with fun activities to try with my kids.

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

William J. Bennett, Jr., Chester E. Finn, Jr., John T. E. Cribb

Free Press, 1999-11-10

Price: $30.00

Reviews: