a Great Book for Parents and Teachers
922193
I didn't realize I got this book from a bookstore on the first day it was available. I've read half of it so far, and must say that Kohn makes some excellent points about how homework is something we don't consider doing without. Nor do we tend to consider whether or not it is even helpful. Thinking back on my experience as a student growing up, homework was just a chore I had to do. Of course it helped me remember the forgetable facts I was being tested on, but to justify assigning homework based on that is to assume memorizing forgetable facts is a productive and valuable experience.

He brings up a valuable point that homework does not play upon any intrinsic desire to learn something but is just more forced learning that can even make students hate certain subjects or even learning in general. If only teachers knew how much making me read a bunch of stories I didn't want to read caused me to hate literature. If only teachers knew how much all the performance-based math homework and testing made me hate mathematics when I may have loved learning it with a focus on understanding the concepts involved and possibly considering how it could be applied to something practical. All I got was math homework and grading from math teachers

Although this book is good, I would recommend reading Kohn's What Does It Mean to be Well Educated first to get a good idea of his perspective on education in general. Kohn displays his brilliance and revolutionary thinking in 18 concise essays that should be seriously considered by students and teachers alike.

There are two things Kohn has not mentioned so far. First, sometimes students do homework at school. I don't mean during lunch or recess or other non-instructional times, but during classes so they don't have to do it at home. Second, he never referred to sibling rivalry/jealousy involving homework. It was quite a negative experience to know my brother was free to play Nintendo or do other enjoyable activities while I was stuck with significantly more homework than him.

The previous review mentioned that Kohn's theories dominated public schools, but that is FAR from the truth. My high school experience did not involve much homework, except in my honors classes. Even if that's a standard high school experience, that would only be consistent with ONE of Kohn's theories although it may not even be based on Kohn's concepts but for other reasons.

In conclusion, even if you don't agree with what Kohn says, he presents questions to you about education that MUST be considered if you want to be a powerful and effective teacher or if you want your child to grow up enjoying learning and not just going through the motions of our current school system motivated simply by making grades and the unjustified rewards and consequences tied to them.
1536069
Michael Bailey has written an engaging and extremely helpful book.  Parents who have a child with a disability and thus who face the daunting task of negotiating with the public school system know only too well about the personalities, meetings, and jargon that even in the best of circumstances can be intimidating. Mr. Bailey, a former attorney, assures readers about the laws that are in place to benefit the children and presents clear and detailed ways to maintain records and prepare for meetings; he offers numerous checklists and great advice for dealing with the levels of bureaucracy that comprise the special ed system.  The book is laced with wonderful, personal stories -- both from Mr. Bailey's own experiences with his daughter and with helpful, funny, and sometimes moving tales from other parents.  For parents who have felt rebuffed, "managed," or intimidated by the school system, this book will be a boon.  For parents of infants who will face the system soon enough, the book will give them the foundation that will help them prepare for that aspect of parenting.  This guide performs the service that parents would want from such a book, boosting both knowledge and self-confidence for the ongoing process of working with the schools on behalf of their child.
3798859
This is a great read for any educator, or employee of our school system. I also recommend it to any parent thinking about dual language programs for their kids.
2241903
As a teacher I critically examine any book that claims to help parents at home.  There are many that are nothing but laundry lists designed to  further a political idiot-ology (read as E.D. Hirsch). This book is  wonderful for helping parents to understand the stages that their children  are going through and the best ways that they can address those needs and  support current and knowledgable teaching methods.  A must for any parent  or teacher.
4521120
This is truly a moving book about how an empathetic team of people work together with parents and children to create an environment attuned to the specific developmental needs of young children.  It would be very helpful to parents to read this book because there is a lot of discussion about how to deal with issues of aggression and contrariness (think 2 year old) in a constructive way which avoids power struggles and leaves both children and parents with a sense of dignity and self worth. The anecdotes are very specific and many parents (and grandparents) can relate to them.  The suggestions about how to deal with problems and conflict are really inspiring because it is all about promoting growth and learning and not about shaming and punishment.  I don't often write a review of books here but this book is outstanding and so, so helpful!
4970662
I Used to Know That by Caroline Taggart is an excellent reference and resource for parents. For most of us, by the time our kids have started school a lot of the things we learned have long since been forgotten. This book fills in those gaps.

From language arts to math and social studies, this reference covers all of the basic information that the kids are learning or going to learn. It is an excellent primer for parents when their children are starting a new subject or a great refresher for parents to be able to talk intelligently about the subjects their kids are learning. I think the best part is that when it's homework time, I have a great place to turn for more information so that I can immediately help my child.

The book covers English, literature, math, science, history, geography and general studies; everything an elementary student is going to encounter. The breadth and depth of information also would make this a great reference for tutors and others helping children with their school work.

One great part of me is the math section because I learned many math skills outside the US. When it's time for my son to work on math topics, I have a great reference that talks about the way math is taught in US schools. So, I will not be confusing him with a different method of working through problems.

Overall, I love this reference book and recommend it to all parents and caregivers of school-age kids. It is well written and easy to use.
2392877
This well-organized book is definitely one that all teachers should have in their reference collection.  It covers just about every subject and I love how it has current information.  The question and answer format is different from many teacher education books today.  This format is also helpful for parents.  I believe this book is a must-have for any involved parent who considers themself a partner in their child's education.  The glossary of terms is helpful as is the suggested readings at the end of each unit.  A great book all-around!
3964091
A great read for both children and parents. Love the illustrations and activities.
3843986
This book is not only a good book about how schools and teachers should be but it is also helpful to those who home educate. I found it also helped me to heal some of the issues that came up during the years of my own schooling.
On the one hand this book is filled with such common sense advice that you would think that it does not need saying  yet unfortunately as with so many things that are common sense it does need saying.
Many of the principles here apply to many aspects of everyday life both as an adult and as a child.
It is hard to see these ideas being put to use in any large-scale way  and that is a shame.
4784954
This is a helpful book for parents to understand the important basic concepts behind child discipline. The author points out such concepts as parental confidence and example setting among many others. She also points out the reasons why so many parents struggle with disciplining their kids because of the way they treat them. A very worthwhile read.
1549821
This book is not only a self-help kind of book, it also suitable for teachers and educators as a reference to teaching their children.  Professor Carol Dweck provided a lot of cases that is related to K-12 education as well as Higher education.  It really help me as an educator to change my mindset on my teaching and change my students also.  Especially, now a days, in Hong Kong Computational thinking, Coding education and STEM education are the hot potatoes that K-12 schools are immersed in it, teaching a lot of knowledge and skills.  Instead of teaching hard knowledge, It is very important that a person with growth mindset that is the learning attitude of students. This book, really a good book that I highly recommended to all.
1551349
Phyllis Tempest has used her extensive experience as a school psychologist to create an interesting approach to parenting to help maximize the potential of  children as they persue their education. Using stories and traditions of the Navajo Tribes, she offers advice on parenting that will bring out the best traits of children and encourage them to take advantage of their educational opportunities.

  The author makes her points about parenting includes helping children do their best, maintain good health and improving self esteem in a calm, enjoyable manner. One can almost hear the Navajo flute music in the background and smell the pinon smoke from the fire as you read through the chapters that give practical advice about improving ones parenting skills while helping children develop into educated responsible people.

  If you want to expand your views of parenting and education, this book is a great way to help you succeed.
355199
I learned a great deal from this book. It's evidence-based but also practical and sympathetic. So much of the conventional wisdom about what's best for kids -- in school, at home, about safety, about academics for young kids -- is not supported by solid research. The book is engaging and inspiring for parents and educators!
4184000
As an Aikido teacher, I think this book is especially helpful for children and parents considering whether Aikido is right for them.  Rather than being a book for Aikido teachers, "Aikido for Kids" is an excellent resource for children and parents interested in Aikido.  My favorite aspects of the book are the diversity of the children models (age, rank, ethnicity, ability and gender with students training with people different from themselves) and the emphasis on how Aikido is useful in daily life (making friends and respecting parents is described as Aikido).  The physical aspects of Aikido are presented in a clear and inviting way and includes everything that is part of a typical Aikido class from warm-ups to testing (I particularly like the segment on rolling).  The section for parents on finding an Aikido class for their child contains wise and practical advice.  I can think of no better resource for children and parents seeking an introdution to Aikido.
2281129
This is a great book for parents, grandparents & teachers.  The instructions are simple, practical and considerate of parents' struggles.

I appreciated the lighthearted, empathetic tone of the author who conveys keen insight into the parenting challenges of his readers.  He draws on a deep well of experience of parenting and working with parents.

The main focuses of the book are how to stop unwanted behavior and how to start desired behavior.  The author emphasizes that the point of both of these lessons is that parents can enjoy their children and family as desired.

The author presents the instructions in a well thought out and easy to grasp manner. Parents can get started right away.  He also offers some thoughts on family life in general that I think were right on target.

If you are looking for help with parenting, start right here.
3306728
This is a great book for middle and high school english teachers
167752
If you love your child, read this book.  While there are many teachers who would never harm a child, some do.  Unfortunately, my daughter is one of them.  This book gives valuable information on what rights you and your child have at school and what you can do to fight back if harrasment or abuse occur. It also talks about dirty back room politics that administration and unions may engage in.  A must read for any parent.  Thank you Charles Hobson for taking the time to write this book!