Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book!
Review: This awsome, well written book is helping me learn how to fill in the gaps concerning my Son's "easy as pie" ciriculum his school offers. I am very worried that he is in a school that lets kids slide through elementary then when high school time gets here reality will hit. Instead of "rocking the boat" so to speak I have decided to suplement his education at home using this book as the essential tool. I am so happy that it goes into depth for preschoolers too since I am also a mom of a one year old daughter. You get so much for your money with this book, it is huge! The reading lists alone are worth the price of admission, you will never be guessing about what your children need to know at what age! Every educational topic for children preschool-eight grade is covered!
Rating:
Summary: Unbaised Review: Buy It. Think About It. Use It.
Review: This book helps us parents to make sure our children know what they need to know. This is really an important book for our childen. Use this book as a valuable guide. It really is a great book.America's educational system cannot teach our children everything they need to know. Parents are primarily responsible for teaching our children what is most important in life. YOU need to devote your time and intellect to this goal. Parents are the primary source of learning in our country. This book tells you what you need to do to supplement your child's learning. Use this book to help you do your job. One word of warning: There are a few subtle conservative political action requests in this book. I urge you, if you are a moderate or liberal, to not let these very minor suggestions deter you from buying this excellent book. The material is really excellent. And it is true that not all children learn the same. But what is true is that parents need to be completely involved, and there are some tried-and-true lessons YOU need to teach your children. As a start, help your child to learn as many words as possible by age two, and then foster a rich environment of reading. Read to your child. Buy your child lots of great books. Teach (yes, you) your child to read well before first grade, at least, and make a strong reading start before Kindergarten. And read this book. I praise Mr. Bennett and his colleague for putting together an outstanding book grounded in excellent education fundamentals. I also recommend the excellent book by E. D. Hirsch (editor) called "What You're First Grader Need to know." This series continues through other grades, though I don't know anything about the other ones. Also get the "Dorling Kindersley Children's Illustrated Encyclopedia". And enrich your children's lives with the music of the greatest children's musician of all time, Raffi. Do a search for "Raffi." He's the Mr. Rogers of music. It will pay dividends many times over. Teach your children.
Rating:
Summary: Strike three against the "Unschoolers"
Review: This book is a must for anyone interested in the education movement. However, after such reports as "Why Johnny can't read" and a plethora of other well documented works, many have come to the conclusion that the public schools are not working and are beyond help; therefore, a work of this nature is wasted upon that system. This book's value lies in providing the objective research that supports a structured curriculum based educational system for those who have jetisoned the public schools as a failed and irrepairable system and now or in the future will home school thier children. However, within the home school movement there is a very small but vocal group that call themselves "unschoolers". They adhere to the philosophy that the child will learn whatever he needs just by allowing the child to select his own curriculum content. Bennett, in this work, lays the coup de grace at the root of that theory, and I hope for ever more settles the issue of whether the "unschooling" mindset is a viable alternative to a curriculum directed home school.
Rating:
Summary: Strike three against the "Unschoolers"
Review: This book is a must for anyone interested in the education movement. However, after such reports as "Why Johnny can't read" and a plethora of other well documented works, many have come to the conclusion that the public schools are not working and are beyond help; therefore, a work of this nature is wasted upon that system. This book's value lies in providing the objective research that supports a structured curriculum based educational system for those who have jetisoned the public schools as a failed and irrepairable system and now or in the future will home school thier children. However, within the home school movement there is a very small but vocal group that call themselves "unschoolers". They adhere to the philosophy that the child will learn whatever he needs just by allowing the child to select his own curriculum content. Bennett, in this work, lays the coup de grace at the root of that theory, and I hope for ever more settles the issue of whether the "unschooling" mindset is a viable alternative to a curriculum directed home school.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time
Review: This book is advocating an elitist and pointless view of education. Bennett, has missed the core issues of what it means to be an educated person, especially in our every widening (global) society. Bennett advocates a people who are full of facts and "trivia" knowledge rather than pushing students to be critical thinkers who can solve problems, read with intelligence, and interact with the world from a stance of tolerance and intelligence. There is no "yard stick" that can measure intelligence. What rubbish. This book is designed to shame parents rather then educate anyone. Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Essential Guide for Parents. Use It... for Your Children
Review: 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."
Rating: 
Summary: No need for public school
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: (Not so )Common Sense for teachers and parents!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, a must read for parents!
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have!
Review: 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!
| 
