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A recommended-reading list and resource guide for parents,
from a leading educator and innovator with the University of California's
Lawrence Hall of Science, and mother of three. (See also Jacquey's
Column, for insightful articles geared specifically for parents
and other adult caregivers of school-aged children.)
The following resources are useful and encouraging for any involved
parent. They cover a wide range of subjects every parent has an interest
in or could use guidance with, and are arranged by subject for easy
browsing.
Parenting for Academic Success
Educational Reform
Schools and School Reform
Homework
The Brain and How We Learn
Gender Differences
Multiple Intelligences
About Standards
Assessment
Recommended (Just for Joy)
Science and Math at Home
Links for Parents
Parenting for Academic Success
Beating the Odds
Raising Academically Successful African American Males
Freeman A. Hrabowski III, Kenneth I. Maton, and Geoffrey L. Greif
Oxford University Press, 1998
A compelling switch from the often gloomy coverage of the academic achievement
of African Americans. Many concrete examples and suggestions directly
from parents and their high-achieving children.
Helping Your Child Succeed in School
A Guide for Parents of 4 to 14 Year Olds
Michael H. Popkin, Bettie B. Youngs, Jane M. Healy
Active Parenting Publishers, 1995
Solid suggestions that concur with many of the ideas expressed on this
Web site.
Motivated Minds
Raising Children to Love Learning
Deborah Stipek and Kathy Seal
Henry Holt and Company, 2001
Confidence-inspiring with a minimum of touchy-feely. Good ideas and
the research-based reasoning behind them.
Parent Power
90 Winning Ways to Be Involved and Help Your Child Get the Most Out
of School
Roberta Kirshbaum with Robin Dellabough
Hyperion, 1998
Short, digestible suggestions that run the gamut from simple to highly
ambitious. A good addition to your night-stand stack.
Spark Your Child's Success in Math and Science
Practical Advice for Parents
Jacqueline Barber, Nicole Parizeau, Lincoln Bergman.
GEMS 2002
A companion book to this Web site and a wealth of jargon-free, immediately
usable, research-based advice for igniting your child's academic success
and lifelong love of learning.
Educational Reform
A Nation at Risk
The Imperative for Educational Reform
National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983
A sobering heads-up—even two decades ago—about the consequences of educational
inaction, with tangible solutions.
A New Generation of Evidence
The Family Is Critical to Student Achievement
Anne T. Henderson and Nancy Berla
Center for Law and Education, 1994
An anthology of keenly researched examples of how, and how profoundly,
families influence children's academic success.
Before It's Too Late
A Report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics and
Science Teaching
National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the
21st Century, 2000
Like A Nation at Risk, a call to action in mathematics- and science-education
reform, and a picture of the impact on society—for better or for much,
much worse.
Every Child a Scientist: Achieving Scientific Literacy for All
How to Use the National Science Education Standards to Improve Your
Child's School Science Program
National Research Council
National Academy Press, 1998
A slender overview of the state of science education today, the components
of reform, and a vision for quality.
Falling Through the Net: Defining the Digital Divide
A Report on the Telecommunications and Information Technology Gap in
America
U.S. Department of Commerce, 2000
Also available online: www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/digitaldivide/
A revealing assessment of computer and Internet use across the country,
and how it breaks down by ethnicity and socioeconomic lines.
High Stakes
Testing for Tracking, Promotion, and Graduation
National Research Council, 1999
Another quality NRC contribution to understanding the state of educational
reform today; in this case, the politics and social consequences of
testing.
The New Meaning of Educational Change
Michael G. Fullan with Suzanne Stiegelbauer
Teachers College Press, 2001
Fullan explains the frailties and strengths of educational reform, and
addresses hard strategies for the future.
Schools and School Reform
At Home in Our Schools
A Guide to Schoolwide Activities That Build Community
Child Development Project Development Studies Center, 1994
School-wide events that partner parents, schools, and the community
.
Beyond the Classroom
Why School Reform Has Failed and What Parents Need to Do
Laurence Steinberg, with B. Bradford Brown and Sanford M. Dornbusch
Simon and Schuster/Touchstone, 1997
A navigable mix of research and commentary, particularly engrossing
on the subjects of student engagement and family influence.
Parent Partners
Workshops to Foster School/Home/Family Partnerships
Jacqueline Barber with Lynn Barakos and Lincoln Bergman
GEMS, 2000
Blueprints for teacher-parent workshops to motivate caregivers of school-aged
children to become actively involved in their children's education.
Many tools and ideas from Parent Partners went into this Web
site.
Savage Inequalities
Children in America's Schools
Jonathan Kozol
HarperPerennial, 1992
An impassioned indictment of how our public school system fails—and
undermines—children of poverty.
Science for All Children
A Guide to Improving Elementary Science Education in Your School District
National Science Resources Center
National Academy Press, 1997
An instructive description of inquiry-based science, its building blocks,
and sites where it's been implemented with great success.
Shaking Up the Schoolhouse
How to Support and Sustain Educational Innovation
Phillip C. Schlechty
Jossey-Bass, 2000
Written for school personnel, but a great window into the planning and
foundation building that should be part of every school community's
long-term vision.
The Schools Our Children Deserve
Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms and "Tougher Standards"
Alfie Kohn
Houghton Mifflin, 1999
This veteran educator swipes at the grades-obsessed back-to-basics movement,
arguing persuasively for schooling that reflects—and prepares students
for—a more well-rounded world.
What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship
Michael G. Fullan
Teachers College Press, 1997
What's Worth Fighting for in Your School
Michael G. Fullan, Andy Hargreaves
Teachers College Press, 1996
What's Worth Fighting for Out There
Andy Hargreaves, Michael G. Fullan
Teachers College Press, 1998
While geared toward educators and administrators, this trilogy offers
real insight into the makings of successful school change at several
levels. The last book includes a brief section specifically for parents.
Homework
How to Help Your Child with Homework
Every caring parent's guide to encouraging good study habits and ending
the homework wars (for parents of children ages 6Ï13)
Marguerite C. Radencich and Jeanne Shay Schumm
Free Spirit Publishing, 1997
A conventional how-to book, covering the fundamentals as well as a few
inspired ideas.
101 Educational Conversations You Should Have with Your Child
Vito Perrone
Chelsea House, 1995
This series offers modest but usable ideas on how to open channels with
your child and support her schooling at home.
"School Success Begins at Home"
Tom Loveless
USA Weekend, August 24-25, 2001
One side of the coin; a vehement argument in favor of homework.
The End of Homework
How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits
Learning
Etta Kralovec and John Buell
Beacon Press, 2000
The other side of the story; the strong case for moderation and attention
to our children's saturation points.
The Brain and How We Learn
How People Learn
Brain, Mind, Experience, and School
National Research Council
National Academy Press, 2000
Sometimes heavy going, but attentive to the relationship between learning
behavior and what happens in the classroom.
Magic Trees of the Mind
How to Nurture Your Child's Intelligence, Creativity, and Healthy
Emotions from Birth Through Adolescence
Marian Diamond and Janet Hopson
Penguin Books, 1999
An absorbing, anecdote-filled look at how the mind works and how to
lay the groundwork for your child's learning at every stage of her development.
The Scientist in the Crib
What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind
Alison Gopnik, Andrew N. Meltzoff and Patricia K. Kuhl
HarperPerennial, 2000
Delightful and intriguing; a readable mix of "Aha!" moments
and hard science.
Gender Differences
Brain Sex
The Real Difference Between Men & Women
Anne Moir and David Jessel
Dell Books, reissue ed. 1993
As the brains of infant girls and boys go their separate structural
and functional ways, how male is male and what does female mean?
Boys and Girls Learn Differently!
A Guide for Teachers and Parents
Michael Gurian and Patricia Henley with Terry Trueman
Jossey-Bass, 2001
Turns the lens on subtle and not-so-subtle distinctions between girls'
and boys' learning styles and how those differences affect the classroom.
The authors include proposed strategies for leveling the field.
Real Boys
Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood
William S. Pollack
Henry Holt/Owl Books, 1999
Real Boys' Voices
William S. Pollack with Todd Shuster
Penguin Books, 2001
Real Boys Workbook
The Definitive Guide to Understanding and Interacting with
Boys of All Ages
William S. Pollack and Kathleen Cushman
Villard Books, 2001
These three books unveil and reexamine our conventional understandings
of what it means to be male in the modern world.
Multiple Intelligences
Building on Children's Strengths
The Experience of Project Spectrum
Jie-Qi Chen, Mara Krechevsky, and Julie Viens with Emily Isberg
Teachers College Press, 1998
Not as lay-reader-friendly as it promises, but full of examples of how
the companion theories of "multiple intelligences" and "nonuniversal
development" are used in real settings.
Frames of Mind
The Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner
Basic Books, 10th-anniversary ed. 1993
The classic. A readable introduction to the idea that we learn and excel
in many ways, based on a variety of individual strengths.
In Their Own Way
Discovering and Encouraging Your Child's Personal Learning Style
Thomas Armstrong
J P Tarcher, 2000
Perhaps the most popular multiple-intelligences resource available;
intuitive and full of common sense.
About Standards
The following publications offer a range of critiques of standards-based
reform and "teaching to the test."
"Everything you learned in kindergarten is no longer enough;
California standards create high expectations for little kids"
Katherine Seligman
San Francisco Chronicle, August 26, 2001
Also available online via www.sfgate.com
One Size Fits Few
The Folly of Educational Standards
Susan Ohanian
Heinemann, 1999
Standardized Minds
The High Price of America's Testing Culture and What
We Can Do to Change It
Peter Sacks
Perseus Books, 2001
"The Mismeasure of Learning"
Lauren Resnick
Education Next, Fall 2001
Also available online via www.educationnext.org
"The Test Mess"
James Traub
The New York Times, April 7, 2002
Also available online via www.nytimes.com (search for author; registration
is free)
Will Standards Save Public Education?
Deborah Meier, Jonathan Kozol, Joshua Cohen
Beacon Press, 2000
Assessment
Doing What Scientists Do
Children Learn to Investigate Their World
Ellen Doris
Heinemann, 1991
Though this book is written for elementary school teachers, the chapter
called "Interpreting Children's Work" is a fascinating look
at the kinds of things any parent might look for when trying to learn
what her child understands.
Knowing What Students Know
The Science and Design of Educational Assessment
National Research Council
National Academy Press, 2001
Not easy reading, but a thorough look at the reasons for and kinds of
assessment tools used in schools; their design, their audiences, and
their relative benefits.
The Teaching of Science in Primary Schools
Wynne Harlen
David Fulton Publishers, 3rd ed. 2000
It's not your father's science class! The practice of inquiry-based
learning—its nature, its importance, and how teachers go about it.
Recommended (Just for Joy)
Uncle Tungsten
Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
Oliver W. Sacks
Alfred A. Knopf, 2001
Sacks's firsthand experience as a boy whose childhood was steeped in
guided discovery. Not every mother's a scientist, as his was, but every
parent can fan the fire of curiosity!
"What Do You Care What Other People Think?"
Further Adventures of a Curious Character
Richard P. Feynman
W.W. Norton, 2001
Feynman, in this memoir and its precursor "Surely You're Joking,
Mr. Feynman!" takes us by the hand through a life of scientific
and human surprises, disasters, joys, profundities, and discoveries.
Science and Math at Home
"At Home with Science" series
Janice Lobb
Larousse Kingfisher Chambers, 2000Ï2002
This rhyming-title series (Dig and Sow: How Do Plants Grow? Splish
Splosh: Why Do We Wash?) brims with illustrations, riddles, science
mysteries, and hands-on experiments for children aged 4Ï8.
Bouncing Eggs
Amazing Science Activities You Can Do at Home
McGraw-Hill, 1999
Using everyday materials, "Wizard Wellnitz" makes sleuths
of 7- to 10-year-olds with exciting hands-on science activities and
experiments.
FAMILY MATH
For Grades KÏ8
Jean Stenmark, Virginia Thompson, and Ruth Cossey
EQUALS, 1986
FAMILY MATH for Young Children: Comparing
For Grades PreKÏ3
Grace Dávila Coates and Jean Kerr Stenmark
EQUALS, 1997
FAMILY MATH—The Middle School Years, Algebraic Reasoning and Number
Sense
For Grades 5Ï8
Virginia Thompson and Karen Mayfield-Ingram
EQUALS, 1998
These EQUALS classics are filled with engaging mathematics games, activities,
and investigations for children and their parents to explore at home.
Home Science Kits from GEMS® and Scientific Explorer
LHS Discovery Corner
http://store.yahoo.com/lawrencehallofscience/sodpopscienk.html
Soda Pop ScienceÚJiggly Gems and Crystal CreationsÚMessages from SpaceÚ.
Award-winning, stimulating family science activities that appeal equally
to boys and girls, encouraging learning through exploration and invention.
"Science for Every Kid" series
Janice Van Cleave
John Wiley & Sons, 1993Ï2001
The books in this series (Astronomy for Every Kid, Chemistry for
Every Kid, Physics for Every Kid, The Human Body for Every Kid,
etc.) deliver the ideas, materials lists, and background science for
hundreds of experiments children can perform safely at home.
The Brain Explorer
Puzzles, Riddles, Illusions, and Other Mental Adventures
Pat Murphy, Ellen Klages, Pearl Tesler, Linda Shore, and the Exploratorium
Henry Holt, 1999
San Francisco's renowned Exploratorium shares some of its most innovative
science activities for families to do at home.
Links for Parents
Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)
www.askeric.org
Administered by the National Library of Education (U.S. Department
of Education), the AskERIC database offers over 3,000 resources on a
variety of educational issues.
Families and Work Institute
www.familiesandwork.org
Advice, articles, and research on improving family life for working
families. (Some products for sale.)
GreatSchools.net
www.greatschools.net
A marvelous resource for parents, this nonprofit organization provides
valuable information about public, private and charter schools in all
50 states and detailed school profiles for Arizona, California, Texas,
and Florida.
How to Have a Good Relationship with Your Child's Teacher
www.ldonline.com/ld_indepthparenting/hw_relationship.html
Useful advice to all parents on maintaining positive communication
with their children's teachers.
Learning Network
What Works: Ideas from Parents
www.familyeducation.com/whatworks
Suggestions posted to this site range from "After School for
Older Kids" to "Explore your Neighborhood Library." Worth
an occasional look.
National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE)
www.ncpie.org
NCPIE is devoted to the issue of keeping parents involved in schools
as partners, and provides updates on federal legislation that affects
this issue.
National Parent Information Network (NPIN)
http://npin.org
A project of the ERIC system, NPIN provides a question-answering
service, toll-free reference numbers, addresses, and e-mail contact
information for parents.
North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL)
www.ncrel.org
This nonprofit organization, through educational applications of
technology, helps schools in the north-central U.S. build tools and
apply proven practices so that students can reach their full potential.
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