There is a great deal of information in this book, but I'm not sure who it is for. It seems that it was written for parents in order for them to gauge whether the school is teaching their children what they need for a good education. One gets the impression that schools are failing our children completely. If you follow this book's suggestions, you would need to work full-time sitting in classrooms, questioning the teachers, perusing the reading lists and doing this for each subject in each grade! No one has the time to do that, or if they did, they were either homeschooling or sending their child to an elite private school. In some ways, the book is better suited for teachers or principals of schools who want to make sure they are including everything that, in the opinion of William J. Bennett, is necessary for a good education. As for homeschoolers - this book could be useful, it includes lists of books for each subject and grade. In that case, I would look rather at Susan Wise Bauer's The Well-Trained Mind, because it is a) written by a person who was homeschooled and homeschooled her own kids, b) not only has lists of books, but actually presents a schedule and instructions on how to do this. Overall, I did not find this book very useful. ( )

To Ed and Linda: Who educated two fine children, now citizens! With love- Bill

Good tips for parents, who might want to ensure that their children are getting a decent education in the public school system. They do cover early childhood education (ages 1-5), as well as elementary and middle school ages. ( )

This was a surprising combination of two widely circulated education books: "What Your _th Grader Needs to Know" by E.D. Hirsch and "The Well-Trained Mind" by Bauer and Wise. The subject matter covered in this particular book spans from kindergarten to grade eight.

The premesis is the same as Bauer's book: a subject-by-subject treatise on various school subjects followed by succinct reading lists of highly recommended books. Similarities with Hirsch include what the pupil woud ideally study followed by recommended supplements. Subjects included are the 3 R's, science, penmanship, fine arts, poetry and other essentials that may or may not be covered in the average American school.

Learning disabilities, accelerated learning and English as a second language was addressed by the author. In the introduction, the author welcomes single parents, homeschoolers, grandparents and others interested in teaching. This book is not intended to be read cover-to-cover but as a resource for learning alternatives and solutions by focusing on subject and grade level.

With an emphasis on morals, character and deportment that are not strictly dependent upon on strict Biblical interpretation, these reading lists include contemporary books of a Christian or secular nature that will appeal to a wider audience . The writer recognizes many of the titles and supposes these will be easily found at many public libraries, thus an economical solution for families with restrictive budgets.

Despite the similarities to Bauer's book and the nearly identical philosophy as Hirsch, this is an excellent resource for families of all types and sizes. Bennett's educational principles mimic contemporary American pedagogy, thus there is no need to learn a different philosophy such as classical education as with Bauer. Bennett's reading recommendations include shorter lists that are practical for the family who supplementing public school (assuming increased time demands extra-curricular activities, homework or learning difficulties). For the homeschooling purposes, succinct lists offer depth and exploration of the subject matter that can be realistically attained by the working, single or large-family parents whose time and abilities are in greater demand. ( )

Very good help to those parents (or grandparents) who want to play an important role in the education of their children or grandchildren. We have in Part I, The Preschool Years; Part II, The Core Curriculum; Part III, Making it Work. Of particular interest I found the discussion of what should be taught in each subject area for each grade level. I was so impressed with his philosophy of education that when it became necessary to homeschool a granddaughter with dyslexia, I chose his online/offline K-12 curriculum. ( )