A plain-English guide to teaching phonics. Every parent can teach reading—no experts need apply! Too many parents watch their children struggle with early reading skills—and don't know how to help. Phonics programs are too often complicated, overpriced, gimmicky, and filled with obscure educationalese. The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading cuts through the confusion, giving parents a simple, direct, scripted guide to teaching reading—from short vowels through supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. This one book supplies parents with all the tools they need. Over the years of her teaching career, Jessie Wise has seen good reading instruction fall prey to trendy philosophies and political infighting. Now she has teamed with dynamic coauthor Sara Buffington to supply parents with a clear, direct phonics program—a program that gives them the know-how and confidence to take matters into their own hands.

A guide for parents on reading to their children offers specific title suggestions, discusses what type of books to read, and describes how, when, and where to read to each of five age groups from newborns to five-year-olds.

Learning to talk is probably the greatest milestone in a child's development: a deeply moving and often hilarious experience for all parents. In this charming and informative book, Britain's leading expert on the English language talks you through every stage in your child's language development. Over thirty years after its original publication, this new and updated edition of Listen to your Child shows us that while the world our children are growing up in may have changed, one thing has not: parents still need to listen. Gathering decades of research from psychologists and linguists, Professor Crystal shows how the more we know about language acquisition - from 'cooking' and 'babbling' to melodic 'scribble talk' and simple words and then to incessant chatter - the more there is to delight in. From birth to the early school years, Listen to your Child provides a painless introduction to the study of child language acquisition as well as invaluable advice for parents.

More and more parents today are disillusioned with public education. Instead of merely tolerating a faulty system, expanding numbers of parents are turning to alternative education for their children. "Homeschooling" describes what homeschooling is all about, helps parents decide whether or not this choice fits their family lifestyle, covers virtually every aspect of homeschooling, and more.

Dr. Milton Chen--who has worked in program development for Sesame Street and the Electric Company--shows parents how to make use of the educational potential of television, video, and other media--while avoiding their pitfalls. Short, concise chapters spotlight subjects such as TV and violence, role models, and more.

Silvey's 35 years in children's book publishing inform this authoritative list of essential reading for kids of all ages. In addition to the 100 best, extensive lists of books to meet special needs and interests as well as classics, selected by age