81 Questions for Parents

Book excerpt: As a former teacher, school board chair, and state legislator, Kristen J. Amundson has spent decades answering parents’ questions about school. 81 Questions for Parents: Helping Your Kids Succeed in School highlights the most important of these questions, covering a child’s school journey from preschool to postsecondary education. It includes some of the school secrets parents need to know—the often unwritten rules that can make a child’s K-12 experience the best it can be. Should you “redshirt” your kindergartener (and hold them out for a year)? How much parent help on homework is too much? And why could playing in the band be a secret to getting your child into a good college? And for parents who are struggling to teach their child at home, there are tips on how to do that while still keeping your sanity (and your own job). 81 Questions for Parents combines common sense, research, and a little humor to help parents support their child to get the best possible education.