Parents' Guide to Raising Kids Who Love to Learn: Infant to Grade School

Part of a new Family Living series from the Children's Television Workshop, this volume consists largely of adaptations or excerpts from Sesame Street Magazine Parents' Guide. The brisk, readable style cannot mask a deficiency of content, as chapter after chapter summarizes existing wisdom on how children learn and offers advice that is often so obvious as to be virtually meaningless (``Children . . . need age-appropriate playthings''; ``be prompt'' on the first day of school). On some occasions the authors seem oblivious to what really goes on in a household with small kids (what parent has time to ``read to your child while you're in the kitchen waiting for the spaghetti water to boil''). Still, there are insightful sections, such as the discussion of how to answer the question ``where does rain come from?'' (Instead of providing a scientific answer that may be difficult for their child to understand, parents are urged to ask, ``Why do you think it rains?'' then correct any misperceptions and tender comments that are relevant to the child's concerns.) Also included are lists of education and parent-advocacy organizations and recommended books for parents and children. Literary Guild selection. (June)