The Parent Backpack for Kindergarten through Grade 5: How to Support Your Child’s Education, End Homework Meltdowns, and Build Parent-Teacher Connections

In this approachable guide, Nichols offers practical advice to parents on everything from how to select a kindergarten program to how to write appropriate e-mails to your child’s teacher. Nichols, the director of the Parent Connection, a nonprofit parent education group, has extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of the early years of a child’s education. All parents will benefit from the early chapters providing specifics about the current generation of elementary schools, and suggestions for what parents can do to ensure their children’s success within the changing system. Nichols is well versed in both the budgetary and curricular strains on the system and current best practices in various subjects and classroom management. The final chapters run the gamut of parenting and education topics, from bullying to technology and even health, but each feels important and contributes to the larger framework. “Top Ten Takeaways” at the end of each chapter are provided for easy reference, and sample scripts for how to interact with teachers are particularly useful. Throughout, Nichols successfully balances her frustration with the system with heartfelt optimism regarding the role that parents can play in making their children’s school experience positive, claiming that “there’s never been a more challenging or more exciting time to do this.” Agent: Mollie Glick, Foundry Literary & Media. (July)