School Smart Parent

In a book that lives up to the promise of its title, a former education writer for the New York Times provides parents with a realistic ``blueprint for success.'' The formidable task of preparing children for school and helping them as students begins early, emphasizes Maeroff, for by the time a child has reached age three, the building blocks of intellectual achievement are substantially in place. Home, then, is the first classroom, parents the first teachers. Important signposts along the road of elementary schooling are observed in this comprehensive guide which helps parents monitor a child's progress through the first six grades. Curriculum, supplementary programs, advocacy for special needs are among the issues addressed. For parents of school-beginners this is an anxiety-reducing tool. First serial to Parenting magazine; author tour. (May)