Noting that parent involvement in student schoolwork ranks high as a cause of academic success for most children, this book helps parents act as tutors in reading and writing for their first- and second-grade children. It offers both general guidelines and specific strategies and activities to use for accomplishing specific objectives, such as improving decoding skills and using comprehension strategies. Activity sheets follow many of the lessons. After a word to parents and an introduction, chapters in the book are: (1) Sharing Books with Your Child; (2) Building Skills in Word Recognition: Phonics; (3) Understanding Word Structure and Memory Techniques; (4) Building Basic Comprehension Skills; (5) Finding Books Your Child Will Like: Interest Inventories; and (6) Trying Books on for Size: Readability Levels. A 16-item glossary; tips for tutoring; advice for helping children feel good about themselves; and a list of 57 preschool books, 51 read-aloud books and Internet sites, and 38 predictable books are included (RS)