This book discusses what can be done to extend literacy and raise literacy standards for all sections of the population, the relationship between home learning and school learning, and the role of parents in their children's education, focusing on the situation in England. It is designed to assist teachers who work cooperatively with parents in the education of their children. The book brings together several lines of research and offers new ways of thinking about parental involvement which will interest both researchers and practitioners. Eleven chapters focus on: (1) the meaning of literacy; (2) the changing role of parental involvement in their children's literacy education; (3) the case for significant parental involvement in their children's education; (4) working with parents of preschool children; (5) working with parents of school-aged children; (6) the importance of having parents hear their children read; (7) prescriptive approaches to hearing reading, behaviorist programs, in-school activities, and family literacy; (8) the need for evaluation and research; (9) evaluation by tests; (10) evaluation by participants; and (11) an assessment of the research on parental involvement in literacy education. Contains approximately 220 references. (MDM)