This guide explains what the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database is and how it can be used by parents to learn more about schooling and parenting. The guide also presents sample records of 55 documents in the ERIC database. The cited resources are particularly relevant to parents' concerns about meeting children's basic needs, communicating with school staff, helping students learn, and serving as an advisor or advocate. In addition, the guide provides a separate category of ERIC resources for Spanish-speaking parents. For parents with the necessary energy and academic skills, searching the ERIC database will provide information on selected topics. One chapter describes in detail a manual ERIC search. The guide also discusses the theory and methods of computer searching with CD-ROM (compact disc, read-only memory) and lists prerequisite computer skills. Separate sections of the guide discuss ERIC digests, ERIC resumes, the ERIC system, ordering ERIC documents, the range of information about parents in the ERIC database, and the tools for manual or computer searching (such as the Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors, ERIC indexes and compact disks). ERIC clearinghouses and institutions with extensive ERIC collections that are available to the public are listed. A glossary is provided to clarify and define terms used in the guide related to the ERIC database. (LP)