The following is a list of 5 top rated books about parenting and education on Amazon.com. I chose books that had consistently positive ratings from readers (many of them parents) for practicality, strong research and readability.

Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child – The Heart of Parenting by John Gottman
This book is all about helping your child interact with and make sense of his emotions. This can help him be more self-confident at home, in school and in social relationships. The book first discusses ways in which you can assess your style of parenting and your own ability to understand your emotional life. Then, according to the back of the book, it  describes a five-step “emotion coaching” process that teaches you how to:

• Be aware of a child’s emotions
• Recognize emotional expression as an opportunity for intimacy and teaching
• Listen empathetically and validate a child’s feelings
• Label emotions in words a child can understand
• Help a child come up with an appropriate way to solve a problem or deal with an upsetting issue or situation

How To Talk So Kids Can Learn by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
Faber and Mazlish employ real life dialogues, strategies for communication and cartoons to show you how to help your kid troubleshoot school related issues. The emphasis is on  inspiring him to be “self-directed, self-disciplined, and responsive to the wonders of learning.” (back of the book) This book is one of my favorites; I’ve referred to it regularly over the years.

One Amazon.com reviewer, Tracy L. Fortun, is a Montessori teacher and parent who teaches workshops to parents and teachers based on the Faber/Mazlish books. She writes: “Anyone who works with children should use this book as a reference and re-read it every year or two. Not simply because these methods are effective – which they absolutely are, when practiced faithfully – but because Faber and Mazlish promote a style of teaching/parenting that helps a child develop a positive self-image, strong skills of communication, empathy for others, and self-control.”

Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne
Payne asserts that too many of today’s children struggle with anxiety and behavioral problems and have trouble in school and with peers. The cause: an overly fast paced and cluttered (literally and figuratively) lifestyle. He discusses how parents can “reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need for their attention to deepen and their individuality to flourish.” According to the book description, it offers strategies on how to:

• Streamline your home environment. Reduce the amount of toys, books, and clutter—as well as the lights, sounds, and general sensory overload.
• Establish rhythms and rituals. Discover ways to ease daily tensions, create battle-free mealtimes and bedtimes, and tell if your child is overwhelmed.
• Schedule a break in the schedule. Establish intervals of calm and connection in your child’s daily torrent of constant doing.
• Scale back on media and parental involvement. Manage your children’s “screen time” to limit the endless deluge of information and stimulation.

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