Intended as an easy read for parents to assist them in preparing their child for the early years of the learning journey in public school. Brian Wile is a graduate of the University of Victoria, having earned the degree of Master of Education in 1977. Prior to that, he fulfilled the requirements for a B.Ed., (Secondary) and a Graduate Diploma in Administration. Brian has worked as a teacher and administrator for 35 years in public schools in British Columbia and Quebec. His background also includes work in curriculum development and implementation, workshop presentations in the areas of the language arts and learning disabilities, and community volunteer work with youth. He currently resides in Nanoose Bay, B.C. from "Chapter Seven: Getting Started" Starting school is difficult for every child. It is particularly laden with special challenges for some children born late in the year. Kindergarten children chronogically behind classmates do not enter the system on an equal footing with those children who could very well be twelve months older. These youngsters often are behind even before they finish their first day of school. from "Chapter Eight: Inside the Classroom" Imagine schools and classrooms where groups are assembled on an understanding of how students learn as much as on chronological age and test scores, where well thought out instructional strategies embrace and cater to the learning needs of every child in the pursuit of maximum achievement. As it is now, the outcome of taking part in the public school experience for children is that most of them underachieve. In other words, very few of them reach learning levels that truly match their potential. So many of our children come up short in an undertaking that should be one of the most remarkable, rewarding, and personal adventures of a lifetime. from "Chapter Nine: Learning Disabilities" Social skill acquisition is one of the least understood aspects of learning disabilities. L.D. children are often socially immature and have difficulty recognizing and appropriately processing language or visual cues. They think in very concrete terms. These children stand out in such a way that their visibility is accompanied by the reality of isolation and it is this isolation that in turn makes them feel invisible. In the culture of youth they have a very obvious and quick cutoff point for acceptance. This brings with it a pretty solitary existence as opportunities to go in a different direction socially have been taken away -- a road without junctions. from "Chapter 12: Computers and Your Child" The computer must be viewed as just one more piece of media equipment whose use is guided by a consideration of this basic question. What can it do for the learner in any given situation that will be superior or at least a positive addition to what would occur without it? It is not enough for its use to be viewed as a provision of creative opportunities to engage the learner. So often such fuzzy headed rationale is merely the mist of instructional deception. At the end of the day, little has been accomplished and the reality of wasted human interactive instructional time stares at us unforgivingly. The more we remove the human element and replace it with technology, the closer we move toward a learning environment that is largely sterile and devoid of enthusiasm, humour, energy, and creative response to the teachable moment.