Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) funded by the U. S. Department of Education were located in every state. New York State had two (2) PIRC programs that provide services and technical assistance related to Family Engagement for parents and schools. All materials below were create and provided by the NYS PIRC.

All publications  arein PDF format. if you do not have the Adobe Reader, you can download one for free by clicking here.

Helping Your Child with School

• College and Career Guide for Students and Families
• Student Transition from Middle to High School-fact sheet
• Parental Involvement -parent guide
• Parental Involvement -fact sheet (Spanish)
• Working Together with School -parent guide
• Getting Ready for Kindergarten -parent guide
• Gifted Students -fact sheet
• Helping with Homework -parent guide
• Helping with Homework -fact sheet (Spanish)
• Getting Ready for College -parent guide
• School Attendance -fact sheet
• Communicating with School-fact sheet 

Helping Your Child at Home

• Healthy Choices
• Bullying and Your Child
• Raising Responsible Children -parent guide
• Reading to Your Child -parent guide
• Help Your Child Learn to Read -parent guide
• Support Your Child's Learning at Home-Preschool to Kindergarten -parent guide
• Music and Rhyming -fact sheet (Spanish)
• Play is How Children Learn -fact sheet (Spanish)
• What if I Have Concerns about my Child;s Development? -fact sheet (Spanish)
• How do I Choose an Early Intervention Service Provider? -fact sheet (Spanish)
• What if I have Concerns about my Child's Development-Local Version
• Choosing a Child Care Provider -fact sheet
• Children and Media -parent guide
• Monitoring Your Child's Internet Use -fact sheet

No Child Left BSTind (NCLB) and School Accountability

• No Child Left Behind -parent guide
• No Child Left Behind -fact sheet
• Understanding NYS Assessments -parent guide
• NYS Standardized Tests-fact sheet (Spanish)
• New York State Learning Standards -fact sheet (Spanish)
• Understanding the New York State Parent Report-fact sheet (Spanish)
• Understanding the New York State School Report Card-fact sheet (Spanish)
• Supplemental Educational Services -fact sheet (Spanish)
• Public School Choice -fact sheet (Spanish)
• Title I -fact sheet (Spanish)
• Temporary Housing -fact sheet
• Public School Options-fact sheet

US Department of Education Offers Resources to Help Children

The Helping Your Child publication series aims to provide parents with the tools and information necessary to help their children succeed in school and life. These booklets feature practical lessons and activities to help their school aged and preschool children master reading, understand the value of homework and develop the skills and values necessary to achieve and grow.

• Helping Your Child Learn Science-Every day is filled with opportunities to learn science—without expensive chemistry sets or books. Parents don't need degrees in chemistry or physics to help their children learn science. All that is needed is a willingness to observe and learn with them, and, above all, to make an effort and take the time to nurture their natural curiosity. This booklet provides parents of children ages 3 through 10 with information, tools and activities they can use in the home and community to help their child develop an interest in the sciences and learn about the world around them. (March 2004) Full booklet PDF (1M) Brochure version PDF (283K)
• Helping Your Child Learn Mathematics-Our increasingly technological world demands strong skills in mathematics, not only in the workforce but also in everyday life, and these demands will only increase over the lifetimes of our children. The major portion of this booklet is made up of fun activities that parents can use with children from preschool age through grade 5 to strengthen their math skills and build strong positive attitudes toward math. (March 2004) Full booklet PDF (776K) Brochure version PDF (254K)
• Helping Your Child Become a Reader-Other than helping your children to grow up healthy and happy, the most important thing that you can do for them is to help them develop their reading skills. This booklet offers pointers on how to build the language skills of young children, and includes a list of typical language accomplishments for different age groups, suggestions for books, and resources for children with reading problems or learning disabilities. (August 2002) Full booklet PDF (656K) Brochure version PDF (278K) 
• Helping Your Child With Homework-Homework can help children to develop positive study skills and habits, improve their thinking and memory abilities, and encourage them to use time well, learn independently, and take responsibility for their work. This booklet helps parents of elementary and junior high school students understand why homework is important and makes suggestions for helping children complete assignments successfully. (August 2002) Full booklet PDF (508K) Brochure version PDF (311K)
• Helping Your Preschool Child-How well children will learn and develop and how well they will do in school depends on a number of things, including their health and physical well-being, social and emotional preparation, and language skills and general knowledge of the world. This booklet highlights techniques parents can use to encourage their children to develop the skills necessary for success in school and life by focusing on activities that make learning fun. (August 2002) Full booklet PDF (725K) Brochure version PDF (198K)
• Helping Your Child Succeed in School-Every child has the power to succeed in school and in life and every parent, family member and caregiver can help. This booklet provides parents with information, tools and activities they can use in the home to help their child develop the skills critical to academic success. (September 2002) Full booklet PDF (1,600K) Brochure version PDF (324K)
• Helping Your Child Through Early Adolescence-Learning as much as you can about the world of early adolescents is an important step towards helping your child through the fascinating, confusing and wonderful years from ages 10 through 14. Based on the latest research in adolescent development and learning, this booklet addresses questions, provides suggestions and tackles issues that parents of young teens generally find most challenging. (September 2002) Full booklet PDF (2,090K) Brochure version PDF (365K)
• Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen-Just as children must be taught to read and write, solve math problems, and understand science concepts and events in history, so must they be guided in developing the qualities of character that are valued by their families and by the communities in which they live. This booklet provides information about the values and skills that make up character and good citizenship and what you can do to help your child develop strong character. It suggests activities that you and your school-aged children can do to put those values to work in your daily lives and tips for working with teachers and schools to ensure that you act together to promote the basic values that you want your child to learn and use. (March 2003) Full booklet PDF (1,687K) Brochure version PDF (319K)
• Helping Your Child Learn History-PDF (2M) The booklet is designed to help families prepare their children to achieve the lifelong task of finding their place in history by helping them learn what shaped the world into which they were born. Employing the latest research, the booklet is largely comprised of activities that can be experienced at home or in the community for children in preschool through grade 5, yet also features information about the basics of history; practical suggestions for how to work with teachers and schools to help children succeed in school; and a list of federal sources, helpful Web sites and suggested books for parents and children. (June 2004)