Public policy meant to improve educational outcomes has focused on within-school factors, even though it is known that factors within the home influence these outcomes more. This article suggests that some aspects of academic work are well enough understood that researchers can offer advice as to changes that parents might make in the home, so as to improve children's academic performance. Reading is taken as a sample case, and research is reviewed with an eye toward home-based practices to improve decoding, comprehension, and motivation.