Abstract
This article investigates the role Hispanic parents played in nine first‐grade children's acquisition of word‐recognition skills. Two parents, by directly helping children learn the school's reading curriculum, made the greatest contribution to children's achievement. All parents, despite their low socioeconomic status, were capable of helping their children and expressed willingness to do so. However, there was no systematic attempt by the school to enlist their aid. The significance of these findings for the education of minority children is discussed.