Q: Our district needs good after-school activities. A group of us want to start two clubs that use volunteer knowledge, offer cross-age learning, don't require expensive equipment and get kids away from their digital devices. Any suggestions?

A: How about chess and gardening? After-school coordinators I spoke with say communities often have passionate chess players and gardeners who like to pass on their knowledge. Both hobbies have good track records in schools and national organizations that can provide resources and models.

Chess is gaining in popularity in schools. The motto of the United States Chess Federation (USCF), "Chess makes kids smart," is part of the appeal.

New Jersey has added chess to its elementary school curriculum. Oregon's Chess for Success (www.chessforsuccess.org) points to research that shows chess can boost math and reading skills and improve critical thinking. Chess for Success Executive Director Julie Young says kids learn life skills, too, such as impulse control, delayed gratification, strategy and long-term planning.

Kids as young as first grade can learn to enjoy the game. Check out the Scholastic link on the USCF's website: www.uschess.org.

School gardens are popping up everywhere because they're wonderful places for hands-on lessons in a variety of subject areas and offer great volunteer projects to bring together community members of all ages. Two teachers at Park Avenue Elementary, in the North Bellmore (N.Y.) School District, launched a school garden that "grew out of our concern that children's outdoor interaction is diminishing," says Robin Obey, kindergarten teacher.

"Now," she says, "parents see their kids not only growing but tasting fresh foods such as radishes, lettuces, spinach and herbs!"

Obey and art teacher Jill Skelly secured $2,000 from the Bellmore Lion's Club for raised beds. The garden is used throughout the day. Obey says teachers have taught writing workshops, poetry, art, science and math in the garden.

"Kids are very excited to be there!" she says.

This spring's crops were so plentiful that kids participated in a "Grow to Give" program, with harvests donated to local food banks.

The folks at the National Gardening Association (NGA) know what works with young gardeners. NGA's program, KidsGardening: Helping Young Minds Grow (www.kidsgardening.org), offers tips, lesson plans to integrate into the curriculum and ways to connect with master gardeners in your area.

Do your due diligence when bringing in volunteers you don't know. "Districts have processes in place to vet folks working with students, such as finger printing and background checks. Follow it and explain why it's necessary," says counselor Marissa Gehley, founder of KNOW (Kids Need Our Wisdom) consulting.

"And remember, too, that just because someone is a passionate hobbyist doesn't mean they make a good coach," she says. "A gardener who freaks out because someone spilled the pumpkin seeds should become your technical advisor, not the person who shows kindergarteners how to sow them."

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: I want my second-grade son to have a specific teacher next fall. The school has a "don't ask" policy, but I think she'll be good for my son. How should I make the request?

A: This is a hot topic this time of year. Some parents try to get their kids assigned to teachers who have reputations as the "best," "nicest," "toughest," "most experienced," "most traditional," "easygoing" -- whatever attribute a parent thinks will enhance a child's learning. Other parents wouldn't think of making such a request. They view part of growing up as gaining the confidence to thrive in unknown situations.

Before you ask, learn how your school makes class assignments and list specific reasons why you want this teacher for your son.

"While the general trend is to not take parent requests, it is usually not a hard and fast rule," says Una Hukill, the principal of Beacon Cove Intermediate School, an elementary school in Jupiter, Fla., that is one of the state's highest-rated. "If a parent truly has a strong reason that they believe a particular teacher is a good match for their child, many principals will take that into account."

Yet most parents don't make a good case. Insisting to a principal that "my cousin said to ask for Mrs. Smith because she is wonderful" isn't enough to influence placement, says Hukill.

Hukill thinks it's important for parents to understand how placement decisions are made and the factors considered.

"When making assignments in our school, we take into account a child's learning style, performance and strengths," she says. "We strive for a balance of boys and girls and a range of academic and behavioral levels. We separate children who may not be good together, either because their personalities clash or because they are best friends and can distract one another. If a parent knows that a specific teaching style or characteristic has motivated their child in the past, we really appreciate knowing about it when we make up the class lists.

"A great match can make all the difference in a child's life!"

Be thoughtful and specific in your request. Describe your son. What kind of a learner is he? What does he enjoy? What frustrates him? What is his temperament like? What type of behavior does he exhibit in various situations? Say why a certain teacher's style or philosophy would be a good match for him.

Not every teacher is a good fit for every child, observes Hukill.

"Just because a child had a great experience with one teacher does not necessarily mean that another child with a different personality or educational needs will have a similar experience," she says.

While parents generally base requests on experience or the parent grapevine, there is increasingly available empirical data on individual teacher effectiveness. Stanford University professor Eric Hanushek has studied it and found that students with a teacher in the top 5 percent gained a year and a half's worth of learning. Those students with teachers in the bottom 5 percent gained only half a year's worth. Look for data that might support your request.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)

Q: My daughter, Darien, is finishing second grade. Her teacher wants her to work on reading comprehension this summer. We read together every night. Does that help?

A: All reading helps a child. But many need explicit instruction to boost their understanding, says Mary Rosenberg, a master teacher in the Fresno (Calif.) Unified School District. Parents can help a lot by doing just a little skill building every day.

In "Read and Succeed: Comprehension" (Shell Educational Publishing Inc.), a graded series she has contributed to, Rosenberg outlines comprehension-building strategies you can use with short texts that match Darien's reading level. Ask her teacher or librarian for recommendations, or find appropriate texts in children's magazines such as National Geographic Kids, Scholastic News, Ranger Rick and their websites. Although they are designed for classrooms, parents like Rosenberg's lessons because they come with selected content, saving you from hunting down the reading material.

What are key comprehension skills?

-- Previewing, predicting, making mental images and tapping prior knowledge orient a reader to what she already knows about the topic. Look at the title and pictures. Ask Darien what the topic is. Can she predict what will happen from the title or illustrations? If the story is about a starfish, can she relate something she already knows to it, such as a trip to the shore or a documentary on sea life? Good readers link new text to something they already know.

-- Ask questions and make connections. Discuss "who, what, when, where, why and how" to help Darien focus on important details. For example, if she reads an article about world holidays, ask her how celebrations are alike and different. Ask her to talk about her favorite holiday.

-- Setting, plot and characters are important comprehension tools to ask her about. Where does the story take place? What happens first? Next? What do the people say and do?

-- Look for comprehension clues in titles, headings, typeface, captions and graphics. Pictures, drawings and charts help kids remember what they've read, says Rosenberg. Show her how publications give content hints in graphic design and typography. Captions and call-outs often summarize a story.

-- Ask Darien to sum up the main idea and then give a couple of details after reading a short passage. Most texts have a time order: Can she relate the sequence of events? How-to texts such as recipes have a logical order. Have her point these out.

-- Discuss cause and effect, (why something happened) to explain the gist of a story. Have her compare and contrast story elements to remember what's the same and different. Ask her to retell a story in her own words to reinforce understanding. Can she guess the author's purpose? Is it to inform, entertain, persuade or make a reader feel a certain way? Don't overlook a nonfiction book's table of contents, index and glossary.

"If she masters some of these, she'll have a set of comprehension tools to use her whole life," says Rosenberg.

Tackle one or two at a time. Stop the minute it's no longer fun! Never destroy the joy of reading together.

(Do you have a question about your child's education? Email it to Leanna@aplusadvice.com. Leanna Landsmann is an education writer who began her career as a classroom teacher. She has served on education commissions, visited classrooms in 49 states to observe best practices, and founded Principal for a Day in New York City.)