Q: The PTO president wants me to apply to be a parent representative on our school site council. While I'm active at school, I'm not a curriculum or budget expert. What skills do I need to be effective?

A: If the PTO president is encouraging you to apply, he or she sees that you have the skills, disposition and commitment to be successful.

School site councils usually consist of an administrator, teachers, parents and classified employees, such as custodians and aides. Some members are elected; others appointed. Members advocate for all parents and represent the interests of the entire student body, not just their own children.

"You don't need to be a budget whiz or know your state's learning standards inside out to be effective," says Bill Jackson, founder of GreatSchools, an online academic resource for parents and teachers. "You need to be willing to listen and evaluate data before making a decision and to communicate the importance of the school's improvement efforts to other parents."

The job of the council is to focus on things that really matter in boosting student achievement, says Jackson.

"It's to work with the administration to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and budgets," he explains. "It isn't to decide if the cafeteria should be painted yellow and blue or whether PTO fundraisers should disallow high-calorie treats. School site councils are most successful when their work is about overall student performance. If not, members are wasting their time."

The most effective PTO councils focus on four areas: academic achievement, school safety, parent engagement and discipline. Jackson says council members should grapple with these issues:

Consider the goals and priorities of the school, and determine if there is data that shows how well the school is achieving those goals. Look at the progression toward goals and ask if there are groups of students not doing as well as others. If so, consider what programs and supports can be put in place to help the students as well as how those programs will be structured and funded.

Members of the PTO also look at current programs to determine if they are ineffective or unrelated to the overall goals. If so, they may look at eliminating them.

Next, consider these questions: Can you deal with group dynamics? Can you keep your eye on big goals without getting caught in the weeds? Do you have enough time for the homework required to understand and debate policies? Do you have thick enough skin to live through arguments? Can you work outside your comfort zone, communicating the school's policies to the community?

"For example," asks Jackson, "can you help parents who don't see the value of benchmark testing understand why it is important to know where a student is strong or weak to adjust instruction?"

Many times, good policies get scuttled when rumors are passed along among parents. "They fail not for lack of effectiveness, but because parents don't understand them," says Jackson. "Council members have an important role in helping other parents understand why the school has a certain homework or testing program."

Attend a meeting as an observer. Talk with current and former PTO members. If you think you'll enjoy the involvement, then sign on, says Jackson: "Schools need the leadership of parents like you."

For more information, go to greatschools.org.

(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: We're taking an August road trip with our 7-, 9- and 11-year-old boys. The backseat DVD player is broken. We'll leave it that way to encourage reading. What books might make the miles fly by?

A: Do your children have favorite authors who have written a series? If not, go to your local library or bookstore and test-drive some for kids in this age range.

"Librarians know what's popular and are experts in helping young readers find books that connect to their personal interests," says Blanche Warner, head librarian at Naples (New York) Library.

Series are a good choice because "once a child is hooked on one title, he or she will plow through the rest because they know the backstory. Following a protagonist though each book is like spending time with a good friend," says Warner. "The 'Harry Potter' and 'Lemony Snicket' books are tried and true examples. Chances are your children already have an author they want more of."

Two laugh-out-loud, perennially popular series are Lincoln Peirce's "Big Nate" (HarperCollins and Andrews McMeel Universal) and Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (Amulet Books).

Bill Doyle's "Magic for Hire" series (Random House) is about Henry and Keats, two boys who take on kooky monsters. Titles include "Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie," "Stampede of the Supermarket Slugs" and "Invasion of the Junkyard Hog." It's great for reluctant readers. The first book in Doyle's new series about a family that enters wacky contests, "The Prizewinners of Piedmont Place" (Random House), debuts next month.

Science writer Sandra Markle's lushly illustrated "What If You Had?" nonfiction series (Scholastic) introduces animal characteristics by challenging kids to imagine what it would be like if their own ears, teeth and hair were replaced by those of a different animal.

In a description for "What If You Had Animal Teeth?" on Scholastic.com, it says, "this book explores how different teeth are especially adapted for an animal's survival. ... Children will discover why their own teeth are just right for them. And they'll also get a friendly reminder to take good care of their teeth, because they're the only teeth they'll ever have."

Another suggestion is to pack some "quick reads offering bite-size nuggets of awesome info that can sop up the time between putting in your order and getting the pizza," suggests Naples Library's Warner. Consider titles such as "The World Almanac for Kids," "Time For Kids Almanac," "National Geographic Kids Almanac," "Guinness World Records" and "Ripley's Believe It or Not! Special Edition 2016."

Consider the flashcard-format "Fandex Family Field Guides" and "Brain Quest" series from Workman Publishing. These colorful Q-and-A cards with lots of fun facts hang together with a metal rivet, so they don't spill out of the car when you stop for gas. Fandex topics range from "Birds" to "50 States" to "Star Wars." The "Brain Quest America" series includes 850 Q and A's "celebrating our history, people and culture."

For more information, go to workman.com.

(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 grandkids are coming for a week and my daughter has asked me to keep them "off the grid," except for emergencies. The kids (11 and 13) are glued to their phones and she feels their health is at risk. (She wasn't concerned last summer when they arrived with their noses buried in tablets!) Is she overreacting?

A: Many experts don't think so. Educators, athletic coaches, children's counselors and doctors are beginning to link decreased attention spans, inability to stay focused, and irritability when devices are shelved with kids being unable to put the things down.

Ophthalmologists are concerned about increased eyestrain in young people who overuse screens. Viewing a digital screen often makes the eyes work harder.

You daughter isn't the only parent worried. One Texas mother emailed me, "When I was a kid, I'd ask friends to come over to play. When my daughter invites friends, it's like she's said, 'Come over so we can silently look at our phones together.' It's just crazy."

A recent poll from Common Sense Media reveals that half of teenagers surveyed "feel addicted" to their mobile devices. Fifty-nine percent of their parents said they agree.

The results suggest that parents and kids are concerned about the impact mobile devices have on day-to-day life. Seventy-two percent of teens and 48 percent of parents feel the need to immediately respond to texts and other notifications; 69 percent of parents and 78 percent of teens check their devices at least hourly.

One-half of parents and one-third of kids polled said they very often or occasionally try to reduce the amount of time they spend on devices. Approximately one-third of both parents and teens said they argue about mobile device use daily. Sixty-six percent of parents and teens said mobile devices are not allowed at the dinner table.

"Mobile devices are fundamentally changing how families go about their day-to-day lives, be it doing homework, driving or having dinner together," said James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense. Usage "is causing daily conflict in homes," while "families are concerned about the consequences. We also know that problematic media use can negatively affect children's development and that multitasking can harm learning and performance."

Common Sense has issued a white paper with survey results and recommendations. "Technology Addiction: Concern, Controversy and Finding Balance" discusses -- among other things -- how multitasking and toggling between multiple screens can impair children's ability to lay down memories, learn, focus and work effectively.

It also addresses technology's impact on conversations. Michael Robb, Common Sense's director of research, said that this is "really important for social and emotional development. We need better long-term measures of how device use is impacting people's ability to empathize."

Instead of relying on devices, enjoy going off the grid with your grandkids. Get outside; go camping; have conversations; try a new sport; cook up a storm; engage in painting or sculpture; volunteer where you're needed (would a preschool like a mural repainted?); visit local attractions; take the kids to lunch with interesting people. Stuck at home on a rainy day? Teach them a challenging card game or chess. Catch a movie at the multiplex. Your daughter won't mind; the screen is big and the movie is sure to start some interesting conversations afterward!

(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.)