Presents four conclusions about why boys turn violent and how parents and teachers can save them: violence prevention is everybody's business; education for parents and teachers is crucial; child abuse prevention is the cornerstone of preventing lethal youth violence; and detoxifying the social environment of children and youth is essential to…

Discusses why families are so overscheduled, explaining that when children spend time by themselves doing nothing in particular, they are relaxing and learning how to be alone and enjoy their own company. When children do not have time to relax, there can be damaging stress-related consequences. Suggestions to help families spend more time…

Discusses the danger of unhealthy air in the school environment, describing common problems and how parents and schools can respond. The article focuses on the dangers of mold, pesticides, diesel exhaust, and radon. The three sidebars describe how to promote indoor air quality at school, note how to determine whether the school's air is making…

Explains how older siblings can teach and motivate toddlers while they play. Parents can augment traditional parenting by making the most of their children's playtime activities. This paper describes how to create fun learning experiences for toddlers and their siblings and discusses the role of older siblings who are in elementary school,…

Polled adolescents, parents, and teachers to determine where the child's right to privacy ends and the parent's responsibility to protect begins. Results indicate that the worst offenders tend to be siblings. The paper presents a three-pronged strategy to help parents deal with battling children: recognize the breaches, negotiate the truce…

Discusses creative methods of handling the tremendous amounts of trash generated daily in the U.S. Recycling, precycling, and reusing items all effectively reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills. The three components of successful recycling programs are collection, manufacturing, and buying recycled products. Pay-as-you-throw programs…

Describes how schools can help children cope with issues related to divorce, explaining the importance of reaching out to children and families of divorce. The entire school environment can become more open to the needs of such children by de- stigmatizing, de-mystifying, and discussing the issue. A sidebar presents resources that provide…

Notes that the kind of education and brain building that students undergo at home is as vital as school-based education, explaining what parents can do to establish a home environment that helps children develop their minds (e.g., monitor their children's development to know their strengths and shortcomings, instill intellectual content into home…

Many people believe that public education holds the key to success for individuals and society. However, too often they do not prioritize equitable educational opportunities for all students. To provide quality education for all students regardless of life circumstances requires community reform, not just academic reform. Education can provide…

School environments should foster both learning and self-esteem. Important elements in a good environment are acknowledging students and ensuring that they are accepted by others, having policies that support student growth, fostering student voice in decision making, offering opportunities for self-expression and self-exploration, and creating a…

Commercialism in schools takes many forms, ranging from the overt sale of advertising space to the presence of corporate logos. There are risks to in-school commercialism that parents must understand and deal with. Includes sidebars on PTA positions and a rating scale of in-school commercialism. (SM)

Thirteen suggestions for preventing the growing problem of peer cruelty at school include: adopt a schoolwide character education effort; create a classroom community; allow children to help set rules; teach empathy; practice cooperative learning; allow children of different ages to work together; teach social skills to end victimization; empower…

Reducing K-3 class size is highly recommended and broadly supported, though there are challenges with finding enough qualified teachers and providing enough classroom space. Research indicates that K-3 students in smaller classes do better academically, with minority and low-income students showing the greatest gains. The paper examines…

Most effective schools share a number of key characteristics, including clear-cut goals and objectives, adequate funding and financial management, quality academic programs, valid assessment programs, parent and family involvement, teacher and staff development, high expectations for students, community involvement, comprehensive support services,…