Discusses how orienting a student to a Primary Montessori program is influenced by the child's experience in an Assistants to Infancy program. Maintains that introducing the zero-to-three sub plane changes the overall character of a school, requiring a new theory-practice framework for parent education, the role of the school in all-day programs,…

Suggests that if children's emotional concerns are not met, any attempt at cognitive learning is useless. Describes the Right Start Program, which smoothes the transition from home to school through a school picnic, "let's read" night, class visit, and optional home visits. Notes some possible impediments to implementation such as teachers'…

This article describes one gifted child's social and emotional adjustment over time, as an interaction among many factors including his own personality, his family, and his school situation. The article demonstrates the child's difficulties in elementary school adjustment and describes the changes that occurred which enhanced his self-esteem and…

Describes a model implemented by the Little Rock (Arkansas) school district that focused on the transition of children with special needs from preschool and home-based programs into district kindergarten. The model's main emphasis was on cooperating with and empowering all parents to act as independent and informed advocates for their children.…

Describes a new measure of parent-tutoring support for elementary-age transfer students. The Parent-Tutor Assessment Scale measures parents' tutoring behaviors, their competency and motivation to tutor, and parent-child communication. An assessment of 139 elementary school students and their caregivers is provided that reveals differences between…

Emphasizes the need to accommodate growing cultural and educational diversity among first-year college students. Describes several programs designed to address freshmen needs including a two-day orientation program; a mentoring scheme; and a course unit to improve teamwork and communication skills, increase awareness of university facilities, and…

This study focuses on factors predicting school adjustment of immigrant adolescents. One hundred seventy-five immigrant adolescents of Vietnamese origin in Finland (ages 13 to 18) were compared with a sample of host national Finnish youth (N = 337). The immigrant adolescents were better adjusted to school than were their host national peers. In…

This set of materials consists of three research reports concerning cultural and linguistic acculturation of minority children, and information about Acculturation Quick Screen, a technique, which includes computer software, for measuring students' relative level of acculturation to the public school environment in the United States. The research…

An orientation course at an Ohio college was designed to help college freshmen adjust to the values of a new living/learning community, using personal journal writing to develop the students' coping skills. Life issues considered essential in adult development theory--identity, intimacy, autonomy, and competency--serve as a background for the…

The project described in this paper focuses on researching approaches to ease the student's transition from elementary to middle school. The method presented equips teachers with an eight-step strategy for helping students think through everyday decisions and stressful situations. The materials target situations that children face while…

The Madison (Minneapolis, MN) school program provides intensive instructional and treatment services to students 12 to 16 years old with serious emotional and behavioral problems. The primary goal of the program is to aid individual students to develop sufficient coping skills and self based behavioral controls so they can successfully return to…

Teachers can do many things to help a child from a single-parent home. Teachers should be attuned to the special needs of such children in planning class discussions, afterschool activities, and parent conferences. Teachers can help the child obtain other types of supportive services, if needed. (PP)

Describes New Student Welcome Day, an orientation program for freshmen at the University of Maine. Outlines objectives of the three-day program, including assisting students' transition to the university, fostering development of a peer group, creating an atmosphere conducive to favorable attitudes, and reducing anxiety. (JAC)

Describes and evaluates the University Seminar Program for incoming freshmen students which focuses on aspects of university, academic, and cultural life. Extensive evaluation of the program indicates that the seminar has been successful in providing new students with useful information and has influenced student retention. (RC)

At Northern Kentucky State University, the Peer Support Organization offers older students, especially women, peer counseling and a chance to discuss problems. The organization was introduced to help these nontraditional students adjust to their unique demands that often include husbands, jobs, children, and school. (JMD)