This study analyzed children's picture books in order to determine the extent to which they reflect the changing roles of fathers in the family. Thirty books with a father as a main character and a publication date between 1980 and 1990 were randomly selected. Six possible father roles were determined. These were housekeeper, caregiver, companion,…

A study examined (1) a nine-year-old girl's view of writing, (2) the factors contributing to the construction of that view, (3) her parents' and teacher's views, and (4) the relationship among these various views. Both samples of writing and an interview schedule were used to elicit writing views from each of the participants concerning their…

In a multicultural study involving three ethnic groups, an attempt was made to evaluate features of an infant's developmental niche in the context of immigration. Four dimensions are reported: (1) parental beliefs about child development; (2) aspects of the baby's physical and social environment, including number of caretakers, crowding of the…

In this document data from a previous study is examined for indications of the relationship between ethnicity, home environment, and achievement. A search of the literature was conducted to identify parental response items and instruments useful for studying achievement. The three groups in the study (black, Caucasian and Mexican American) were…

The central objective of the Childhood and Parenting Research Program was to assist member states of the Appalachia Educational Laboratory in determining ways to work with families to foster the development and educational progress of children. To achieve this objective, research, reporting, analysis, and dissemination activities were conducted in…

Results of a study using a theoretical model to measure student attitudes toward social studies are reported. Attitudes were measured as they related to five constructs: (1) teacher attitudes, including support and reinforcement for the student and enthusiasm for subject; (2) student self-concept, scholastic attitude, peer acceptance, and…

A review of the literature on custody and visitation reveals many contradictory opinions, little empirical evidence and lack of a conceptual framework for assessing issues. An exploratory study is reported in which 99 custodial parents, 71 noncustodial parents and 70 children of divorce expressed their opinions on custody and visitation. The data…

This study examines the relationship between the interactive influences of two environmental settings--the home and the school--and three measures of student growth--reading, mathematics, and self-esteem. Each setting was measured along three dimensions of influence--attitudinal, process, and structural. A three stage, multivariate regression…

It is sometimes thought that the innovations needed to make urban schools effective may be somewhat easier to bring about, on the average, in a parochial school than a public school, because it is hypothesized that schools which are not part of a large public school bureaucracy are relatively more free to innovate. If this is true, it is…

When the quality of the family's influence on the child's academic performance is identified and evaluated, educators can more fully understand and aid the child in the classroom. This survey of research oriented literature probes the relationship between home environment and achievement. Social class, power-structure, child-rearing practices,…

This paper examines and summarizes information about the success of parent-centered educational intervention programs for disadvantaged preschool children. Historical shifts in the role of the family and the community in education are traced and four types of parent participation educational programs are identified. They are: (1) parents as policy…

This article describes the outcomes associated with a 3-year demonstration project designed to examine the efficacy of three models of intensive in-home services for treating children (ages 5-17) experiencing a psychiatric crisis. Results found 82% of children were maintained at home and family adaptability, children's self-concept, and parental…

Examines hypothesis that stepfamilies experience more marital conflict than do biological families. Measured remarriage's and stepchildren's impact on marital conflict frequency. Findings suggest that remarriage and stepchildren are not necessarily associated with more frequent marital conflict and that stepchildren's effect varied depending on…

Examined how child and family factors influence individual differences in the language development of African-American children between 18 and 30 months of age. Found that vocabulary and utterance length increased linearly. Children from more stimulating and responsive homes had larger vocabularies, used more irregular nouns and verbs, and had…

Examines the extent to which substantial differences in the attitudes of children from the same family are mediated by nonshared environmental processes or by genetic factors. Results suggested that parental and sibling negativity is significantly related to adolescent adjustment through nonshared environmental processes, although genetic factors…