Many public and private kindergartens in New York use standardized tests for admission into their programs. How parents and teachers feel about these tests was studied. Parents were asked whether their child had taken any standardized kindergarten admission test, whether they discussed the results with a professional, whether the results really…

This compilation of essays and resources focuses on acceptance of children with disabilities and cooperation between parents and early intervention specialists. The compilation includes the following items written by Jan Spiegle-Mariska (sometimes cited as Jan Mariska): "Building Effective Parent/Professional Partnerships"; "What…

A study was conducted to determine the reading habits and attitudes of parents and their children and to determine parents' familiarity with Reading Rainbow (a television program intended to stimulate young children's interest in reading for pleasure) and their attitudes toward the program. A total of 707 questionnaires were completed by parents…

Parents, their 5- to 6-year-old children, and teachers participated in a study focusing on three aspects of jobs: (1) degree of challenge and stimulation; (2) complexity of work with people and "time urgency"; and (3) the relationships of these variables to selected aspects of parenting and perceptions of children's social behavior. Data…

To determine whether maternal involvement reflects her expectations about her child's ability to solve the tasks at hand, a group of 32 boys and their mothers were studied. Sixteen of the boys were classed as reflective and 16 were classed impulsive on the Matching Familiar Figures Test. The boys were matched on age (8 years 9 months and 8 years 6…

Examines the reciprocal relationship between the home environment and the development of 148 slow learning adolescents over a three-year period, assessing such factors as child-rearing attitudes, educationally relevant stimuli and opportunities, and psychosocial climate and environmental press of the home. (HOD)

Summarizes research on various aspects of mothering, including the decision to have children, child rearing in the early years and maternal employment, and late parenting with adult children. Urges an ecological perspective toward parenting and various publicly and privately-supported child care facilities and arrangements. (CJM)

This study used structured interviews to examine the views of 101 South Australian immigrant families, grouped by country of origin, concerning their educational expectations for their children ages birth to 8 years. The overall research questions were: (1) What are the parental expectations of immigrant groups for the early education of their…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study designed to assess two measures of family functioning for families with children with disabilities: the Family Support Scale (FSS) and the Family Resource Scale (FRS). The FSS is an 18-item questionnaire that measures the amount of perceived support given to the parents of young children with…

Used Q methodology and interviews to explore beliefs of 14 Hungarian teachers and 14 parents of children in preschool and Grade 1 (7 at each grade level) regarding developmentally appropriate practices (DAP), with follow-up interviews with 6 participants. Found that major viewpoints regarding DAP relate to focusing on children's individual…

Open-ended interviews in which 20 family members discussed issues related to their child's problem behavior revealed three major themes: the difficult process of coming to terms with the child's disability, the importance of having support from caring people, and the pervasive impact the problem behavior exerts on family functioning. (Contains…

This study examined the relationship between maternal perceptions of family coping strategies and family strengths in 206 Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian families of young children with and without disabilities. Within all three groups, use of internal family coping strategies was more predictive of family strengths than was use of…

Describes the evaluative model used to examine unsuccessful family reunification. Discusses findings regarding parental ambivalence and its effect on child placement reentry and implications of the findings for individual case assessment and for permanency services in general. (BB)

Found that Mexican-American mothers with beliefs that involved an external locus of control in health matters were less likely than mothers with beliefs that involved an internal locus of control to use parenting strategies that promoted the internalization of healthy eating habits in their children. (MM)

This study examined the frequency and nature of parental support for the emergent literacy of 264 visually impaired children (age birth to 8). Differences in parental support were found to be based on the primary literacy medium (print, braille, or print-braille) and presence of additional disabilities. Parents differed in the literacy…