To help students in an early-childhood teacher-training program to work directly with parents and young children, an in-home project was established for four months with 19 families in one area of Edmonton, Alberta. In lieu of the regular kindergarten lab, each student was assigned to a family with one or more children of preprimary age. The…

This is an evaluation study and final report on the Lenox Early Childhood Outreach Program for Parents (LECOPP), a program implemented to correct educational problems among children in low-income families. Conducted from August 1975 through July 1976 at the Lenox Elementary School, the program focused primarily on training the parent to regularly…

This briefing paper describes research findings on factors linked to children's school achievement and emotional adjustment. The findings are based on the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of children and families conducted at the University of Michigan and supported…

This master's project seeks to determine the impact which parent-child interaction has on children's literacy, math, and science development before the onset of formal education and during the elementary school years. The project also looks at the role teachers play in supporting parent involvement at home and at school. Research suggests that…

Intended for parents, this book offers insights into how children develop as writers and provides practical ideas for introducing writing activities into the home. Chapters in the book deal with the following topics: (1) the benefits of having preschool children write, the timing of initial instruction, and some assumptions about writing at home;…

Project Know-How, a small intensive early childhood intervention program, stresses family involvement in attempting to maximize the development of children. Three main components are involved: a preschool program, a mothers' program, and a fathers' program. Project goals are addressed through a three-fold intervention plan involving cooperative…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 29 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the relationship between self-concept and reading ability in secondary school students; (2) students' perceptions of their reading groups and peers within…

The final report of the four-year (1972-1976) Choctaw Family Education Project identifies the major goal, "to demonstrate a workable early childhood model for rural reservation groups," and consists of an executive summary, a comprehensive report, and a personalized report. Objectives of the project, carried out in 6 Choctaw reservation…

Early educational enrichment is a powerful tool for breaking the cycle of low achievement, school dropout, and dysfunctional adult behaviors. The article examines major areas related to preschool and school functioning that require consciousness raising and activism during early childhood education, suggesting ways to help sustain children's…

The focus of this article is a research and development project underway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The project is Toronto First Duty, reflecting that the "first duty of a state is to see that every child born therein shall be well-housed, clothed, fed, and educated, till it attain years of discretion," according to 19th century…

Compiled by members of the Reading Committee of the North Middlesex Regional School District (Massachusetts), this illustrated guide provides tips, suggestions, and activities that parents can follow at home to help their children read. The Clues about Reading Enrichment (CARE) guide notes that regularly reading aloud to and with children is an…

This document is comprised of volume 13 of the Harvard Education Letter, published bimonthly and addressing current issues in elementary and secondary education. Articles in the six issues of this volume include: (1) January-February --"Making Detracking Work" (Lynn and Wheelock), "Developing a Culture of High Expectations for…

The unstructured observations of a participant observer can point out areas of research interest overlooked by formal research instruments. This researcher's diary presents insights obtained while conducting a study regarding the home environments of 15 higher achieving and 11 lower achieving Puerto Rican fifth and sixth grade students residing in…

This 3-year study compared characteristics of high ability students who were identified as high achievers with students of similar ability who underachieved in school. The 35 students attended a large urban high school comprised of 60 percent Puerto Rican students, 20 percent African American, and the remainder White, Asian, and other. Qualitative…

This report describes the Alliance for Achievement project, a guide for constructing a school community that takes into account influences of the home on school performance. The project began in 1989 when 5 Illinois schools developed a plan to focus parental involvement on "the curriculum of the home" and integrate these efforts into a…