This guide, written in a question-and-answer format, provides basic information on bilingualism and raises practical issues in plain, clear, and direct language. It is written for both monolingual speakers who want to consider bilingualism and bilingual speakers who want to become better informed. Many of the ideas and perceptions in the first…

This book, the last volume in a three-part series, draws on a large-scale worldwide poverty study to present the views, experiences, and aspirations of poor people in 14 selected countries. In each country, interviews and discussion groups were held in 8-15 rural and urban communities that reflected the most prevalent poverty groups and the…

Twenty-four studies are reviewed for home-based reinforcement of school behavior as a method for motivating behavioral change. It is noted that the technique has been used successfully with children in group homes and in special classes, and with entire mainstreamed and special classrooms. (MH)

Examined the adjustment of boys from intact, single-mother, stepfather, and multiple-transition families. Boys who had experienced multiple transitions showed the poorest adjustment. The antisocial mother was most at risk for transitions and unskilled parenting practices, which in turn placed her son at risk for poor adjustment. (BC)

Discusses four principles involved in teaching beginning reading most effectively, related to: (1) the literacy environment at home, child care, and school; (2) experiences to develop concepts and related vocabulary; (3) developing understanding of purposes of print; and (4) enjoying books and being read to. Discusses how these principles can be…

Used a variety of family factors to predict development of children who averaged 30 hours of nonparental care per week for each month of their lives and of those who experienced no more than 10 hours of nonparental care per week. Multivariate analyses provided no evidence that family factors predicted outcomes differently for these two groups.…

The primary focus of this article is a community-based project initiated under the auspices of the Palm Beach County School District's Office of Multicultural Affairs. The students in this district represent 150 countries and 104 language groups. The nation with the highest representation among this population is Haiti. Project CASAS (Community…

Children whose homes are filled with books, whose parents read to them, and who have begun to understand the reading process have higher levels of reading skills and knowledge when they enter kindergarten than children who do not have such rich literacy experiences before entering school. This article describes a family literacy project developed…

An increasing number of children have family problems that interfere with their ability to learn at school. This book provides information about developing a clearer and more sophisticated child-centered school and classroom by making teachers and administrators more knowledgeable about the varieties of students' family structures, both healthy…

This collection of articles describes an interdisciplinary cooperative effort in the context of PREP (Prekindergarten Education Program) intervention. The PREP began with the intention of developing a culturally competent education system for Hawaiian children and their families. An introductory chapter "Applied Research and Program…

Home environments have been linked to cognitive development and academic performance, with suggestions that family factors exert more influence on language and literacy learning than on mathematics achievement. This study's purpose was to learn how selected family factors might be differentially related to primary grade achievement in reading and…

This document examines the diversity of family form and function throughout the world and argues that education, social network, and intelligent government policies can enhance families' capacities for long-term commitment to children and to community renewal. Chapter 1 provides an overview of families throughout the world, survival and industrial…

This longitudinal research study summarizes how inner-city children's development and achievement are affected by preschool attendance, varying educational models, parent involvement, and identified risk-factors. The study of Washington, DC schools began with 3 cohorts of 4-year-olds enrolled in 3 different preschool models: child initiated,…

With the goal of maintaining settings most conducive to helping each child develop optimally, the essays in this book delve into realistic ways in which child care providers can move from providing inadequate or merely adequate day care to providing high quality center-based or family child care. Most of the 12 essays begin with a question or…

This digest identifies cultural values that may affect the learning processes of Hispanic-American students, reviews research on the learning styles of Hispanic-American students, and discusses the implications of this research for counseling and teaching Hispanic youth. One cultural value that is of paramount importance in most Hispanic cultures…