Because young children have a limited understanding of risks that surround them, many adults try to create a risk-free environment for them. Suggesting that this strategy may leave children without the skills to manage risk and may make it difficult for them to judge situations for themselves, this book provides a practical guide showing adults…

This book presents ideas for beginning secondary teachers who want to excel during their first year of teaching. The eight chapters focus on: (1) "Before the First Days of School" (e.g., classroom design, school policies, important people to know, dressing for success, special education students, school records, and emergency procedures); (2) "The…

Arguing that the burden of homework causes significant family stress--including parent-child conflict, reduced family leisure time, and overly tired children--this book questions whether the benefits of homework are worth its costs. The book examines the historical progression of homework and the influence of international competition on the trend…

This book explains how teachers can serve as facilitators as students lead their parents through discussion of their work. The 9 chapters are: (1) "Philosophy and Purpose of Student-Led Conferences" (relevance, responsibility, and reporting to parents); (2) "Roles and Responsibilities of Participants" (teacher, student, parent,…

This document summarizes the goals for learning to be achieved by English children by the time they enter compulsory education after their fifth birthday. The goals emphasize early literacy, numeracy, and the development of personal and social skills. Presented as six areas of learning, the goals provide a foundation for later achievement in Key…

This study examined the advantages of using written language portfolios for authentic assessment in a third-grade special education classroom. Portfolios included data from students, teachers, parents, and the teacher's journal. Portfolios provided insights about how students thought about their writing, offered new understandings of parents'…

Teachers can help prevent drug and alcohol use. Surveys of middle and high school students reveal that only 30% have parents who talk with them about drugs but almost 90% have teachers who do so. Parents and teachers need to collaborate for effective drug education, encouraging in- and after-school drug education and violence prevention programs.…

Defines and distinguishes three large dimensions of culture in relation to schools for young children. Introduces early childhood education's place in the Spanish educational system and the cultural contents that help children develop values and multicultural awareness. Details Spanish educational concepts and the ways in which Spanish teachers…

Stresses the crucial role that parents play in improving student motivation and achievement in school. Sees the parent-teacher conference as an invaluable tool for involving parents in their children's education and winning community support for public schools. Advises how to conduct a productive parent-teacher conference. (CH)

Focuses on factors that thwart true school-parent partnerships in the development and education of children. Factors include a family's socioeconomic status, democratic issues, the creation of school systems, gender bias against women, teacher priorities, racism, and classism. (Author/BB)

Describes a year-long study in second and fourth grades examining how teachers' school-to-home communications influence parent perceptions about school and their effects on children's motivation. Results from 25 classrooms (15 controls) confirm the importance of school-to-home communications and the positive relationship between parents' comfort…

Suggestions on providing home-based support in student development and study skills focus on study skills inventories, time management, reference materials, reading rate, oral reports, test taking, note taking/outlining, listening, visual material, writing reports, and library usage. (DB)

Reviews research and current trends and issues related to family involvement in children's education. Discusses the need for diverse approaches to involving culturally diverse parents; growing awareness of the importance of fathers' involvement; factors that promote or impede parent participation; achievement-related factors that parents can…

This article provides a case study of monocultural personnel preparation, discusses various cultural beliefs about disability, and examines the effect of the dualities and dichotomies of parent/professional beliefs about childhood disabilities. In addition, it discusses intervention concerns in developing countries such as Turkey, Ecuador, and…

This article presents the findings of a study that examined how teachers view parents and children of diverse cultural groups. The authors explored secondary preservice and inservice teachers perceptions of diverse cultural groups and the value these parents place on education. They selected pre-service and in-service teachers enrolled in courses…