This paper presents the initial findings from an ethnographic case study, focusing on the mixed-method research strategy used in the MacArthur Comprehensive Child Development Project Follow-up Study. The aim of the study was to expand the understanding of children's developmental trajectories as they traverse the elementary school years. Approximately 400 children, their families, schools, and communities are participating in a longitudinal study from kindergarten through third grade. Twenty-three children were selected from the larger sample for ethnographic case studies, involving in-depth interviews with teachers, other school personnel, parents or caregivers, and the children themselves; and participant observations in schools and classrooms. This paper presents three case study vignettes of children in the second grade, each highlighting a different aspect of family-school communication from the perspective of the children's parents, and highlights the methodological strengths of ethnography. The paper notes that participant observation revealed factors related to the effectiveness of parent-teacher conferences in supporting children's learning. An ethnographic interview revealed one' parent's construction of a school's attempts to address her child's behavior problems. The third vignette uncovered the complexity and contradictions and race, racism, and informal communication between home and child for one African-American child. (KB)