This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the literature on home literacy environment and its association with literacy skills in different languages and contexts. Home literacy environment (HLE), an umbrella term that encompasses various activities parents engage in with their children, has been studied extensively by…

Children and youth can face emotional strains after a traumatic event such as a car crash or violence. Disasters also may leave them with long-lasting harmful effects. When children experience a trauma, watch it on TV, or overhear others discussing it, they can feel scared, confused, or anxious. Young people react to trauma differently than…

Many parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) participate in support groups, but very few studies have explored their motives to do so. The present study aims to explore the self-reported needs and expectations that parents express according to their gender and education and according to the age and gender of their child with ASD.…

This study sought to determine the prevalence of bruxism in a Mexican community of children with Down syndrome, and to evaluate bruxism's relationship with age, sex, intellectual disability level, and type of chromosomal abnormality of trisomy 21. Using a cross-sectional design, 57 boys and girls (3 to 14 years old) were examined. Three approaches…

It is best to start talking with children about sexuality in early childhood, but it is never too late. Parents should always be open and available when a child wants to talk. The most important lesson they can share with their kids is, "Being different is normal." Answers to the following questions are discussed: (1) What Is Sexuality?; (2) Why…

Today, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common and most studied psychiatric disorder of childhood, affecting approximately five percent of school-aged children. That means that there are probably at least two children with ADHD in any average elementary school class. In the last 20 years, there has been an explosion in…

Existing research in Jamaica on children and families has focused on family structure and function. The recent worldwide focus on the rights of children, particularly young children, has highlighted the absence of research on child rights in Jamaica. This article explores the implementation of protection and participation rights within the family,…

Noting that there is near universal agreement that children from families with higher socioeconomic status (SES) have access to more of the resources needed to support their positive development than do lower SES children, this monograph examines the myriad questions remaining regarding relations among SES, parenting, and child development from a…

Information on causes and warning signs of child sexual abuse, examples of treatment, and prevention resources are presented in this guide which highlights cultural differences in American Indian communities that may influence the occurrence and prevention of child sexual abuse. The guide begins by stating that from the limited statistics…

Describes the celebration of death in Mexico and gives an alternative perspective from which to examine current U.S. attitudes and practices concerning death. Discusses the role that children play in the Todos Santos, or Day of the Dead, festival and the imagery and ceremonies of the festival. (LB)

There is increased interest by parents in communicating with their children about political violence. However, limited attention in the scholarly literature has focused on parent-child communication about war and terrorism. In response, the purpose of this study is to assess, within their respective ecological contexts, American and Northern Irish…

This study addresses three questions: (a) What influence do parents' attitudes toward divorce have on offspring's attitudes? (b) How are offspring's attitudes toward divorce influenced by parental divorce, and do the effects vary depending on the gender of the child? and (c) How do conditions surrounding parental divorce influence young adults'…

This guide was written to provide elementary school teachers, parents and other caregivers of children up to the age of 10 with practical suggestions for creating a supportive, bias-free learning environment in the classroom or at home. The main focus of the book is on ethnic differences. Chapter 1 discusses why it is important to help children…

As the federal government provides funding to wire classrooms to the Internet, software companies market educational programs even for preschoolers, and school administrators cut funding in other areas to make room for new computers, it is time to examine the impact of computer use on children. Presented in three parts, this book examines the…

Recent studies on parental disciplinary practices focus on children's attributes that influence harshness of discipline. The present study examined the effects of facial babyishness on parents' recommendations regarding the discipline of 4- and 11-year-old children who had perpetrated an act of commission or of omission. It was predicted that the…