Childhood obesity remains a problem in the United States. Preschool teachers can help to attenuate it but need to have the confidence or self-efficacy to provide healthy practices. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (a) develop and validate a preschool teacher self-efficacy tool to examine teachers' confidence in addressing the nutrition…

Like British morning programs of recent decades, upstate New York program encourages parents and community residents to get involved in children's education. Parents and community residents--watercolor artists, auto mechanics, doll collectors, and others--are welcomed and valued in schools. Program's purpose is learning, not entertainment. Topics…

An Oregon elementary teacher attributes her best teaching year ever to parents' and community members' voluntary participation. They got involved in four ways--communicating through voice mail, sharing expertise in the classroom, helping gather lesson materials, and participating in monthly learning celebrations. These activities supplemented…

In the nation's capital, 53 schools are participating in the Comer School Development Program, which sponsors meaningful, engaging activities involving students, parents, and community members. The Comer framework comprises three school governance mechanisms (the school development team, the parent program, and the mental health team), three…

The Learning Tree School has a well-developed program of cross cultural experience involving children, parents, and community in an effort to increase cultural awareness and appreciation on the part of its students. (MB)

In 1999, two schools in an impoverished border town in Texas received 3-year federal grants from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to support varied after-hours activities: academic tutoring, computer literacy, "ballet folklorico," arts and crafts, guitar instruction, and service learning. Students and parents now have a safe…

Lists 13 whole language projects and possibilities selected from many schools which can be used as a source of ideas to stimulate parents' engagement in whole language activities. Shares the efforts of 1 school, and describes how parents are involved in promoting reading and writing. (MG)

Emphasizes the intrinsic unity of all the intelligences as well as the inseparable nature of the interpersonal and intrapersonal. Emphasizes the theories of both Gardner and Montessori as a whole, and looks at common features in intelligence profiles and educational environments described by both. (MOK)

The Senior Citizens and Parents as Resources for the Classroom (SPARC) project is designed to maximize the learning potential of students. Through the SPARC project, parent and community volunteers, guided by professional educators, can help to meet student needs. This elementary school manual has been compiled by and for the teachers and…

Twenty ideas to motivate reluctant young readers in kindergarten and elementary school classrooms are presented. The ideas include reading contests, prizes, classroom decor, and community involvement. (PP)

This handbook of information designed to help parents keep their children drug free outlines what children should know about drugs and suggests family activities to reinforce children's motivation to avoid drugs, including alcohol. The initial section provides general guidelines for talking with children about addictive substances. Discussion…

The Families in Education Program sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is dedicated to nurturing a family-community-school partnership and provides this packet for schools to use throughout the year to promote families and learning. The articles in the packet contain ideas for making family-community partnerships work in the…

This booklet presents information to help parents understand their children's citizenship development and suggests activities which parents can supervise at home or in local communities to enrich their children's citizenship experiences. The booklet explains that three main influences on children's citizenship development are role models (people…

The Baltimore School and Family Connections Project is a collaborative effort to design comprehensive partnership programs and evaluate their results. This case study explores one school's efforts to involve middle-grades students and their families in learning activities at home during the summer break. Marginal students who worked on the home…

Presented are numerous ideas for workshop and in-service activities designed to involve parents as team members in the planning and implementation of the Chapter 1, Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) programs of Missouri schools. Also provided are suggestions for parents to use to enhance their children's cognitive skills in…