Play is traditionally considered the foundation of learning in the early years. Because play is characterized by free choice, it can be difficult for adults to ensure all learning is useful for children. The intervention described here took a novel approach to this problematic. It exposed 17 four-year-olds to different adult demonstrations to see…

Meeting the diverse needs of young people who are coping with such problems as delinquent behaviors or poor academic performance is an urgent issue today. This paper aims to demonstrate the benefits of introducing intergenerational mentoring activities into educational programs for supporting "at risk" adolescents by highlighting some innovative…

This report showcases four programs nationally recognized as leaders in family literacy--each of these programs has participated in a validation process sponsored by the National Diffusion Network (NDN), an agency of the United States Department of Education that disseminates information and training about exemplary educational programs and…

This publication spotlights the success and diversity of Florida's many intergenerational programs. It describes what intergenerational programming is and the three community needs that intergenerational programs address. Statistics on older persons as well as youth and families in Florida are followed by a listing of what intergenerational…

In any consideration of the ways in which intergenerational child care meets the needs of parents and children, attention should be given to the needs of the older persons who are involved in significant numbers in the child care work force. Individuals over the age of 65 account for 25 percent of U.S. family day care providers, 13 percent of…

Seven model family literacy programs in Illinois were monitored for one year to determine successful program components and characteristics and to assist local programs in developing and implementing practical evaluation systems. Six were networking programs each of which involved several agencies, and one program was designed on a center-based…

Low-income parents and children unaccustomed to a school environment are made to feel welcome in the Buffalo Public Schools' Parent Center. Parents are guided-through classes, discussions, and take-home computers-to be their children's teachers and to learn the school system well enough to negotiate it to their children's advantage. (CJS)

The Kenan Trust Family Literacy Project was implemented during the 1988-89 school year at three model sites in Louisville, Kentucky, and four in North Carolina. The model was designed to teach undereducated parents together with their 3- or 4-year-old children. Children participated in a comprehensive preschool program while adults studied in…

As part of a 4-year research initiative on adult/youth relationships programs, this study assessed relationships between elders and at-risk youth at the following four Linking Lifetimes intergenerational mentoring demonstration sites developed by Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania): (1)…

Describes the development and implementation of EL Paso Community College's model Intergenerational Literacy Project, which brings Spanish-speaking parents and their children together in the classroom in an effort to improve the two groups' literacy skills in English and Spanish. (BB)

A demonstration project was conducted in three diverse, multiethnic Western Pennsylvania communities to use older adult tutors to improve Head Start parents' literacy skills so that these parents could aid and encourage the development of their own children's literacy. During the project, the partnerships in two Pennsylvania counties developed and…

The concept of social capital refers to the resources of networks, norms or shared values, and trust to which individuals have access as community members. A reason to consider intergenerational learning in the context of social capital is awareness of unequal access to positive social capital and the risk that social exclusion and disadvantage…

An intergenerational project trained older adult volunteers from a small South Carolina community to teach vocational skills to students at a residential school for at-risk youth. Volunteers helped students with production and marketing of goods and services for six school-based companies. Benefits include enhanced sense of community for…

These two documents discuss two related family literacy projects that were conducted to develop a model for providing sustained literacy and developmental activities to economically disadvantaged families throughout Pennsylvania. The first document details the development/implementation of the Families Reading Together program, which built upon…

A family literacy program was developed for families containing young children and learning-challenged adults whose limited reading skills made it impossible for them to read aloud to their children. The program's primary objective was to upgrade the parents' reading skills and knowledge of children's literature. The program was staffed by a…