Although students' literacy practices are influenced by a variety of sources, including texts, teachers, peers, the media, and their home culture (Dyson, 1993), the process of becoming literate is truly grounded in their cultural beliefs (Ferdman, 1990). Literacy skills are embedded in cultural practice, and cultural practice is learned implicitly…

Early childhood classroom teachers are often left with little support and guidance as they assume responsibilities as mentor-teachers. The purpose of this collective case study was to explore how a hybrid community of practice comprised of four pre-K mentors and a university program coordinator supported the development of new understandings about…

Background: In exploring how emergent bilingual learners' prior knowledge from home and play contexts might influence their scientific reasoning, this study drew upon two distinct research traditions: (a) experimental research from the developmental and cognitive psychology tradition, and (b) research on culturally and linguistically diverse…

Based on qualitative information from in-depth interviews and quantitative data from a survey of 425 adoptive families conducted in summer 2001 in rural China, this study attempts to explain the social and demographic patterns of adoption and investigate the roles of the State and families in adoption processes in contemporary rural China. Within…

Studies four distinct groups based on language and nativity within the Mexican-descent population in the U.S. Reports significant differences among groups on (1) demographics; (2) self-labeling in the family and among others of Mexican descent; and (3) perceptions of how others label them. (TES)

This report details the design and results of a study commissioned by the California State Library to describe the everyday information needs of California citizens in the context of three societal trends that impact the operation of libraries and all other human services that define information delivery as part of their mandate: (1) emergence of…

Discusses a study on bilingualism and factors of ethnic identity in Saare/Tsaragi, a border area in Nigeria where two languages are used regularly. Interviews elicited information on language ability and use, language attitudes, and interethnic relations. Results indicate similar patterns between groups of bilingual ability and attitudes but…

A task force was appointed by the Oregon Council for the Social Studies (OCSS) to study preschool/kindergarten through grade 3 social studies in Oregon and to make recommendations as to what OCSS could do to help improve social studies education. This report contains the findings and recommendations of the task force. A background statement based…

This study of black families examined the degree of congruence between family structure, family interaction, and attitudinal constellations in the home and the utilization of selected health, educational and social service agencies. Data were collected from parents of 150 children attending the Howard University Child Development Center and from 4…