This digest examines data on video game use by children, explains ratings of video game violence, and reviews research on the effects of video games on children and adolescents. A recent study of seventh and eighth graders found that 65% of males and 57% of females played 1 to 6 hours of video games at home per week, and 38% of males and 16% of…

This booklet shares ideas, guidelines, and suggestions to help parents of junior high school students help their children read more and derive more pleasure from reading. The booklet focuses on the "why's" and "how to's" of two central issues in promoting reading for pleasure: supplying a wide variety of interesting reading…

This book is part of a series that helps parents choose books for their children and talk with them about books in ways that actively engage children with the meaning on the printed page. The introduction notes that it is important for parents to continue sharing books with their children at this age (12 to 14 years). The first chapter, "Reading…

The transitions students make during their years of schooling are usually major events in their lives and in the lives of their parents. The stresses created by these transitions can be minimized when the new environment is responsive to each particular age group. This digest presents a brief overview of some of the issues involved in the…

This ERIC digest examines the growth and nature of juvenile gangs and the growing problem they present in the nation's public schools. It explores the characteristics of gangs, the impact gangs are having on public schools, why gangs develop and why students join them, what the schools' responses have been to gangs, and effective interactions for…

Schools use a variety of ways to group students for instruction; most prevalent in middle level schools seems to be ability grouping. Arguments once considered persuasive for ability grouping are losing influence given evidence that the practice results in few achievement benefits and several negative effects. This Digest discusses attitudes…