A parent education component was planned and implemented as part of a university-based preschool program in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers-The State University. Goals of the practicum were to survey parents to identify topics of interest to them; to develop a parent education program focused on topics identified by parents; to sensitize…

A number of procedures were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Helping Hand," a free monthly newsletter published by the Barbour County (Alabama) Extension Service, with a circulation of 1,000. Seven criteria were established using related literature and advice from extension service professionals. A questionnaire and a cover…

Student speech clinicians adhered to very rigid schedules in order to service a wide variety of clients and gain a range of experiences in many settings. As a result, it was often difficult for adequate communication to take place between the student diagnostic speech clinician and the parents of the 10 preschool children enrolled in the speech…

This practicum report describes a gifted education program, for students in grades 1 and 2, which developed a newsletter to broaden the parents' knowledge of giftedness. The weekly newsletter, sent to parents of 43 children, addressed such topics as characteristics of the gifted, frequently asked questions, techniques used for instruction, higher…

A kindergarten teacher implemented a practicum intervention designed to improve teachers' communication with parents of kindergarten children concerning curriculum and school activities. In particular, the intervention aimed to increase parental involvement in spite of the fact that parents were unable to spend time at the school. A computer and…

To improve conditions at a nonprofit day care center serving low-income, mainly non-English-speaking families, this practicum addressed the need of recently immigrated parents to increase their knowledge of child development and available community resources. A total of 52 Hispanic parents were given materials at an information distribution area…

This practicum report describes a program intended to increase parent participation by improved information delivery at an elementary school. Background study of the school and community indicated approximately a 25% turnover rate of new families and students. Attendance at parent education workshops and school orientation tours before program…

A kindergarten teacher implemented a practicum designed to increase parent involvement in their children's kindergarten and give parents information about the kindergarten program. Specific goals of the intervention were to inform parents about kindergarten routine, kindergarten requirements and concepts of child development, and to help parents…

Due to excessive tardiness and absenteeism among kindergarten children enrolled in Glendale Elementary School (Glen Burnie, Maryland) a practicum was designed to provide several avenues of good communication between the kindergarten and the home and to foster good relationships between teachers and parents. Additional goals of the practicum were…

A guidance counselor and chair of an elementary school's special services team implemented a 10-week practicum intervention designed to improve the school attendance of 107 kindergarten through fifth grade students who were chronically absent. While 49 percent of the truant students lived in an inner-city housing project, 62 percent lived in…

A teacher of gifted children implemented a 10-week practicum intervention designed to improve regular classroom teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and skills concerning the education of gifted elementary school students. The intervention was designed to enable participants to identify characteristics and needs of gifted children, develop positive…

A kindergarten teacher implemented and evaluated a practicum intervention designed to develop positive attitudes among 122 parents concerning their children's learning through play in developmental kindergarten and pre-first grade programs. Teachers reported that parents did not appreciate the benefits of learning through play, and preferred…

A kindergarten teacher working at a school on a military base located on an island in the North Atlantic used improved methods of communication to design a practicum intervention to improve the behavior of kindergarten children who resided on the base. The goal of the practicum was to improve the behavior of the children through: (1) frequent…

Many parents of children at risk for failure do not participate in school-related activities. Some parents have a negative view of all school contacts. This practicum examined ways to engage parents of children at risk of failure in informative and self-help experiences that helped the parents feel more connected with the school experience. Eight…

An experienced teacher, certified in the education of the gifted, designed and implemented a practicum that offered opportunities for enhancing the cultural literacy and creative play of preschool children who received little individual, reading-related attention from their working parents and caregivers. Play that enriched the imaginative…