Questions about the effectiveness of parent programs are addressed in this paper, which is based on the premise that an important step toward improvement is the identification and clarification of assumptions which prompt and sustain specific program structure and operations. Selected major assumptions about the ways in which programs attempt to…

This digest identifies current programmatic efforts to inform and support parents and briefly reviews research on the effectiveness of parent education and support programs. The discussion of approaches to parent support focuses on parent education programs, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments (Public Law 99-457), Head Start, state…

Compared conversations of 101 two-hour meetings of long-term mothers' discussion groups, in informal and formal settings, regarding topics discussed and frequency of nonroutine conversation. Found discussion of parent and child topics decreased throughout the year in both settings, while conversations related to income, family, and self increased.…

This guide provides a framework and suggestions for strengthening the quality and impact of parenting education services in Even Start. It is aimed at Even Start state coordinators and local program administrators responsible for supporting and monitoring the quality of parenting education services in Even Start, and at local program staff…

Discusses the impact of parent education programs, describing the effects on child and parent of such interventions and summarizing research on different types of programs. Differences in parent participation and outcomes, the problem of sustaining program involvement, and directions for the future are also outlined. (KS)

Further development of research regarding the effectiveness of parent education programs depends upon a shift in conventional strategies of program evaluation. Current evaluation methods have been dominated by an interest in the outcomes of parent education programs. It is suggested that program evaluations should examine relationships between…

Studied 121 urban, low-income Mexican immigrant and Mexican-American mothers regarding preferred methods and content of a parent education program. Found that Mexican and Mexican-American mothers were similar in program preferences for delivery mode, individuals with specialized training or experienced parents as staff, extended family…

This monograph reviews information on relations between families and early childhood programs, and on the operation and effectiveness of parent education and support programs. The introductory chapter provides a framework by setting forth the major rationales for working with parents, by describing recent developments regarding relations between…

Examines parent-teacher relationships in early childhood programs, including those for children with disabilities, across five eras of the 20th century. The general approaches have been the earlier tendency to view parents as learners in need of information and the recent trend to involve them in program decision making. (SLD)

This paper examines opportunities and constraints related to the implementation of activities intended to realize the national education goal that "every parent in America will be a child's first teacher and devote time each day helping his or her preschool child learn; parents will have access to the training and support they need." The first…

The Child and Family Neighborhood Program, located in a suburb of Detroit, is an early childhood intervention project aimed at strengthening informal and formal family suoport systems and increasing parents' knowledge of child development. The program works with clusters of 10 parents and their young children (0-3 years) twice weekly in a…

This study examined ways in which 42 low income mothers used a multifaceted neighborhood-based parent education program. Two different patterns of sequential relationship between use of staff services, verbal participation in a discussion group, attendance, and formation of peer ties were identified. These patterns were shown to be related to…

A significant portion of Even Start's efforts are directed toward helping families support their young children's education. The quality of the home environment contributes to children's success in school. To improve the quality of this environment, Even Start concentrates on five major aspects of family life which can affect children's school…