This document contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. This biweekly newsletter is designed expressly for parents and families. This issue highlights the National Center for Reading First Technical Assistance, a new initiative that will offer free training and support to states and districts that have received…

The juvenile justice system is complicated and can seem overwhelming. This handbook is designed to give some basic information to youths as well as parents, grandparents, foster parents, guardians, and other family members or friends of children who have been or may be in trouble with the law. This handbook is written to defendants in juvenile…

Noting that parents and teachers have the responsibility of safeguarding children and teaching them the skills they need to be safe, this pamphlet, in Spanish and English versions, is designed to help parents talk to their children about how to protect themselves against abduction and exploitation. The pamphlet is organized into six sections.…

Provides two short articles on health topics for parents of young children. "Building Success Across the Generations" presents a profile of a Head Start parent and highlights the benefits of the program for her children and family. "Creating a Mealtime Environment for Learning" describes how to enhance children's social…

The present study has three purposes: (a) to determine who disseminates information on cochlear implants on the Web; (b) to describe a representative sample of Web sites that disseminate information on cochlear implants, with a focus on the content topics and their relevance to parents of deaf children; and (c) to discuss the practical issues of…

Children with disabilities have a right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). Children differ in mental abilities, sensory development, physical traits, emotional or social behaviors, or communication skills. Some may require modification to their school program or special education and related services in order to benefit from their…

"A Parent's Guide to Assessment" is the fifth volume in the "Life Journey through Autism" series published by the Organization for Autism Research (OAR). It is intended to remove the mystery surrounding assessment, provide parents with a practical understanding of the assessment process, equip them as a parent with the…

This book shows parents how to transform their family's involvement in mathematics with ways to expose their children to the mathematics they need. Parents learn to uncover the mathematics in their daily lives and how to participate with their children in mathematics learning. The book discusses mathematical literacy and chronicles a typical day…

This paper asserts that the diversity of existing parenting programs is an advantage, and that one program cannot possibly meet the needs and interests of all parents. The challenge, therefore, is to find the curriculum that will best suit a specific parent or group of parents. The discussion in this paper develops a questionnaire for…

The booklet presents suggestions for parents working as volunteers in their gifted children's classrooms. Parents are advised to allow the children to help plan and execute the activities, which are designed to be multidisciplinary, inexpensive, and adaptable. Activities described include explorations of the language, geography, and culture of…

Seminars offered by the Planned Parenthood Association of Bucks County (Pennsylvania) are described as sessions which provide encouragement and support to parents in their efforts to talk with their children about sexuality. The content of the free, four-session seminars is briefly described and a contact for further information is given. The…

The purpose of this directory is to facilitate networking and collaboration among those caring for or providing support services to children with chronic illness or disabling conditions. It is hoped that this directory will enable parents to identify other parents who share their interests and concerns, as well as assist professionals in locating…

The booklet, written in Spanish, is intended to help parents of babies with cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Topics covered include the sequence of prenatal development and the effects of birth defects, common misconceptions about what causes the conditions, possible hereditary and environmental causes, and what it means to have a cleft palate or a…

Written for parents, the paper describes experiences of 16 parents of handicapped children. Discussion includes excerpts of parents' initial feelings at their child's diagnosis, their reactions (largely negative) to medical and other professionals, their growing awareness that their own instincts were of most value in raising the child, difficulty…

Based on experiences with her own blind child, the author offers suggestions to other parents and teachers on activities to do with young visually impaired children that will help promote early developmental learning in braille reading. Also included are implications for design and production of appropriate preschool books and materials. (Author)