This brief addresses the declining presence of fathers in the rearing of their children, briefly discusses the circumstances through which fatherlessness occurs, describes current initiatives to address this problem, and suggests actions that Governors and other policymakers can take to facilitate greater involvement by fathers in the lives of…

Seventeen Ojibwa families were examined to identify: (1) the relationship between quantity and quality of father involvement in childrearing and children's academic and social school performance; and (2) antecedents to father's participation. The sample from Bay Mills Reservation in Michigan, was comprised of families containing 2 adults and a…

The aim of this book is to inform teachers about the problems and opportunities raised by homework assignments particularly for black township youth in South Africa. Homework is an important aspect of the learning process and sets the scene for emergent pupil independence in education. It also provides the space for pupils to free themselves from…

This study examined how parental advice-giving directly and indirectly influences children's quality of friendship with peers. Participating were 66 third graders, their classroom teachers, 66 mothers and 57 fathers, and 66 friends. All but one dyad of the target children and friend were the same gender. Teachers rated target children on peer…

This report reviews research related to the home learning environment and presents a study on the home learning environment of young Hispanic children. Research has progressed from concern with home learning environment variables such as ethnicity, socio-economic variables and demographic characteristics to more relevant issues concerning…

Family literacy is relevant in the education of the child, especially in the South African context with its millions of people, especially those in disadvantaged rural areas, who are currently illiterate or insufficiently literate. The level of literacy in the home and a child's exposure to learning experiences influence the success of instruction…

This study analyzed the relation between the friendship networks of parents and the peer networks of their children. Subjects were 255 second- through fifth-grade children of an inner-city primary school in the western part of Berlin, Germany, who were interviewed about friends. In the interview, children were asked to name other children with…

A research program at the University of British Columbia has investigated parents' influence on the career development of their adolescent children, focusing on parents' intentions, the actual activities they engage in, the interpersonal structure in which the activities take place, the ways in which parents and young adults construct the domain…

Based on research indicating that children between ages 2 and 5 become aware of gender, race, ethnicity, and disabilities, this brochure attempts to assist parents in dealing with misconceptions, discomfort, fear, and rejection of differences that may develop into prejudice in their young children. The brochure argues that bias adversely…

Two studies that relate to the intergenerational transmission of child discipline practices and techniques are described. The first study attempted to demonstrate that such transmission actually occurs. A sample of 32 Canadian middle-class mothers of 3- to 5-year-olds, and the mothers of these mothers, were asked to rate the frequency with which…

The relationship between marital distress and children's level of functioning was examined in a study in which children were observed in peer and family interactions. Couples were considered distressed if both partners scored below the mean on the Marital Adjustment Test. The subjects were members of five families with distressed couples and eight…

Among studies that have examined the relationship between parenting styles and children's development of social skills, the research of Diana Baumrind is noteworthy. In several studies, she has identified authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative parenting styles, which differ on the dimensions of nurturance and parental control. Authoritarian…

A two-part study involving qualitative research in the form of focus groups and a quantitative telephone survey examined the extent of drug and alcohol use by school-age children and the behaviors and attitudes surrounding it. Results indicate that Wisconsin parents are comfortable with alcohol use, considering it a part of their culture, although…

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to determine whether a relationship exists between maternal depressive symptomatology and children's emotional well-being, and (2) to determine specifically whether it is the depressed mother's lack of supportiveness that affects her child's well-being. A total of 160 nonclinical population mother/child…

Addressed to the parents of children taking computer courses in school, this booklet outlines the rationales for computer use in schools and explains for a lay audience the features and functions of computers. A look at the school of the future shows computers aiding the study of reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history. The features…