When parents are married and employed, when they turn off the television and monitor homework, their children are more likely to succeed in school. Today, however, many families are struggling, and their struggles contribute to the stubborn achievement gap separating low-income and minority students from their more affluent White and Asian peers.…

A clustered randomized design was used in which 28 inclusive preschool classrooms were randomly assigned to receive 2 years of training and coaching to fidelity in the LEAP (Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Their Parents) preschool model, and 28 inclusive classes were assigned to receive intervention manuals only.…

The INCLUD-ED project's case studies of successful schools in Europe reveal that there are advantages involved in opening schools to all kinds of women as far as educational and social inclusion is concerned. "Other Women"--those whose voices have traditionally been silenced in academic settings--help in crucial ways to improve education…

At the state and local level, many school systems, districts and early childhood networks have developed approaches and programs to support children's transition to school. These programs often address school readiness. There are many definitions of school readiness. Some refer to the skills and attributes of individual children, defining it as…

Practitioners, school leaders, and policymakers serving the needs of youth and their families in New Mexico gathered in Albuquerque in June 2009 for four Roundtable discussions on sustaining integrated health, extended learning, and other social services in middle schools across the state that are a part of the Elev8 New Mexico initiative. Elev8…

Research has shown that engaging families through youth development and after-school programs may benefit children. This paper extends knowledge in this arena, describing a set of strategies for implementing family-strengthening activities in youth development settings. The paper reports findings from a pilot evaluation of the Boys & Girls Clubs…

In this article, the authors comment on the contribution of the Alcohol, Drugs and the Family research group to draw public and scientific attention to the suffering and needs of families coping with addiction problems. The article also describes the impact of the stress-strain-coping-support model and the 5-Step Method on the research,…

Developmental psychologists have long been concerned with the ways that early adversity influences children's long-term outcomes. In the current study, activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of medically at-risk (e.g., preterm) infants was measured as a result of maternal participation in a novel cognitively based home visitation…

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to highlight the benefits of collaboration in child focused mental health services research. Method: Three unique research projects are described. These projects address the mental health needs of vulnerable, urban, minority children and their families. In each one, service delivery was codesigned,…

Early childhood educators often make assumptions about the nature of families' understandings and what they do at home to support their young children's literacy and numeracy development and learning. Sometimes educator's have a limited understanding of children's every day experiences at home or in their community and the potential for these to…

This large scale multi-year project evaluates the effectiveness of the Raising a Reader program and the Family Nights program as implemented according to manualized procedures in actual preschool and home environments. Specifically, these programs were added as a supplement to some classrooms that were already participating in the Texas Early…

Children in the United States are less active and more overweight today than at any time in history, and there has been a dramatic increase in obesity. Obesity can lead to physical and psychological health issues. Many adults recognize the health issues that can stem from childhood obesity, but may not be aware of the clear implication of the…

The context of military service has changed greatly since the events of 9/11. The forward deployment of service members to active war zones, which involves the issues of separation, time away from home, and eventual reunion, increases the vulnerability of their families to multiple, negative short-term and long-term effects. This article explores…

Glycemic index (GI) represents the postprandial glucose response of carbohydrate foods, and glycemic load (GL) represents the quantity and quality of carbohydrate consumed. A diet lower in GI and GL may improve diabetes management. A 9-week intervention regarding GI and GL was evaluated among adults in the age range of 40-70 years who had had type…

In this article, the author shares some of the ideas from 10 programs that make change happen in their community. Among others, the Sunshine House in Greenwood, South Carolina has implemented a program in selected markets that they called "Families First." This program is geared for families who have experienced a lay-off or reduction in work…