Lytton responds to two critical commentaries in this issue by restating the reasons why it is useful to try to disentangle child effects from parent effects. Argues that 10 convergent lines of research provide evidence that the child's tendencies are stronger contributors to conduct disorder than are parental influences. (RH)

Coded maternal vocalizations during videotaped play sessions of mothers and their six- or seven-year-old children. Children's intrinsic motivation was assessed by observing children's play when they were alone in a room. Found a negative relationship between maternal controlling vocalizations and children's intrinsic motivation. (MM)

Outlines goals of the parent-teacher association (PTA), the problems of the PTA's traditional structuring, and possible models for restructuring the PTA. Presents six goals identified by the National PTA to improve parent involvement and help to successfully restructure PTAs. Lists 14 strategies that could encourage the development of a…

Data from 218 predominantly Latino mothers who rated 17 foods in terms of 10 attributes (e.g., appeal to child, convenient preparation) were sorted into family subgroups, from high health to high taste. Mothers' health knowledge correlated with children's nutrient intake. Interventions were planned to teach preparation of healthful foods that…

Responds to arguments presented by Judith Harris's book "The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do" (1998). Maintains that her work should come as a relief to parents, as it encourages a constructive focus on ways parents can influence their children. Contends that Harris's ideas reflect a model in which parents' role matures…

Although it does not conform to school expectations of parental involvement, an immigrant family's attempts to instill values by exposing children to physical labor teach them about work and its hardships and makes them aware of the value of education. (Contains 61 references.) (SK)

"The Boy and the Rose" is a case study of a gifted/talented student and his parents. The names of the family, as well as other people in the study, have been changed to protect their privacy. The facts in the study were gleaned as a result of perusing public and private records and the conducting of personal interviews by the author. In some…

The paper discusses the importance of prosocial behavior from the media and its effects on children. The paper reviews several research studies on prosocial and media on children. The paper also offers implications and limitations dealings with prosocial behavior and media on children.

Increasing the number of students who enroll in college to meet the demand for current and future labor trends is a focus of education. Students whose parents have no postsecondary education have been identified as at-risk for not pursuing and accessing college options. School counselors are educational leaders who have specialized training to…

The use of childcare services for very young children (birth to three years) has increased dramatically in the past two decades (Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2004). This article investigates the expectations for cultural continuity of caregiving practices (with particular emphasis on sleep and feeding) between…

This descriptive study examined the impact that an early literacy promotion program, Reach Out and Read (ROR), had on the literacy beliefs, frequency, and quality of literacy activities among low-income, multiracial families, particularly the Latino community. The study also explored parents' perceptions of ROR and its impact on them, their…

This article considers potential impediments to the estimation of teacher quality caused primarily by the purposeful behavior of families, administrators, and teachers. The discussion highlights the benefits of accounting for student and school differences through a value-added modeling approach that incorporates a student's history of family,…

This study examined the relationship of social influences to use drugs and competence variables with lifetime poly-drug use for adolescents residing in inner-city regions. The same model was tested separately for boys and girls. Sixth- and seventh-graders (N = 2400) in inner-city schools self-reported substance use, social influences to use drugs…

Although there is a growing body of research based on social disorganization theory that relates the neighborhood context to juvenile crime and delinquency, it is unknown whether neighborhood social processes operate in a similar way across all types of disadvantaged neighborhoods. It is possible that some social processes are unique to…

Expanding the sources of leadership in schools has been a reform theme since the mid 1980s. Using exploratory factor analysis and regression, we examine the following questions: (1) How does leadership style affect principals' openness to community involvement? (2) Is a principal's openness to community involvement related to student achievement?…