In a study of school readiness, 90 American born, middle class Jewish children were tested before entering the first grade and divided into two groups. The groups were well-matched with one difference: children were either Ashkenazic (of European descent) or Sephardic (of Syrian descent). Families of both of these groups, however, had been in the…

It is pointed out that there is little expert research on the effects of de facto segregation in schools in the North and the West. Too often an oversimplified casual relationship is drawn which explains the educational gap between white and Negro students in de facto segregated schools. Other factors considered in analyzing educational status…

This paper focuses primarily on the fathering role as played by the widower. Traditionally, the father plays the role of disciplinarian. The therapeutic role which involves expressing affection and giving tender care to children is assumed primarily by the mother. Men appear to be sheltered by their wives from any degree of involvement with their…

Research conducted in the United States and Canada on the effects of group care outside of family settings for 20 or more hours per week on a regular basis shows few differences between day care and home reared children on four major variables: attachment, social interactions, cognitive development, and physical health. Of nine studies of…

As the strongest, most cohesive, and most viable societal unit, the African family has a great impact on literacy and reading. Many different types of family structure exist in Africa, and individuals frequently feel a strong sense of responsbility for the children of their servants and for members of their age, ethnic, religious, and social…

This pilot project was designed to assist high school counselors working with lower socioeconomic Spanish-speaking students to develop more effective vocational counseling programs based on identification of the environmental constructs that influence vocational decisions of Mexican-American youths. Data were collected from interviews with…

This study examined the effects of family size on a sample of some 5000 students in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and examined the effects of family size and spacing on some 537 families in four suburban towns near Boston. It was found that there were major effects of both socio-economic status and religion on family size, but that the direction of the…

In his book, "I.Q. in the Meritocracy," Richard J. Herrnstein (1973) calls on a classic article by Barbara S. Burks (1928) to support his position that a large part of the variation in intelligence can be accounted for by variation in heredity, as distinguished from variation in environment, and from covariation of heredity and…

Effort is made to explain some of the difficulties Mexican immigrant families face in becoming acculturated. Mexican traditions and customs, and changes encountered in the United States are reviewed indicating the effect of migration on the family unit. Discussion includes family life in Mexico with emphasis on the status of Mexican women, family…

Four papers discuss the Harvard Preschool Project whose goal is to learn how to structure the experiences of the first six years of life to encourage maximal development of human competence. To determine what competence at age 6 is, a group of 13 highly competent 6-year-olds of mixed residence, class, and ethnicity were compared to a like group of…

A review of the literature concerning suicide among youth provides information on variations and trends in incidence in terms of age, sex, racial, and national factors. Theories on the etiology of suicide explore social, psychological, socioeconomic, religious, educational, and cultural factors among suicidal adolescents. Various types of…

A questionnaire which explored children's beliefs about war and the Vietnam conflict was administered in 1971 to 2,677 children in grades three through eight. The study of these responses examines four aspects of socialization to international strife: (1) how and when children acquire attitudes toward war, (2) what attitudes children have about…

The major interest of this study is the amount of time children spend reading. Data was gathered unobtrusively by having the 150 5th grade subjects keep time records of all their activities for a 2 week period. These were coded into 7 categories and scores were related to those derived from tests of ability, achievement, self-concept and reading…

The purpose of this study was to examine metropolitan-nonmetropolitan and sex differences in the role models selected by Negro high school sophomores. A questionnaire was grouped-administered to 111 metropolitan males, 170 metropolitan females, 98 nonmetropolitan males, and 99 nonmetropolitan females. The results of the study indicated that sex…

The purpose of this model is the implementation of a multi-faceted Family Involvement-Communication System (FICS) which has as its major thrust the involvement of the family as active partners in school experiences. The model provides training and experiences. The model provides training and experiences for teachers, principals, parents, and…