Examined the relationship between mothers' and fathers' perceptions of family functioning in families with disabled children. Three measures of family functions indicated that mothers and fathers have different perceptions of family functioning, identify different stressors, and report different sources of support as helpful. Results suggest…

Examined African-American adolescents' use of alcohol and their perceptions of their family environments. Alcohol-using adolescents (n=71) completed Family Environment Scale (FES). Analyses of data revealed that females differed significantly from males on 4 of 10 FES subscales. Findings support view that alcohol affects perception of family…

Used structural equation techniques to evaluate model predicting children's (n=1,742) developmental status, taking into consideration demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of mother and her household, characteristics of child at birth, and quality of home environment. Children's developmental status was related strongly and positively to…

Used nationally representative sample of Australian adults and their parents to examine degree to which sociodemographic background, childhood home environment, and parental religiosity affect religious beliefs of adult men and women. Found that parental influence remained the prime predictor of current religious belief among Australian adults.…

Presents an interview with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who specializes in the study of "flow experiences" and their relationship to creativity and talented performance. Topics addressed include "flow" in everyday life, the role of early family life, and ways to incorporate the idea of "flow" into educational practices.…

Provides a review of literature related to perceptions of home computers held by various cultural groups. Argues that families vary in their degree of involvement in working with professionals to make decisions about home computers. Describes training as a primary support required by many families to ensure effective implementation of home…

This study examined the usefulness of the Infant-Toddler and the Early Childhood forms of the HOME (Home Observation for Measurement of Environment) Inventory as applied to children who are visually impaired. Results indicated that families of children (n=31) with visual impairments scored about the same as did families in the norm groups.…

Examines the effects of gender and a number of family experiences on young people's chances of going into postsecondary science training and science occupations in the years immediately following high school. Indicates that gender plays a significant role in choices involving early science training and occupations, especially training, and young…

Defines the grandmother-grandchild relationship in light of Montessori theory, focusing on the prepared environment. Recommends having bookshelves for the grandparents' collection of their own favorite children's books, arranging puzzles and other manipulatives around the house, adapting home tasks to include the child, sharing meaningful time…

In this commentary I make three points. First, the four articles presented in this special issue are critical examples of the viability and importance of the idea of childhood personality. Second, I identify several concerns, including the narrow scope of the study of childhood personality, the lack of focus on environmental factors that might…

In this article, the author reminisces about the pleasure she derived from growing up in a "book-rich" home, and how that developed into a lifelong love of reading. Today, one-third of all children do not have books in their homes, and, even though they may have access to books over the Internet or at a library, the author contends that this is…

Examines relationships between trajectories of child hyperactivity and antisocial behavior symptoms for African Americans, European Americans, and Hispanics. Overall, child hyperactivity mediated the effects of family environment on child antisocial behavior, but with key racial differences. Results indicate the importance of conceptualizing…

For Native peoples the web of home, land, and community has traditionally been the source of identity and of the sense of belonging, in and through family and culture; it is likewise often a source of knowledge and creativity. Louis's poetry struggles with the implications of the home(s) he knows, and it occasionally glimpses the possibility that…

Objective: To evaluate a modified curriculum for the 6-session Texas Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) promoting healthful home food environments and parenting skills related to obesity prevention. Design: Two-group randomized control trial; intervention versus usual EFNEP curriculum. Setting: Texas EFNEP classes. Participants:…

Using data from a national multiethnic, longitudinal study of children, this study examined the process of how parents' educational attainment is related to children's achievement through the beliefs and behaviors of parents and how this influence varies by race/ethnicity. Measures of socioeconomic status, parental expectations for educational…