In a national sample of 10,416 high school seniors, rural students had lower educational and occupational aspirations than urban or suburban students, but rural students' aspirations were consistent with the perceived expectations of their parents and teachers. (SV)

Discusses parent-child television coviewing and describes the results of a study that examined coviewing of television series featuring families via questionnaire responses from second, sixth, and tenth graders and their parents. The paper and pencil instruments that were administered are described, and dependent and independent variables are…

Reviews research on influences on children's symbolic play. Finds little support for the effects of child-adult symbolic play interactions on child solitary play. Discusses three theoretical perspectives that should support these effects: attachment, ethological, and scaffolding theories. Reconsiders the essence of specific variables affecting…

Response to article by Bornstein and Tamis-LeMonda in this same issue. Delimits the faults of the ethological, scaffolding, and attachment theories in assessing maternal effects on children's symbolic play. Concludes that environmental influences are important to, but are not necessarily the sole cause of, child behavior. (JW)

A longitudinal study of family patterns of moral reasoning compared relationships between parent and offspring reasoning from early adolescence to adulthood. Consistent patterns were found. During adolescence, parental judgment correlated to offspring reasoning but more so for girls than boys; among young adults, fathers' judgment and education…

Considers theory and hypotheses about the relationship between preschool experiences and literacy outcomes that are based on the longitudinal Home-School Study of Language and Literacy Development project, now in its fourth year of data collection. Also discussed are the sample, data collection techniques, and types of analysis being used in the…

Applies the explanatory model of minority group school failure of J. U. Ogbu to 12 Mexican and Mexican American teenagers (5 males and 7 females) in special education in California. These students exhibit some characteristics of involuntary immigrants but share the educational ideologies of their voluntary immigrant parents. (SLD)

Investigated conflict in parent-child relations from birth to age 25. Found less conflict in families with a child whose sex was consistent with parents' prenatal expectations, especially for father-daughter relations. Found that mothers' perceptions of children's problems and parents' play time with children were correlated to prenatal…

Discusses what schools, caregivers/teachers, parents, and communities can do to ensure/enhance children's learning and school readiness in accordance with the theoretical framework and eventual implementation of the 1990 National Education Goal 1. (BB)

A high school sophomore exceptionally talented on the violin is enraged and indignant when a less accomplished senior is given first chair in the school orchestra. After reacting rudely to the orchestra director and the principal, the girl discusses the situation with her supportive parents and resolves the problem. (JDD)

Presents findings from this condensation of major studies of the differences among U.S., Chinese, and Japanese education. Explanations for the superior performance of Chinese and Japanese students are explored in the areas of home and parents, effort and ability, organization of schooling, and teachers and teaching. (SLD)

Examines family achievement orientation (parental beliefs regarding education) perceived by 73 fifth-grade and 75 sixth-grade African-American students (59 males and 89 females) in an urban school district. Studies how these perceptions affect students' achievement orientation. Family demographic variables contribute little to achievement…

National survey identified home environmental characteristics that differentiated low-achieving African-American eighth graders with low academic expectations from those with unrealistically high expectations. Family influence differed among groups. Low achievers with high expectations came from homes with greater parental involvement, higher…

Japan's economic success may have its origins in its educational system, which instills the values of persistence and hard work in children. This process is begun by Japanese mothers, continues throughout preschool and school, and is reinforced by cultural beliefs and practices. In one study, task persistence was significantly greater among…

Develops and tests a model for predicting student intentions to continue in a high school band program. Structural equation modeling indicates that socioeconomic level and teacher evaluations predict intentions both directly and indirectly through students' outside musical activities and support for the program by parents, band teachers, and…