This report outlines what is known about the requirements for optimal development during the first 3 years of life, considers the ways in which society might reverse the trends toward risk for families and children, and describes the necessary conditions for families to function well in the interests of their young children. Part 1 describes "the…

This study reports on nine family literacy projects that focus on families whose primary language is not English. The first six projects fall under the Kenan service model, which sees that children receive more or as many services as adults and is organized around children's needs. These include the Canoncito Family Support/Early Childhood…

Two themes which run through a majority of education reform reports are the need better to prepare teachers for cultural diversity and to forge partnerships between universities and public schools. In an effort to fill these needs a collaborative project was undertaken between the University of Central Florida and a local elementary school (in…

The City of Austin (Texas) provides funds for an educational initiative to involve minority high school students in water quality issues and to reduce the dropout rate through positive role model interaction with academically successful students. Principal program activities were testing river water for pollutants and tutoring at-risk students by…

This planning guide defines the steps for creating an effective substance use prevention program for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12). It is written for administrators, health educators, counselors, social workers, and any other professionals involved with planning and implementing school-based programs and services. Chapter 1 summarizes…

The effects on selected student outcomes are evaluated after 2 years of operation of Project RAISE, a multifaceted approach to helping at-risk students featuring outside adults as school-based advocates and one-on-one mentors at seven middle schools in Baltimore (Maryland). Seven community sponsoring groups (churches, universities, businesses, and…

This document reports the findings of Project Respond, a program designed to develop a model for assessing and addressing risk to children in the St. Louis community. Section A concerns: (1) a definition of risk; (2) effects of profound sociological risk on children; (3) social and economic costs of sociological risk. In Section B, the Project…

This document is a report of the Children's Express Symposium III, a forum for journalists on children's issues. Included in the report are the comments of news media executives, journalists, broadcasters, experts on children's issues, directors of children's programs, and young people affected by the policies and practices discussed. Opening…

Containing content and materials for 14 workshops, this training guide has been developed to assist Head Start programs in developing and implementing individual service plans (ISPs) for high-risk preschool children. Differing from the public schools' individual education programs, the ISP addresses all educational needs of the child as well as…

Chapters in this book are organized into sections devoted to (1) the nature of multiculturalism in children, (2) educational practices and materials, and (3) issues in preparing early childhood educators. The first four chapters in section 1 focus, respectively, on Mexican-American culture; the roots, culture, and learning styles of Black…

The goal of the study was to compare the literacy challenges faced by children who speak nonstandard dialects of English and for whom Standard English is a "second dialect" with challenges faced by children for whom Standard English is a "second language." The study focused on the extent to which discourse patterns in the…

This qualitative study investigated mothers' views about their role in their children's education and their expectations of their child's preschool. A particular focus of the study was to contrast the views of mothers with differing degrees of parenting self-efficacy and to contrast the perceptions of working-class and middle-class mothers.…

This study attempts to identify different patterns of cognitive growth in kindergarten and first grade associated with selected subpopulations. The results are based upon a nationally representative sample of fall kindergartners who were retested in the spring of their kindergarten year and then again in the fall and spring of their first grade…

Based on the notion that children become literate by trying to read and write in a supportive atmosphere with interesting books, rather than being instructed in isolated language skills, this book offers teachers ideas for using children's literature and related activities as an alternative to basal readers to make learning language skills…

Data in this population bulletin indicate that in comparison with children of previous generations, today's youngsters are apt to have fewer siblings, and more likely to come from a broken home, have a working mother, and pass time as a latchkey kid. More children are in child care than in the past, and there has been a significant move toward…