The risk of tobacco use during adolescence may be traced back to early childhood, the time when a child is most vulnerable to environmental influence. We examined daily-life enrichment during pre-kindergarten period as a predictor of initiation of cigarette smoking among Asian American and Hispanic/Latino children during adolescence. Survey data…

Children who live in poverty are frequently at risk for underachievement. This is not to say that poverty automatically causes lack of achievement, but being poor can certainly take its toll. Gifted low income students can be compared to diamonds, which can only be formed under conditions of extreme heat and pressure. Both diamonds and…

A qualitative study, using focus groups of Latino parents living in a rural Southeastern U.S. community, was conducted to explore the experiences of elementary-school-aged Latino children. Using the consensual qualitative research method to analyze participants' responses, this study identified four general themes that impact Latino children in…

The question of whether family structure consequences on school achievement are the same across racial and ethnic groups is examined using longitudinal data on 10,606 teens from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Based on life course theory, this article uses indicators of the family structure trajectory, such as family…

This study explored the effects of family background variables on coping styles, and the contribution of coping styles and locus of control to the overall adjustment of older adolescents. The objectives of this study were to develop a Canadian adaptation of the Seiffge-Krenke Adolescent Coping Style Scale; to explore the influences of family and…

Noting that the gains made by children must be understood and supported by the family and community, Head Start gives parents and other family members many opportunities to develop an appreciation of the young child's needs and how to meet those needs. Successful parental involvement enters into every aspect of Head Start; therefore, Head Start…

The career aspirations and the factors influencing career decisions were investigated for a group of extremely precocious females to determine why some enter math/science careers and others do not. Using the multiple-case study approach, 15 mathematically precocious females' career paths were characterized. These females had scored before age 13…

Trends for third- and fourth-grade students were identified from data collected in a longitudinal study of how children learn science concepts. Approximately 325 children from three school districts participated in this study from their first week in kindergarten through the end of sixth grade. A heuristic model of science learning was developed…

This book contains 14 research papers and reviews on the development of ethnic identity in childhood and adolescence and the transmission of ethnic identity within families and across family generations. The research focuses on Hispanic-Americans, particularly Mexican-Americans; some studies include Blacks, American Indians, Asian-Americans, and…

This book contains a collection of 14 original essays. The purpose of the book is to inform teachers, librarians, and other professionals working with young people about aspects of African-American literature and to stimulate further thinking about this literature. After an introduction, chapters in the book are: (1) "African-American Young…

Protective factors that contribute to the development of resiliency in children, defined as "unusually good adaptation in the face of severe stress, and an ability of the stressed person to rebound to the prestress level of adaptation," are discussed. The biological, psychological, familial, and social factors related to disadvantages…

Because family and school represent the primary environments in which young children grow and develop, it is important to build and maintain strong parent participation in preschool education. Teachers can plan parent participation strategies to give equal consideration to the needs of all families represented in a class. Teachers can plan for…

Child care quality is not a single dimension, but rather a multidimensional characteristic of programs that support the family in its child-rearing role and programs in which children thrive developmentally, socially, cognitively, physically, and emotionally. At the regulatory and accreditation level, approaches to quality focus on group size,…

Directed toward the question of how parents and 15-year-old adolescents cope with the demands of social change occurring during unification in Germany, the comparative investigation of 40 families each in East and West Germany examines macro-social conditions of family relationships and rightist attitudes among German adolescents and adults. The…

This digest offers background information on home schooling and discusses conflicting viewpoints culled from research on the socialization of home-schooled children. The digest first notes the rapidly escalating numbers of children who are being home schooled in the 1990s and comments upon the professionalization of resources offered for parents…