In "Ready to Learn: A Mandate for the Nation," Ernest L. Boyer examines the challenges posed by the school readiness national goal. The seven-step strategy for achieving this goal includes a healthy start, empowered parents, quality preschool experience, a responsive workplace, television as teacher, neighborhoods for learning, and…

An unnecessary bias toward separate programing for younger and older adults precludes intergenerational learning and reinforces age stereotypes. Recent gerontological research supports common learning themes for young and old: self-sufficiency, adaptation, and class and gender concerns. (SK)

Examines the effects of an intergenerational literacy program on the measured English proficiency of nine bilingual families. Finds significant increases in the families' measured second-language facility. Proposes that teacher scaffolding strategies, as well as parents' and children's efforts to linguistically mediate each other's learning, were…

The author of "In the Shelter of Each Other" addresses how to remedy lack of community that is disorienting families. Parents work too many hours. Adults are spending too much time with TV and computers, voting down bond issues, and providing less communal space for children. Parents need to be convinced that creating community…

Describes the play "Voices" created from 30 interviews with local residents and about 50 accompanying slide photographs. Notes that the interview subjects ranged from 15 to 91 years of age across as wide spectrum of the populace as possible. Describes how the production was an attempt to provide a hearing to a range of different voices, opinions…

An innovative intergenerational program in Miami-Dade County (Florida) Public Schools trains adolescents to teach senior citizens about fire safety at an adult education center. Kids enjoy their relationships with "second grandparents" while imparting valuable information and translating safety checklists into Spanish. (MLH)

A weeklong module of aging appreciation activities, including interactions with older adults, was implemented in five elementary classrooms. Results showed some change in children's perceptions of aging, elders' characteristics, and activity involvement with elders. Findings were not consistent across classrooms. (SK)

Considers how a spiritual connection across age differences affects literacy education. Notes that the Bible is foremost among the texts adult basic literacy students want to read. Claims that being students of stories of faith and religion does not mean that educators become proselytizers or that they ignore the difference between public and…

This study explores informants' experiences in a reading/writing program that paired eighth-grade language arts students with elderly volunteers. Twenty-three pairs were followed over an academic year as they read books in common, corresponded in response journals, and met in person at program social events. Through analysis of interviews, their…

This study addresses issues related to mandatory versus optional service-learning assignments and presents findings from a study of an option-based service-learning program. Using qualitative data collected from students over two semesters, this study examines one of the biggest barriers students cite to successful participation in…

Meeting the diverse needs of young people who are coping with such problems as delinquent behaviors or poor academic performance is an urgent issue today. This paper aims to demonstrate the benefits of introducing intergenerational mentoring activities into educational programs for supporting "at risk" adolescents by highlighting some innovative…

This article examines the role of intergenerational relationships in the lives of experienced poets and writers ("soldiers") and emerging poets and writers in what the author terms Participatory Literacy Communities (PLCs). Drawing from Wenger's (1998) concept of communities of practice, the author uses data from two examples of PLCs--Black…

In many cultures, elders are revered within the extended family as a source of wisdom gained from long experience. In Western societies, this role has been marginalised by changes in family structure, and grandparents' significant contribution to children's upbringing often goes unacknowledged. A research study with families of three- to…

This study investigates the learning exchange between three- to six-year-old children and their grandparents, in Sylheti/Bengali-speaking families of Bangladeshi origin and monolingual English-speaking families living in east London. The following concepts from sociocultural theory are applied to this new area of intergenerational learning:…

The author describes the physical and emotional effects of chemical addiction in families on infants and toddlers and suggests that service providers take into account both chemical addictions research and theoretical knowledge of the importance of early parent-infant relationships. Describing a model that incorporates interagency and…