Presents a comprehensive, theoretical model for organizing parent involvement in schools. The model addresses parents' needs (for communication, liaison, education, and support) and strengths (as sources of information, collaboration, volunteer energy, and policy-making expertise) to facilitate the development of school policy and parent…

Parents of 27 preschoolers completed pretests and 14 completed posttests assessing nutrition knowledge, food purchases, and children's food intake. Children who received snacks and soybean-related instruction found both soy and nonsoy snacks acceptable, compared to those who did not receive instruction. Home eating habits did not change. (SK)

Explores how a community of learners maintains itself through the inclusion of new generations, using the example of new parent volunteers at an innovative public elementary school. Describes four models of community maintenance defining the relationship between the community and newcomers. (Author/SLD)

Explores whether fathers living apart from their children have concerns about possible disruptions in their relationships with their children. Results show: quality of the marital or partner relationship predicts fathers' concerns; fathers with a history of living apart from their child and maintaining high levels of involvement express the least…

Discusses the use of performance assessment and portfolio assessment as viable means for assessing children's efforts. Provides the basis for using both performance assessment and portfolio assessment together in order to get a more authentic assessment of children's performance in the elementary classroom. Presents guidelines to facilitate this…

Offers suggestions to promote becoming a lifetime writer: build a positive professional attitude toward writing in school; provide extended blocks of time for writing; guide learners in a variety of writing experiences; help writers to "go public"; hand students over to authors through a visiting authors program; and invite parents to be…

Presents information on a seminar called "Developing Mathematical Ideas" with the goal of piloting a new curriculum and charting a new path for parents, schools, and children in mathematics. Explores central issues in the development of constructive, thoughtful, and generative relationships between parents and school community through parents'…

Analyzes successful family literacy projects. Finds defining characteristics and key features of practice that can be used to establish effective family literacy programs: offers literacy instruction to families, broadly defined; creates strategic recruitment plans; emphasizes retention; creates a supportive environment; and includes ongoing…

Divorced parents (n=14) and professionals (n=16) who work with divorced individuals were interviewed to examine how they experience the child access and visitation process. Findings identified problematic themes regarding child access and visitation, potential solutions, and suggested services that fall under the expertise of marriage and family…

Describes the Super Science Sleep-Over, a slumber party held at an elementary school centered around a "Kaleidoscope of Science" theme. Discusses 10 steps to organize a science sleep-over including surveying interest, recruiting instructors, developing a schedule, registering students, assigning jobs, details, the program, designing an evaluation,…

Presents tips and suggestions for parents that can make a family nature walk more rewarding and help parents encourage their children to look closer at the natural world. (JRH)

Documents the range and frequency of literacy practices in 20 low-socioeconomic-status homes. Finds great variability in type and frequency of literacy events: children knew more about the alphabetic principle in homes where literate members read and wrote for their own entertainment and leisure; and parents' involvement was higher when children…

Describes the Kids Investigating and Discovering Science (KIDS) program at the University of California, Irvine, in participation with the Santa Ana Unified School District. Concludes that the successful science teaching in that program for low-income Latino youngsters depends upon a network of interpersonal collaboration between parents, minority…

Discusses how the process of educating parents about the college admission process has evolved during the last 30 years. Observations of how this process has changed are divided into three historical periods: the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, and the Modern Era. Concludes that the college counseling process has become easier in the Modern Age in…

Describes how parent teacher conferences in elementary schools in Tacoma, Washington, differ from traditional conferences by starting early in the schools year, being held at least twice a year, lasting about 40 minutes, including students, developing goals using conference information, and involving parents and students in developing goals to…