Provides plot summaries of books for young readers two to nine years of age that present images of different types of family life. Books about the origin and development of families, family roles and relationships, alternate caretakers as well as books focusing on nonsexist roles, and emotions are briefly described. (Author/RH)

Applies social exchange principles to the difficulties of setting up a stepfamily. Discusses obstacles to role adjustment and maintenance of equity among members. Concludes that if the reconstituting family can establish a basis of trust, the stepfamily can merge as a developmental unit toward expansion and commitment. (Author)

Argues that most children will have a better start in life when they spend the majority of their waking hours being cared for by their parents and other family members rather than in any form of substitute care. Identifies situations where substitute care is desirable. (Author/RH)

The author presents several factors which pertain to state involvement in family life. Among these factors are social diversity, social agency usurpation of family roles, the need for parent and family involvement in child rearing, conducting needs assessment, conducting hearings prior to policy decisions, and making social services relevant. (DB)

Argues that it has not been fashionable to value literacy stories from parents as a source of knowledge for interpreting the home literacy environment. Compares teacher descriptions of several at-risk children to their parents' literacy stories. Concludes that understanding multiple home literacy environments can help teachers think critically…

Describes intervention approach designed to enhance intersubjectivity between adolescent mothers and children. Proposes that model based on the theory of guided participation enhances mothers' sensitivity to children's learning processes. Based on observation during implementation of the model, claims that engaging parents and children in mutual…

Discusses the importance of parents' helping children to read from birth and notes the most crucial and enjoyable way is reading aloud to children. Presents six basic skills that parents can help new readers to use: getting help from pictures; remembering; sounding out the letters; expecting what comes next; writing; and making sense of content.…

Claims that parents and teachers should reinforce students to persist until they master a challenging task. Compares children in America and Asia in terms of perseverance. Provides suggestions to parents on motivating their children to achieve goals. Concludes that it is important to explain to the child a task's difficult aspects, brainstorm new…

Examines conditions that influence Latino families' decision making regarding choices of preschool child care, investigating why they forgo preschooling and summarizing low-income Latina mothers' views. The study found that though there were factors common to all ethnic groups, there was also a relationship between Latino parenting practices and…

This follow-up of the effects of the national Bookstart pilot study compared samples of urban families through structured interviews. It found that two years later those families whose babies had been introduced to books in the original experiment gave more priority to looking at books, buying books as presents, and book sharing between parents…

Focuses on the discriminant validity of four types of social support (informational, emotional, tangible, and companionship) and the utility of distinguishing support provision from different referents. Results affirm the importance of distinguishing who provides the social support. Analysis revealed a correlation between family members and types…

Discusses the political nature of urban school districts, the job of urban school superintendents, and the continuing impact of Brown v. Board of Education. Examines demographic changes experienced in many urban areas since Brown; highlights the impact of white flight, federal and state education policy, and school takeovers on urban districts;…

Identifies and analyzes Korean parents' involvement in early oral language development as a major factor contributing to Korean children's early literacy development. Claims that Korean culture and parents' view support the emergent literacy theory advanced by Marie Clay and also contribute to children's reading and language abilities. Asserts…

Deconstructs case studies of parents' and teachers' experiences as children started child care. Argues that mothers and teachers defined their roles against the background of dominant societal discourses about motherhood and early childhood teaching. However, while teachers spoke about themselves as less powerful than mothers in influencing…

Reviews literature on parent/teacher partnerships. Proposes a systemic theoretical approach which frames the factors in an ecological and social system perspective, thereby enabling teachers to visualize how complex and dynamic the parent/teacher partnership is, to view events from more than one perspective, and to monitor their responses to…