This hearing examined the history, current status and trends, and strengths of American families. Testimony (1) described the complex and intense daily life of members of blended families and pointed out that social, financial, and other supports needed by stepfamilies are often not available; (2) provided accounts of personal experiences with…

Aided by a 21-member Elementary Education Study Group, the Secretary of Education has prepared the first comprehensive report on elementary education in the United States in more than three decades. The report finds America's elementary schools in pretty good shape, and states that they do their job especially well in the early grades, only…

Guidelines and principles concerning the role of non-Catholic parents, teachers, and students in Catholic schools are discussed in two articles. In recent years in the United States the number of non-Catholic teachers and, especially, of non-Catholic students in Catholic schools has grown. Non-Catholic enrollment has increased from 2.7 percent in…

A study examined what parents of preschool children (infancy through age five) do to help their children get ready for a formal reading program, such as how often parents carried out prereading activities and how the activities compared with those generally suggested by early childhood education experts. Surveys completed by 157 parents indicated…

The report presents eight studies on the effectiveness of the Parents Training Parents Project sponsored by the PACER Center, Inc. (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights). The project is designed to provide information, training, and assistance to parents of handicapped children in regard to their rights and responsibilities under…

This joint hearing before the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources and the House Committee on Education and Labor focused on educationally and economically disadvantaged children. Of special concern were children living in poverty, those from single parent families, and those whose parents are teenagers. Educational programs are needed to…

A practicum designed to help 10 first-graders successfully complete their homework, and to involve their parents as teachers at home, was implemented by a school social worker who was a member of a multidisciplinary child study team that assisted students with academic, social, and behavioral problems. Many children referred to the child study…

The parents' role as teacher is important to a child's learning process. Parents tutoring their children are advised to remain positive and patient, be aware of the child's feelings, keep the tutoring time short, select a quiet place away from distractions, use games and manipulative objects rather than more abstract experiences, etc. Informal…

A study was conducted to determine whether voice support helps children learn to read. Voice support involves reading to children while they follow the text, either informally as in bedtime reading, or formally, as in teacher or audiotaped readings of stories in the classroom. Subjects, 64 children just entering school, were unfamiliar with the 12…

This document presents testimony and prepared statements from the Congressional hearings on teen parents and their children. The opening statement is presented, giving an overview of the problem of teenage pregnancy and parenthood and the negative short- and long-term consequences for the teens, their babies, their families, and society at large.…

A study examined patterns of development in spoken interaction and types of causal thought that might reflect the human capacity to displace, that is, to shift reference from the present moment to another moment in time. Participants were four infants and their parents, who came to a laboratory for one-half hour every 2 weeks from the child's…

Independent study is an instructional approach that can have enormous power in the classroom. It can be used successfully with students at all ability levels, even though it is often associated with gifted students. Independent study is an opportunity for students to study a subject of their own choosing under the guidance of a teacher. The…

This collection of papers for school personnel and families who deal with gifted and talented children addresses teaching and counseling strategies as well as the role of the family in educating these children. "Instructional Strategies for the Gifted and Talented," by Donna Rae Clasen, emphasizes questioning as an instructional strategy. "Using…

Useful for teachers and parents of children who are developmentally ready for a beginning reading program, this guide is intended to help plan activities differentiated according to children's readiness for reading and individualized according to their strengths and needs. The guide is also helpful for young children who are either early readers…

This issue of "Transition Summary" contains articles about self-determination and becoming a good self-advocate, with each article reflecting the experience of someone who has grown up with a disability. "The Many Facets of Self-Determination" (Michael Ward) discusses the concept of self-determination; offers an historical perspective of the…