The paper examines self-esteem, what contributes to it, why it is important, and ways to build it in children, especially those with disabilities. Definitions of four basic terms (self-esteem, body image, unconditional acceptance, and active-reflective listening) are offered. Guidelines for teachers and parents are then offered in the form of…

This special issue of a periodical focuses on building support and resources for families of children with special needs. It contains 13 articles in addition to descriptions of 10 programs serving special needs families at the local level, a list of 15 resource organizations and 10 publications/audiovisual aids, and a message from the coalition's…

This paper responds to the Bush Administration's opposition to including private schools in systems of subsidized choice, and argues that parental choice among public and private schools will promote tolerance and remedy social conflict. In view of President Bush's endorsement of the benign effects of competition, his insistence on an all-public…

The degree to which schools cooperate with parents on the individual child level is investigated in this paper. The first chapter reviews the literature of empirical data and concludes that teachers and parents generally limit cooperation to obligatory rituals. The second chapter examines the extent to which pedagogical reasons enhance cooperation…

Based on the notion that reading is both fun and fundamental, this book contains a stimulating array of activities that parents can use to engage their children in reading from the toddler stage through primary school. The first section provides information on how to use the guide, and some tips for encouraging young readers. The second and major…

The spontaneous speech of three Mexican American children (one boy and two girls) and their mothers, siblings, relatives, and neighbors was recorded to investigate the relationships between language and cultural values and beliefs, and between language, input, and cognition and the acquisition of linguistic forms. The children were first-born, 20,…

Three aspects of bilingual code-switching are examined: (1) code-switching as an integral part of bilingual behavior, especially in early stages of language acquisition; (2) social factors influencing the child's ability to differentiate languages and make an appropriate language choice; and (3) hierarchical organization of these social factors,…

The paper provides a discussion of major issues and directions in special education from an international perspective. Noted first are such assumptions as the ultimate importance of the individual and such concerns as increased depersonalization and alienation. A brief review of historical commitments and accomplishments in special education…

To discover what part parent impartiality might play in creating a climate in which each individual child can prosper, 198 college students from a large Midwestern urban university were questioned about their perceptions of their parents' behavior during the time that they were growing up. The first section of the survey consisted of 50 questions…

Responses to a survey questionnaire completed by 1,070 migrant students who returned to school after dropping out were tabulated and listed by response frequency to determine student characteristics that will help migrant educators predict dropout behavior and address its causes. Participating students were enrolled in 13 High School Equivalency…

This guide for expectant and new working parents addresses practical and emotional issues that complicate the task of balancing work and family. Chapter 1, which addresses maternity and paternity leave, and the Pregnancy Disability Act, provides information regarding preparation for maternity leave after childbirth. Included are a worksheet to aid…

This booklet was designed and illustrated to familiarize parents with the many career opportunities available through vocational education. The text provides an overview with a special emphasis on introducing career options without the limiting occupational sex stereotypes of the past. Topics covered in the narrative include the following:…

The Child Development Rating Scales (CDRS) is a parent-administered adaptive behavior assessment instrument for use with children whose developmental age is birth through 5 years and whose chronological age is birth through 8 years. The scale was developed in order to conduct research on parents' abilities to assess a wide range of skills in their…

The items in this book were drawn from a symposium intended to (1) recommend priorities in national educational policy relating to reading; (2) focus attention on the essential role of an active two-way, family-school partnership in encouraging reading as a lifetime habit; and (3) help various organizations concerned with literacy and reading…

A study (telephone survey), assessing community support for school family life education programs, had two purposes: (1) to determine acceptability of school sex education programs to residents of northwest Arkansas; and (2) to identify factors related to an individual's acceptance or nonacceptance of such programs. Telephone interviews with 119…