Focuses on the nature of peer relationships of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children, including relationship problems that are commonly manifested in the areas of academic, conduct, and social problems. Finds that children with ADHD experience numerous peer difficulties and may benefit from specially designed intervention. (SD)

Studied adolescent participants in a group intervention program to determine the influence of peer reactions to problem behavior. Found that the impact of friendship is not always positive and can lead to unintended iatrogenic consequences. Concludes that adults' role in attending to children's peer contexts is perhaps the most critical for…

Examines the historical and conceptual foundations of friendship research. Areas addressed include functions of friendship, study of peer relations and peer systems, associated methodological and measurement challenges, and the study of friendship today. The discussion is framed around the "Harry Potter" (by J. K. Rowling) phenomena. (SD)

Argues that it is children's development of knowledge of written language that is key to literacy development. Offers models of emergent literacy and identifies differences between oral and written language. Poses implications for policy, research, and practice in home and school. (DLH)

Examined associations between parent language complexity and conversational style and child language use. Contrasted parents' story reading language style with their style for free play with toys and joint remembering of an event. Findings underscore the extent to which children's conversational ability is shaped by the demands of the social and…

A 5-year longitudinal study examined the relations among home literacy experience, language, and literacy development in a middle-class sample. Findings indicate that those with highest exposure to reading aloud at home demonstrated advantages in spelling, decoding, and alphabet knowledge through grade 3. Recommendations urge frequent home…

Tested a model of individual differences in the development of emergent literacy. Focused on home environment contributions to children's emerging literacy skills and on processes relating family environment and two domains of emergent literacy (outside-in and inside-out). Found that early connections between home, language, and emergent literacy…

Examined associations between individual dimensions of the home literacy environment and specific emergent literacy skills among low-income preschoolers. Found that three dimensions of family literacy environments--language and verbal interactions, learning climate, and social and emotional climate--differentially foster preschool children's…

Considers what elements might contribute to a clear pattern of moral action in a young person who is "morally gifted." Proposes a preliminary framework for understanding unusual moral action and questions to explore. (Author)

Explores factors that predict adolescent participation in cooperative activities, which may indicate a predisposition to become involved in community activities later in life. Specifically examines the idea that middle schoolers' subjective experience of challenge may be linked to cooperative behavior later in adolescence. (Author)

Examines the relationship between engagement in high school math and science classes, later academic performance, and choice of college major. Quantitative analyses are complemented by case studies of college students who exhibited high or low engagement in high school. (Author)

Proposes a framework that considers differences in the type of work contributions to family (amount, style, person specificity, and consensus), the impact of various circumstances (age, gender, competence, preference, family position of individual, ethnic background, custom, parents' needs, or availability of children), and the feelings people…

Levels of involvement in household work were compared for sibling pairs in 172 families. In families where mothers had high work demands, daughters performed significantly more work than sons, and younger sisters did more work than older brothers. The gap in siblings' gender role attitudes was significantly greater in families wherein girls…

Examines growing acceptance of the concept of adolescence among Italian immigrants in New Haven, Connecticut before and after World War I. Notes changes in young people's ideas about their obligations to parents as high schools become popular institutional space for adolescence, and modifications of parents' views of education. (DLH)

Studied ethnic variations in academic motivation among 1,000 adolescents from Asian, Latin American, and European backgrounds. Found that a sense of family obligation was associated with greater belief in the value of education and accounts for tendency of Asian and Latin American adolescents to have greater academic motivation than their equally…