This paper examines the characteristics of high school and college as life stages of young people in Japan and the United States and suggests some of the ways in which these experiences mesh with the demands of the occupational structure. The paper first contrasts the differences in the Japanese and American student experience during their high…

The CHALLENGE program was designed to increase elementary school children's likelihood of reaching their potential in an at-risk environment and, ultimately, to decrease the rate of their victimization or social and personal disfunction. The CHALLENGE curriculum focuses on increasing children's ability to think, solve problems, make effective…

In an effort to compare the socialization of Latino and White children with regard to health, a study was undertaken of 94 Latino and White mothers, 75 Latino and White fathers, and their fourth-grade children attending Catholic schools in a mid-sized west coast city. A questionnaire was administered to the children, assessing their locus of…

Patterns of assistance in parent-child dyads were examined by developing measures that could be used to explore the nature of assistance and learner action sequences. A microgenetic approach was adopted in a teaching experiment that may be regarded as a variation of the double stimulation method of L. S. Vygotsky. A second goal was to explore the…

In response to concerns about the academic and discipline problems of young black male students in a small southern town, the Positive Impact Program (PIP) was developed for at-risk black males. Two possible at-risk factors, locus of control and the quality of parental verbal interaction, were studied for participants in the PIP. Locus of control…

A study examined age and sex differences in engagement style and locus of control and their influence on African-American parent-adolescent relationships. The study subjects were 71 students in 9th grade and 57 students in 11th grade from 4 high schools in a large midwestern city; 46 college freshmen attending a large midwestern university; and 46…

This booklet for parents of young children with special needs provides a variety of child-rearing suggestions as well as an updated listing of resources. After an introduction which defines special needs and summarizes basic principles, the following chapters address: (1) the family as the most important support for a child; (2) the evaluation…

This paper discusses major issues having to do with definition of terms and implementation strategies implicit in the first national education goal, which states: "By the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn." The principles articulated in the paper by a collaboration of agencies and the private sector are…

The purposes of this study were to compare adolescents' and parents' perceptions of parental demands, responsiveness, and commitment to achievement, and to explore the relations between these perceptions and the adolescents' school achievement. The subjects were ninth grade students and their parents. The adolescents and their mothers and fathers…

This document presents a descriptive study of the Home Visit Program, which is part of Project Focus. The project was designed to support healthy family development by offering a broad range of services to families of children from birth to 5 years of age in two school districts. Emphasis was placed on preventive services for families in high-risk…

This booklet offers 101 tips on ways parents and other adults can become more involved in children's education. Suggestions are provided in 13 sections: (1) Learning Begins at Home; (2) Using the Newspaper for Better Learning; (3) Make Family Time = Learning Time; (4) Starting School Ready to Learn; (5) Building Self-Esteem; (6) Improving Academic…

This practicum was designed to increase nurturing relationships between primary caregivers and infants prenatally exposed to cocaine. Goals were to increase the general emotional well-being of the caregivers within the family unit, to increase the interpersonal competence of the caregivers in relation to the care receiving infants, and to increase…

A descriptive study examined the relationships between what young children learned about written language in the home and their parents' levels of literacy ability and their uses of print in their lives. Twenty-four children, aged 4-6, in 20 families of low socioeconomic status were observed during their waking hours in their homes and communities…

This newsletter issue focuses on the specific concerns of many parents as their special child "ages out" of protected special education environments and moves into the adult world. It highlights the practical aspects of the transition years as well as the emotional components involved in "letting go." The newsletter's articles…

This elementary school curriculum guide is intended to develop an understanding of the emotions involved in stressful changes in life and to teach coping skills for dealing with those changes. The focus is on changes caused by divorce, remarriage, or death of a parent. The first 38 lessons are designed for the classroom. The remaining 15 are…