In this commentary on a previous article that revealed modest and inconsistent results of the Parents as Teachers program, issues are highlighted that those involved in real-world evaluation need to consider. Study attrition, defining meaningful primary outcomes, and need to use a participatory approach to develop outcome-based interventions are…

Discusses the development of the Indonesian Chart of Developmental Milestones, designed for use with existing nutrition and mother-child welfare programs to monitor children's development. A reliability and validity study using 108 Indonesian children from birth to 36 months of age established a tester-observer reliability of 0.97 and a…

This article addresses the parent's role in the life of the infant and young child with motor impairments, in the context of the conductive education approach. Critically important are recognizing and responding to the infant's efforts at communication, enlivening the child's zone of proximal development through games and music, and seeing the…

Describes the "Learning Luggage" program implemented in an early intervention preschool class, in which students take home a selection of science, math, creative arts, or language arts activities in a suitcase. Children and their parents complete the activities together and exchange the suitcase for a different one each week. Discusses…

Describes the "Parents as Partners" program, a partnership between parochial and public schools, which provides parents and adult relatives with English reading and writing instruction so that they may assist their children in school. Indicates that the program's attrition and attendance rates compare favorably with other literacy…

Reviews literature on links between parenting and children's cognitive competence, proposing that social and emotional adjustment might play a critical role in mediating the relationship between these variables. Describes a program of research on family functioning, emotional distress, self-restraint, and academic performance. Explores future…

Examines the effects of training Spanish-speaking parents in read-aloud techniques on the Spanish vocabulary development of their children aged five and six. Although not statistically significant, the results seem to favor the group that received training for five weeks versus a control group. The training increased parental involvement and had…

Studies and practices in which parents help children with oral reading are reviewed. The paper argues against techniques which focus on only the mechanical aspects of reading. The paper describes a program for training parents as tutors which uses transcripts of parent/child interactions during the reading process to show reading development.…

Year-long case studies of 10 Hispanic American kindergartners indicate that (1) school has a great impact on children's home literacy experiences; (2) photocopied books and worksheets sent home by teachers stimulate literacy experiences; and (3) in-home booklet use is not related to literacy achievement, whereas in-home worksheet use is. (SLD)

Discusses how parents and teachers can encourage sensitivity in their children, providing them with tools to reach out openly to others and to be accepting regardless of differences. Specific strategies for putting differences in perspective and for making friends are offered. (SM)

The instruction offered to 68 potentially gifted preschool and primary grade students participating in a summer institute was complemented by a learning component for their parents. A common and differentiated curriculum was developed for Anglo and Hispanic parents based on their expressed expectations regarding child development. (Author/JDD)

Seven papers present research perspectives on how schools can nurture a collaborative relationship between parents and teachers to enhance student learning. Topics include the ways schools involve parents; the ways schools draw on home learning; programs in action; studies of parents, children, and teachers; and contextual and organizational…

Parents of preschool children were asked about the frequencies of adult reading, parent-child reading, and children's solitary book activities, and responses were later compared to the children's second grade reading achievement. The 22 preschoolers who became poorer readers had less frequent early literacy-related experiences than the 34 children…

Describes a parent-involvement program for first grade in which parents helped in the classroom every Wednesday. Surveys of parents and evaluations of teacher and parent teaching styles indicated most parents attributed success to the teacher's warmth and enthusiasm. With encouragement, parents participated willingly. Conclusions relating to…

Twenty-seven toddlers identified as showing specific expressive language delay (ELD) were studied and followed through the preschool period. Findings indicated that home-based intervention accelerated vocabulary skills, but did not decrease the likelihood of later phonological problems. ELD was also seen as a self-correcting condition. (PB)