Ten elderly members of an adult day care center were observed before and during an intervention with an itnergenerational nursery school at the center. Significantly higher levels of social interaction and lower levels of solitary behaviors were observed when the school was in session. (SK)

An experimental group of 22 undergraduates (including 10 over age 55) took a course with an intergenerational service learning component. Compared to 22 controls, results showed the course increased knowledge about aging processes and improved attitudes toward aging. (SK)

After second-, fourth-, and fifth-graders (n=53) participated in an intergenerational program, descriptors for the elderly used by second- and fourth-graders were significantly more positive. Analysis of fourth-graders' journals showed that they discovered similarities with elders, formed meaningful relationships, and actively sought continuing…

Data from 214 students in adult development and aging classes (117 participated in service learning) indicated that service learning did not seem to affect social values, civic attitudes, or achievement. It did result in improved understanding of course concepts, dispelled myths about aging, and reinforced career choices. (SK)

Instruction on aging and stereotypes was followed by weekly visits by 22 fourth-graders to elderly nursing home residents. Students' attitudes toward elders were mixed, but their attitudes toward their own aging changed positively and empathy increased. (Contains 24 references.) (SK)

Comparison of 18 3-5 year-olds who interacted with older adults in an intergenerational day care setting with 15 in regular day care showed that both groups had similar attitudes toward the elderly. They viewed older adults less positively and believed they could participate in fewer activities. However, they had positive attitudes about their own…

Two important components of skill learning are the learning process itself (motor acquisition) and the ability to transfer what has been learned to new task variants (motor transfer). Many studies have documented age-related declines in the ability to learn new manual motor skills. In this study, I tested whether the degree of savings at transfer…

This study examined the need for a program that would enable students in the middle grades to receive additional instruction/assistance in the basic skills outside of the regular classroom situation. The program was designed to assist students in reading, language usage, and mathematics. It sought to develop a model for the intergenerational…

Argues that programs teaching parents to assist children with homework practice the "deficit hypothesis" and are not based on sound research. Proposes a broader definition of family literacy that acknowledges the family's social situation, focuses on the family's strengths, and uses a social-contextual approach to curriculum development. (SK)

Assessed relative effectiveness of 2 different intergenerational approaches to family therapy as compared to a traditional nuclear family approach with 43 families. Results indicated follow through was problematic with intergenerational families, although there were indications that the intergenerational approaches had some unique benefits and…

Fourteen students received training and visited homebound elderly 8 times; 10 students in an aging seminar visited elderly twice. Compared to a control group of 20, visitation groups were significantly more positive toward the elderly and in their views of their own aging. (SK)

A study was conducted of juvenile offenders serving as volunteers working with frail elderly (some with dementia). Both generations experienced personal benefits from participation. Key characteristics promoting social inclusion were trusting partnerships, inclusive practices, and champions, project supporters who served as a bridge between the…

The Intergenerational Exchanges Attitude Scale was tested by a sample of 36 adult day-care and 300 child-care administrators (227 responses). Both groups had positive attitudes toward the interaction of children and older adults. Reliability and validity of the instrument appeared viable. (SK)

A study of older adult volunteers mentoring primary and secondary students used a framework for intergenerational exchange based on life span development, citizenship, social exclusion, and synergy. Older mentors achieved significant psychological and social gains, and both age groups enjoyed working together for their mutual benefit. (SK)

This article examines the role of intergenerational relationships in the lives of experienced poets and writers ("soldiers") and emerging poets and writers in what the author terms Participatory Literacy Communities (PLCs). Drawing from Wenger's (1998) concept of communities of practice, the author uses data from two examples of PLCs--Black…