The relationships of 35 community-based mildly mentally retarded adults and their siblings were examined over an 18-month period, with relationships classified on dimensions of warmth, frequency of contact, and involvement. The most frequently observed relationship involved warm feelings, minimal contact, and minimal involvement between retarded…

This study showed that continuing and discontinuing volunteer 4-H Club leaders are significantly different in their geographical location, number of children in family, and number of children in family who have participated in 4-H. These variables may affect the volunteer's decision to continue serving as a 4-H Club leader. (Author/CT)

After recovering closed head injury (CHI) patients have obtained maximum benefit from the rehabilitation unit, they are usually returned to the home, with continued therapy services offered on an outpatient basis. Describes a family-focused assessment and treatment model which can be utilized during the home-based treatment phase of the CHI…

The involvement of the Dunham family and their physically disabled son with the Family Challenge Program (Westfield, Massachusetts) is outlined with particular attention to how the family relationships (especially between father and son) have grown closer through improved communication, cooperation, and trust, thereby creating a partnership. (JMM)

The involvement of 1,000 parents of gifted and talented children in the educational system was studied in New York and Cleveland. A questionnaire determined their involvement in 27 selected service, financial, and parent education practices. Contrary to some expectations, these parents were not very involved in school activities. (SLD)

Suggestions are presented for encouraging even "busy" families to attend parent-teacher association and school meetings in such areas as meeting times, recruitment efforts, time commitments, access to meetings, meeting efficiency, and meeting topics. (CB)

Videotaped interactions between both parents and one adolescent from 54 two-children families. Parents and adolescents viewed tapes and rated themselves and other family members on anxiety, involvement, dominance, and friendliness. Adolescents rated family members as more anxious, less involved and less dominant than did parents, and were rated as…

The authors argue that the home economics curriculum should be designed to help students deal with the conflicting values of family and career, which the authors see as a major force behind gender discrimination and inequality of the sexes. (CH)

The concept of a new family coordinator (someone to orient new families to the local 4-H programs and serve as a contact person for them) is examined. The training of this coordinator, the "New Family Handbook," and benefits of this new system are discussed. (CT)

Discusses rationale for and provides examples of marine education programs that reflect the varies learning styles, rates, levels, agendas, and interests of families, enabling them to share experiences, knowledge, skills, and feelings. Includes a list of observations made while videotaping families during aquarium visits. (JN)

The article discusses six needs fundamental to research and intervention with families: (1) defensible rationale for family involvement, (2) caution in defining desired family outcomes, (3) developmental perspective, (4) ecological contexts, (5) allowance in variability in family composition or structure, and (6) adequate systems for assessing…

The author maintains that middle level teachers can create curriculum connections that engage families in their children's learning and strengthen the home-school relationship. This article offers four examples of school-initiated partnerships, each of which connects students with their families. These are: (1) the Relative Letter, in which…

During the past several years, the topic of how to increase parent and family involvement in schools has been the subject of many research studies, articles, and speeches. It is likely that every school in the country devotes some portion of its annual plan to explaining how it will increase parent involvement. Yet as widely used as this term is,…

Investigates the nature of verbal interaction and interpersonal influence operating within families as they select television programs for group viewing in their homes. Interaction structure, ability to express a preference, preference consensus, and perceptions of influence reveal differential success in gaining access to favored programs. (JMF)

Through developing a way to assess quantitatively family interaction by examining activities in the family, relations between family interaction, and certain characteristics of the family environment were investigated. Identified significant relations that existed between total interaction and those activities categorized as social, eating, and…