Examining the trend toward an older U.S. population, this paper discusses why educators and school facility planners should consider designing multipurpose schools that specifically contribute to stronger intergenerational links. Reasons include: ending age segregation, enriching the lives of children and seniors, creating support for public…

Adolescents are under tremendous pressure to conform and sometimes lack bonds with adults beyond their own immediate family. A weekend retreat with adolescent girls and senior women shows the power of intergenerational storytelling as a way to help children learn from their elders' experiences. (GCP)

Notes the importance of elders in various Native American cultures and of drawing on personal memories of special older folks. Stresses the importance and value of contact between the generations. Urges schools to adopt intergenerational programs, citing the remarkable contributions older people can make to the lives of children. (TJQ)

The Senior/Youth Partnership in Sonoma, California, matches older adults as tutors with high school students, teaching vocational and recreational skills and tailoring activities to the goals and needs of individual students. (SK)

Overviews evolving program of interdisciplinary, multimethod research concerned with intergenerational communication. Concludes from studies that young people process and respond to speech of older people in stereotypical ways. Uses lifespan and intercultural perspectives to argue that communicative patterns observed in studies are sometimes…

Surveyed administrators of adult day-care centers (n=36) and child day-care centers (n=300) to gather information about professionals' perceptions of benefits and problems associated with providing regular intergenerational exchanges in day-care settings. Found that problems attributed to generational differences and organizational/service…

Describes the current situation for vulnerable youth and discusses an example of a successful intergenerational program,"Across Ages", that improves their chances of overcoming barriers. (Author)

Case studies of older adult involvement in environmental concerns illustrate three models: generalist, specialist, and intergenerational. Ways to tap the pool of talented older adults for building sustainable communities are discussed. (SK)

Notes how Western society fears and resists growing old, and points out that educators, along with the rest of society, have little to do with the elderly. Challenges literacy educators to include the elderly and foster connections between the new and the old, and the young and the old. Suggests reading the Foxfire books for inspiration. (SR)

Analyzes successful family literacy projects. Finds defining characteristics and key features of practice that can be used to establish effective family literacy programs: offers literacy instruction to families, broadly defined; creates strategic recruitment plans; emphasizes retention; creates a supportive environment; and includes ongoing…

The Senior Pen Pal Program began as an exchange of letters between first graders and older adults. Structured group visits between the classroom and the senior center, a holiday concert, and assigned readings about aging expanded the reach of the intergenerational program. (SK)

The rural Montana Befrienders program pairs homebound older adults with volunteers aged 19-35 for companionship and assistance. Formal and informal evaluation identified benefits for seniors, their families, and volunteers. Most of the elders wanted volunteers to spend more time with them. (SK)

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders from the Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education. This issue contains the following articles: (1) President Seeks to Build on Law's Results; (2) Bridging the Gap: Ohio Charter School Surmounts Age, Achievement Barriers; (3) Spellings'…

Afrikaans and Sesotho are two of the 11 official languages of the Republic of South Africa. Data on the acquisition of these languages are scarce. It is interesting to compare the acquisition of the two languages because they are very different in grammatical structure. In addition, cultural differences may possibly be visible in the style of…

Parents of Chapter 1 reading students were invited to take part in a reading program using courseware for adult beginning readers. A group of 52 parents completed the program; on average they gained more than one year in reading level after 20 hours of instructional time. Impact on children and delivery models are discussed. (CH)