S We examined the relations among phonological awareness, short‐term memory, orthographic ability, contextual information, and reading skill in a study of 60 functionally illiterate adults enrolled in Adult Basic Education programs. Using a multiple regression analysis, the results indicated that phonological awareness, orthographic ability, and context each accounted for a unique portion of the variance in reading skill. To compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of these adult readers to children, we tested 99 children and matched them to the adults on reading level. We then divided the adults and children into more and less skilled readers. Although the more skilled readers out‐performed the less skilled readers on most of the tasks, tasks that relied on general world knowledge or experience tended to favor the adult readers. Adults seem to be relying less on phonological decoding, which is an area of weakness for them, and more on remembering specific words and patterns, which is an area of relative strength. Examinamos las relaciones entre conciencia fonológica, memoria a corto plazo, habilidad ortográfica, información contextual y habilidad lectora mediante el estudio de 60 analfabetos funcionales adultos inscriptos en programas de educación básica de adultos. Los resultados de un análisis de regresión múltiple indicaron que la conciencia fonológica, la habilidad ortográfica y el contexto dieron cuenta, cada uno, de una porción única de la varianza en habilidad lectora. Para comparar fuerzas y debilidades relativas de los lectores adultos con respecto a los niños, evaluamos a 99 niños y los apareamos con los adultos por nivel de lectura. Luego dividimos a los adultos y niños en grupos de lectores de mayor y menor habilidad. Si bien los lectores de mayor habilidad se desempeñaron mejor que los de menor habilidad en la mayoría de las tareas, aquellas tareas que dependían de conocimiento del mundo o experiencia tendieron a favorecer a los adultos. Los adultos parecen depender menos de la decodificación fonológica, que es un área de debilidad para ellos y más de la memoria de palabras y patrones específicos, que es un área de fuerza relativa. Wir untersuchten die Relationen zwischen phonologischem Bewußtsein, Kurzzeitgedächtnis, orthografischer Fähigkeit, kontextualer Information, und der Lesekenntnis in einer Studie mit 60 funktionell illiteraten Erwachsenen bei dem Erlernen von Basisprogrammen für Erwachsene. Bei der Anwendung einer multiplen Regressionsanalyse zeigten die Ergebnisse auf, daß ein phonologisches Bewußtsein, die orthographische Leistung und der Kontext jeweils über einen eigenen Anteil in der Lesebefähigung gemäß der Abweichungerhebung verfügt. Um die relativen Stärken und Schwächen dieser erwachsenen Leser mit denen der Kinder zu vergleichen, prüften wir 99 Kinder und verglichen sie mit den Erwachsenen auf Leseeinstufung. Wir unterteilten dann die Erwachsenen und Kinder in mehr oder minder befähigte Leser. Erwachsene scheinen sich weniger auf phonologisches Entschlüsseln zu verla...

A randomized trial compared effects of a Family Critical Time Intervention (FCTI) to usual care for children in 200 newly homeless families in which mothers had diagnosable mental illness or substance problems. Adapted from an evidence-based practice to prevent chronic homelessness for adults with mental illnesses, FCTI combines housing and structured, time-limited case management to connect families leaving shelter with community services. Families were followed at five time points over 24 months. Data on 311 children—99 ages 1.5–5 years, 113 ages 6–10 years, and 99 ages 11–16 years—included mother-, teacher-, and child-reports of mental health, school experiences, and psychosocial well-being. Analyses used hierarchical linear modeling to investigate intervention effects and changes in child functioning over time. Referral to FCTI reduced internalizing and externalizing problems in preschool-aged children and externalizing for adolescents 11–16. The intervention led to declines in self-reported school troubles for children 6–10 and 11–16. Both experimental and control children in all age groups showed reductions in symptoms over time. Although experimental results were scattered, they suggest that FCTI has the potential to improve mental health and school outcomes for children experiencing homelessness.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of The Leadership Program's Violence Prevention Project (VPP) – a 12‐session programme consisting of explicit curriculum‐based classroom instruction designed for adolescents to promote a range of communication skills associated with violence prevention and alter classroom norms about aggression and violence.Design/methodology/approachA multi‐site, quasi‐experimental effectiveness trial examined pre‐ and post‐implementation surveys that assessed violence‐related behaviours and attitudes from 3,264 6th‐8th grade students in 24 urban public schools across four consecutive academic years (2005‐2009).FindingsMultilevel modelling showed VPP buffered negative beliefs and behaviour in a wide range of violence‐related outcomes including peer support and tolerance for aggression. VPP also promoted positive conflict resolution skills by reducing the use of verbally and physically aggressive resolution strategies over time in programme participants. Programme quality was maintained through a five point practitioner‐created fidelity system amenable to real‐world conditions.Originality/valueFindings indicate semester‐long violence prevention programmes promoting communication skills are effective with urban early adolescents.

Findings indicate that semester-long violence prevention programs optimized to meet the needs of a typical high school can be effective at promoting healthy conflict resolution skills in urban adolescents.

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