Review of The Shadow of the Precursor edited by Diana Glenn, Md Rezaul Haque, Ben Kooyman and Nena Bierbaum

Review of The Shadow of the Precursor edited by Diana Glenn, Md Rezaul Haque, Ben Kooyman and Nena Bierbau

Shirley Hazzard: New Critical Essays, edited by Brigitta Olubas

Review of Shirley Hazzard: New Critical Essays, edited by Brigitta Oluba

Lost Generation: Women Writers in Postwar Australia. [abstract].

Australia, 1959: In Tasmania, poet Gwen Harwood starts sending out her poems under male pseudonyms, after several encounters with misogynist literary editors; Dorothy Hewett, silent for the previous decade, publishes "Bobbin Up", a successful novel in the social realist mode approved by the Communist Party (of which she was a member) but one that allowed little scope to her poetic gifts or her theatrical ambitions; Elizabeth Jolley arrives in Perth from England and begins to send out stories, but must wait until 1976 to publish a book. They are but three of the generation of women writers who were largely lost from view in the 1950s and 60s, and who are now in danger of being eclipsed in subsequent histories. In looking for answers to the question of why their early careers were so beset with difficulties, Professor Sheridan hopes at the same time to create a picture of the literary culture of the period that will be different because of the presence of women in it – and to offer accounts of these women’s writing lives that will expand our understanding of their art and its continuing significance

What Do We Mean When We Say Collaboration ?

In the first of what certainly will be many thoughtful and provocative articles to appear in this column, Witt (1990) questioned the validity of the broadly accepted mandate that our consultative interactions be collaborative” (p. 367). He continued with anecdotes illustrating ineffective teaching practices and deficient teacher skills which mitigated against the desirability of a true collaborative approach. The title of the article articulates Witt’s stated purpose: Collaboration in School-Based Consultation: Myth in Need of Data. My purpose in this article is not to argue for or against Witt’s position. Rather, I suggest that we go beyond this argument and consider a more meaningful framework to describe the manner in which these processes interact dynamically and reciprocally to promote our shared goals of educating and socializing youth. Likewise, I discuss potential implications of failing to acknowledge key aspects of collaboration within the practice of consultation

Parent Training in Interactive Book Reading: An Investigation of Its Effects with Families at Risk

This study investigated the efficacy of a parent training intervention on increasing the duration, frequency and quality of interactive book reading between six parents and their children. Dependent measures included self-reports of frequency and duration of parent-child interactive reading, coding of transcripts for reading quality, children’s pre-post PPVT-R performance, consumer satisfaction questionnaires, and assessment of treatment integrity. During treatment, five of six subjects improved in reading regularity and duration. Likewise, all subjects demonstrated improvements in the quality of interactive book reading with their children. Children’s PPVT-R performance also increased upon post-testing. Consumer satisfaction and treatment integrity were favorable. Study strengths and limitations, implications for school psychological practice, and future research questions are addressed

Parent Training in Interactive Book Reading: An Investigation of Its Effects with Families at Risk

This study investigated the efficacy of a parent training intervention on increasing the duration, frequency and quality of interactive book reading between six parents and their children. Dependent measures included self-reports of frequency and duration of parent-child interactive reading, coding of transcripts for reading quality, children’s pre-post PPVT-R performance, consumer satisfaction questionnaires, and assessment of treatment integrity. During treatment, five of six subjects improved in reading regularity and duration. Likewise, all subjects demonstrated improvements in the quality of interactive book reading with their children. Children’s PPVT-R performance also increased upon post-testing. Consumer satisfaction and treatment integrity were favorable. Study strengths and limitations, implications for school psychological practice, and future research questions are addressed

Building Strong Family–School Partnerships: Transitioning from Basic Findings to Possible Practices

In the present article, we describe the translational process undergirding a particular aspect of family science: families working in partnership with schools to achieve mutual goals for children’s optimal functioning. In doing so, we illustrate a translational cycle that began with identifying problems of practice and led to the development of a family–school intervention (i.e., conjoint behavioral consultation) in a way that embraced families as partners in goal-setting and problem-solving. We discuss the evolution of the intervention from development to efficacy trials and practice guidelines. Key decision points borne out of practical relevance, empirical investigations, tests of mechanisms and conditions, and efforts pertaining to implementation and dissemination are illustrated. Finally, we highlight key research needed to advance the translation of the science related to conjoint behavioral consultation into widespread practice

Appreciating and Promoting Resilience in Families

Families comprise the primary context for a child’s development. As the composition of the family system continues to change, the adult caregivers’ role has become increasingly important in fostering healthy developmental trajectories for their children. Family relationships and interaction styles are central to developing competence and promoting adaptive educational, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Families give children an informal education (Turnbull et al., 2015), which is a prerequisite to successful experiences in the classroom (Adams & Christenson, 2000). Whereas the school environment sets up developmental tasks for students, the family serves as an important resource for the acquisition of these developmental tasks (Stevenson & Baker, 1987). Parents are providers of linguistic and social capital by presenting their child with learning experiences from early childhood through adult years. Such experiences consist of (a) exposing a child to ideas and activities that promote the acquisition of knowledge; (b) assisting in the socialization of gender, cultural, and peer roles; (c) establishing standards, expectations, and rules; and (d) delivering rewards and praise (Clark, 1988). Parents also play an important role in the development of children’s behavioral, social, and academic skills. Inevitably, all families face various forms of stress and adversity over the course of their life. These situations challenge the family’s ability to optimally support the development of child and adult family members. The purpose of this chapter is to articulate the concept of family resilience and its importance in helping families ensure healthy development and adaptation. Following a brief discussion of realities facing families in contemporary society, the notion of family resilience will be defined and couched in ecological theory. The characteristics of resilient families will be reviewed, and approaches for building family strength and resilience will be presented