Education and attainment

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ وَٱلۡإِيمَٰنَ لَقَدۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِي كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡبَعۡثِۖ فَهَٰذَا يَوۡمُ ٱلۡبَعۡثِ وَلَٰكِنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

but those endowed with knowledge and faith will say, ‘In accordance with God’s decree, you actually lingered till the Day of Resurrection: this is the Day of Resurrection, yet you did not know.’

وَٱتَّبَعُواْ مَا تَتۡلُواْ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلۡكِ سُلَيۡمَٰنَۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيۡمَٰنُ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحۡرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلۡمَلَكَيۡنِ بِبَابِلَ هَٰرُوتَ وَمَٰرُوتَۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنۡ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَآ إِنَّمَا نَحۡنُ فِتۡنَةࣱ فَلَا تَكۡفُرۡۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنۡهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِۦ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَزَوۡجِهِۦۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِۦ مِنۡ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمۡ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمۡۚ وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمُواْ لَمَنِ ٱشۡتَرَىٰهُ مَا لَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مِنۡ خَلَٰقࣲۚ وَلَبِئۡسَ مَا شَرَوۡاْ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمۡۚ لَوۡ كَانُواْ يَعۡلَمُونَ

and followed what the evil ones had fabricated about the Kingdom of Solomon instead. Not that Solomon himself was a disbeliever; it was the evil ones who were disbelievers. They taught people witchcraft and what was revealed in Babylon to the two angels Harut and Marut. Yet these two never taught anyone without first warning him, ‘We are sent only to tempt- do not disbelieve.’ From these two, they learned what can cause discord between man and wife, although they harm no one with it except by God’s leave. They learned what harmed them, not what benefited them, knowing full well that whoever gained [this knowledge] would lose any share in the Hereafter. Evil indeed is the [price] for which they sold their souls, if only they knew

وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِيُّهُمۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدۡ بَعَثَ لَكُمۡ طَالُوتَ مَلِكࣰ اۚ قَالُوٓاْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ عَلَيۡنَا وَنَحۡنُ أَحَقُّ بِٱلۡمُلۡكِ مِنۡهُ وَلَمۡ يُؤۡتَ سَعَةࣰ مِّنَ ٱلۡمَالِۚ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصۡطَفَىٰهُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَزَادَهُۥ بَسۡطَةࣰ فِي ٱلۡعِلۡمِ وَٱلۡجِسۡمِۖ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤۡتِي مُلۡكَهُۥ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمࣱ‏

Their prophet said to them, ‘God has now appointed Talut to be your king,’ but they said, ‘How can he be king over us when we have a greater right to rule than he? He does not even have great wealth.’ He said, ‘God has chosen him over you, and has given him great knowledge and stature. God grants His authority to whoever He pleases: God is magnanimous, all knowing.’

هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِنۡهُ ءَايَٰتࣱ مُّحۡكَمَٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَٰبِهَٰتࣱۖ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمۡ زَيۡغࣱ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَٰبَهَ مِنۡهُ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ وَٱبۡتِغَآءَ تَأۡوِيلِهِۦۖ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ تَأۡوِيلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۗ وَٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِي ٱلۡعِلۡمِ يَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلࣱّ مِّنۡ عِندِ رَبِّنَاۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

it is He who has sent this Scripture down to you [Prophet]. Some of its verses are definite in meaning- these are the cornerstone of the Scripture- and others are ambiguous. The perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only God knows the true meaning. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’- only those with real perception will take heed

ذَٰلِكَ مَبۡلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ

Their knowledge does not go beyond that. Your Lord knows best who strays from His path and who follows guidance

وَإِذَا بَدَّلۡنَآ ءَايَةࣰ مَّكَانَ ءَايَةࣲ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُفۡتَرِۭۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

When We substitute one revelation for another- and God knows best what He reveals- they say, ‘You are just making it up,’ but most of them have no knowledge

(And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon�) [2:102]. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Qantari informed us> Abu'l-Fadl al-Haddadi> Abu Yazid al-Khalidi> Ishaq ibn Ibrahim> Jarir> Husayn ibn 'Abd al-Rahman> 'Imran ibn al-Harith who said: �Once as we were sitting with Ibn 'Abbas when he said: 'The devils used to eavesdrop on heaven. One of them would bring a word of truth from therein, and when he is trusted for telling the truth, he would add to it seventy lies with which he earns the hearts of people. When Solomon came to know about it, he took it and buried it beneath his throne. When he died, a devil stood in the street and said: 'Shall I guide you to Solomon's guarded treasure, the like of which he does not have?' They said: 'Yes, do'. He said: 'It is under his throne; go and unearth it'. They said: 'This is magic'. Different nations then copied it f

But those who have been given knowledge and faith of angels and others shall say ‘You have remained according to God’s decree in accordance with what He had decreed for you in His prior knowledge until the Day of Resurrection. This is the Day of Resurrection which you rejected but you did not know’ that it would come to pass.

And on the Day that the Hour will be established, the criminals will swear that they stayed not but an hour – thus were they ever deluded (55)And those who have been bestowed with knowledge and Faith will say: "Indeed you have stayed according to the decree of Allah, until the Day of Resurrection; so this is the Day of Resurrection, but you knew not. (56)So, on that Day no excuse of theirs will avail those who did wrong, nor will they be allowed to return to seek (Allah's) pleasure (57) The Ignorance of the Disbelievers in this World and in the Hereafter Here Allah tells us of the ignorance of the disbelievers in this world and in the Hereafter. In this world they worship idols, and in the Hereafter they will also display great ignorance. They will swear by Allah that they did not even stay for one hour in this world. They will mean that there was not enough time given to establish pro

He it is who has sent down upon thee the Book, wherein are firm verses, which are the mother of the Book, and others ambiguous. He is neither a name nor an attribute. Rather, it is an allusion to being. It means that our Lord is, He is fitting to be, and He has been-beyond location and transcendent in attributes. ShurayḤ ʿābid said, “I saw a dervish in the mosque of the Sanctuary calling upon God by saying, 'O He who is He! O He other than whom there is no he! Forgive me.' A voice came from the Unseen: 'O dervish, you received so much reward for saying that the first time that the angels will be writ- ing it out until the resurrection.'” Huwa is two letters, h and w. The place of articulation of h is the last part of the throat, and the place of articulation of the w is the first part of the throat. This alludes to the fact that the letters begin from Him at first and return to Him at la

And they follow wa’ttaba‘ū is a supplement to nabadha ‘it cast away’ what the devils used to relate during the time of Solomon’s kingdom in the way of sorcery it is said that they the devils buried these books of sorcery underneath his throne when his kingdom was taken from him; it is also said that they used to listen stealthily and add fabrications to what they heard and then pass it on to the priests who would compile it in books; this would be disseminated and rumours spread that the jinn had knowledge of the Unseen. Solomon gathered these books and buried them. When he died the devils showed people where these books were and the latter brought them out and found that they contained sorcery and said ‘Your kingdom was only thanks to what is in here’; they then took to learning them and rejected the Scriptures of their prophets. In order to demonstrate Solomon’s innocence and in repudi

(And when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation�) [16:101-102]. This verse was revealed when the idolaters said: �Muhammad is mocking his Companions; one day he commands them to do something and the next day he forbids them from doing it, or brings instead something which is easier. He is nothing but a calumniator who says things of his own invention�, and so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse and the verse after it.

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأُمَوِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُقَطِّعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ يَقْرَأُ ‏(‏الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ‏)‏ ثُمَّ يَقِفُ ‏(‏ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ‏)‏ ثُمَّ يَقِفُ وَكَانَ يَقْرَؤُهَا ‏(‏مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ‏)‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ وَبِهِ يَقْرَأُ أَبُو عُبَيْدٍ وَيَخْتَارُهُ هَكَذَا رَوَى يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأُمَوِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ وَلَيْسَ إِسْنَادُهُ بِمُتَّصِلٍ لأَنَّ اللَّيْثَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ رَوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ مَمْلَكٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ أَنَّهَا وَصَفَتْ قِرَاءَةَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَرْفًا حَرْفًا وَحَدِيثُ اللَّيْثِ أَصَحُّ وَلَيْسَ فِي حَدِيثِ اللَّيْثِ وَكَانَ يَقْرَأُ ‏(‏مَلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ‏)‏ ‏.‏

Narrated Ibn Abi Mulaikah:that Umm Salamah said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would separate recitation reciting: 'Al-Hamdulillahi Rabbil-'Alamin' then he would stop. 'Ar-Rahmanir-Rahim' then he would stop. And he would recite it: 'Maliki Yawmid-Din

حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ، عَنْ شَهْرِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَقْرَؤُهَا ‏(‏إِنَّهُ عَمِلَ غَيْرَ صَالِحٍ ‏)‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ قَدْ رَوَاهُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ الْبُنَانِيِّ نَحْوَ هَذَا وَهُوَ حَدِيثُ ثَابِتٍ الْبُنَانِيِّ وَرُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ أَيْضًا عَنْ شَهْرِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتِ يَزِيدَ ‏.‏ وَسَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ بْنَ حُمَيْدٍ يَقُولُ أَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ يَزِيدَ هِيَ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ الأَنْصَارِيَّةُ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى كِلاَ الْحَدِيثَيْنِ عِنْدِي وَاحِدٌ وَقَدْ رَوَى شَهْرُ بْنُ حَوْشَبٍ غَيْرَ حَدِيثٍ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ الأَنْصَارِيَّةِ وَهِيَ أَسْمَاءُ بِنْتُ يَزِيدَ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوُ هَذَا ‏.‏

Narrated Umm Salamah:"The Prophet (ﷺ) would recite: 'Innahu 'Amila Ghaira Salih

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ النُّفَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، رضى الله عنه أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَرَأَ ‏{‏ وَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ‏}‏

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) read the Qur'anic verse, "And take ye the Station of Abraham as a place of prayer

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ - حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، رضى الله عنها أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَرَأَ فَرَفَعَ صَوْتَهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ يَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ فُلاَنًا كَائِنٌ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَذْكَرَنِيهَا اللَّيْلَةَ كُنْتُ قَدْ أَسْقَطْتُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Narrated A'ishah:A man got up (for prayer) at night, he read the Qur'an and raised his voice in reading. When the morning came, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: May Allah have mercy on so-and-so! Last night he reminded me a number of verses which I was about to forget

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَرَجَ عَلَى أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ يَا أُبَىُّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَالْتَفَتَ أُبَىٌّ وَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ وَصَلَّى أُبَىٌّ فَخَفَّفَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَعَلَيْكَ السَّلاَمُ مَا مَنَعَكَ يَا أُبَىُّ أَنْ تُجِيبَنِي إِذْ دَعَوْتُكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفَلَمْ تَجِدْ فِيمَا أَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَىَّ أَنِ ‏(‏استَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ‏)‏ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ بَلَى وَلاَ أَعُودُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ تُحِبُّ أَنْ أُعَلِّمَكَ سُورَةً لَمْ يَنْزِلْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَلاَ فِي الإِنْجِيلِ وَلاَ فِي الزَّبُورِ وَلاَ فِي الْفُرْقَانِ مِثْلُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ كَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَرَأَ أُمَّ الْقُرْآنِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا أُنْزِلَتْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَلاَ فِي الإِنْجِيلِ وَلاَ فِي الزَّبُورِ وَلاَ فِي الْفُرْقَانِ مِثْلُهَا وَإِنَّهَا سَبْعٌ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ الَّذِي أُعْطِيتُهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَفِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُعَلَّى ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Hurairah:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to Ubayy bin Ka'b, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "O Ubayy!" And he was performing Salat, so Ubayy turned around but he did not respond to him, so Ubayy finished his Salat quickly. Then he turned to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: 'As-Salamu 'Alaikum, O Messenger of Allah!' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Wa 'Alaikum As-Salam - what prevented you from responding to me when I called you Ubayy?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah! I was performing Salat.' So he said: 'Do you not find among what Allah revealed to me: Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when they call you to what gives you life?' He said: 'Of course, I shall not repeat that, if Allah wills.' He said: 'Would you like for me to teach you a Surah the likes of which has neither been revealed in the Tawrah, nor the Injil, nor the Zabur, nor in the entire Qur'an?' He said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'What do you recite in your Salat?' He said: 'I recite Umm Al-Qur'an.' So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! The like of it has neither been revealed in the Tawrah, nor the Injil nor the Zabur, nor in the Furqan. It is the seven oft-repeated, and the Magnificent Qur'an which I was given

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ لاَ تَجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ مَقَابِرَ وَإِنَّ الْبَيْتَ الَّذِي تُقْرَأُ فِيهِ الْبَقَرَةُ لاَ يَدْخُلُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Hurairah:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Do not turn your houses into graves. Indeed Ash-Shaitan does not enter the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited

وما أحسن ما قال بعض العلماء وقد شاهد هذا وأفعالهم :

وقد قال أفاضل العلماء كل مجتهد مصيب

وقال الحسن لا تصلوا خلف رجل لا يختلف إلى العلماء

وقد اختلف العلماء في صحة ذلك وفي حل الثمن المأخوذ منه

فهذا مما قد جوزه جماعة من العلماء تعويلا على الأكثر

وقبل هؤلاء خلائق من العلماء لا يحصيهم إلا الله

The Association Between Autism Spectrum Traits and the Successful Transition to Mainstream Secondary School in an Australian School-Based Sample.: The transition to secondary school is an important educational milestone impacting wellbeing and academic achievement. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder may be vulnerable during transition however little is known about how Autism Spectrum (AS) traits influence transition outcomes. Generalised estimating equations were used to examine how AS traits were associated with four indicators of successful transition in a school-based sample of 51 students. Higher AS traits were associated with lowe

Effects of a free school breakfast programme on school attendance, achievement, psychosocial function, and nutrition: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial.: Background: Approximately 55,000 children in New Zealand do not eat breakfast on any given day. Regular breakfast skipping has been associated with poor diets, higher body mass index, and adverse effects on children's behaviour and academic performance. Research suggests that regular breakfast consumption can improve academic performance, nutrition and behaviour. This paper describes the protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial of a free school breakfast programme. The aim of the tr

Effects of ParentCorps in Prekindergarten on Child Mental Health and Academic Performance: Follow-up of a Randomized Clinical Trial Through 8 Years of Age.: Importance: Low-income minority children living in urban neighborhoods are at high risk for mental health problems and underachievement. ParentCorps, a family-centered, school-based intervention in prekindergarten, improves parenting and school readiness (ie, self-regulation and preacademic skills) in 2 randomized clinical trials. The longer-term effect on child mental health and academic performance is not known. Objective: To examine whether ParentCorps delivered as an enhancement to prekinder

Experience Corps: a dual trial to promote the health of older adults and children's academic success.: Background: As the population ages, older adults are seeking meaningful, and impactful, post-retirement roles. As a society, improving the health of people throughout longer lives is a major public health goal. This paper presents the design and rationale for an effectiveness trial of Experience Corps™, an intervention created to address both these needs. This trial evaluates (1) whether senior volunteer roles within Experience Corps™ beneficially impact children's academic achievement and class

Cultural diversity climate in school: A meta-analytic review of its relationships with intergroup, academic, and socioemotional outcomes.: This first-of-its-kind meta-analysis (N = 79 studies; 56,552 students; k = 640 effects) provides a comprehensive assessment of five cultural diversity climate approaches that capture different ways of addressing cultural diversity in K-12 schools. We examined how intergroup contact theory's optimal contact conditions, multiculturalism climate, colorblind climate, critical consciousness climate, and polyculturalism climate were associated with children's and adolescents' intergroup outcomes (inte

Teacher-student relationships and student outcomes: A systematic second-order meta-analytic review.: Teacher-student relationships (TSRs) play a vital role in establishing a positive classroom climate and promoting positive student outcomes. Several meta-analyses have suggested significant correlations between positive TSRs and, for example, academic achievement, motivation, executive functions, and well-being, as well as between negative TSRs that result in behavior problems or bullying. These meta-analyses have differed substantially in TSR-outcome relationships, moderators, and methodologica

A meta-systems approach to evidence-based practice for children and adolescents.

Improving outcomes for children and adolescents with mental health needs demands a broad meta-systemic orientation to overcome persistent problems in current service systems. Improving outcomes necessitates inclusion of current and emerging evidence about effective practices for the diverse population of youth and their families. Key components of the meta-system for children with emotional or behavioral needs include families, cultural norms and values, and service sectors such as schools, pediatric health centers, specialty mental health systems, juvenile justice systems, child protection services, and substance use treatment systems. We describe each component of the meta-system, noting challenges to the provision of evidence-based practice (EBP) and highlighting ways to optimize outcomes. Our focus is on the inclusion of evidence-based assessment and interventions, including preventi…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Effect of visual media use on school performance: a prospective study.

Purpose: To identify mechanisms for the impact of visual media use on adolescents' school performance. Methods: We conducted a 24-month, four-wave longitudinal telephone study of a national sample of 6,486 youth aged 10 to 14 years. Exposure measures: latent construct for screen exposure time (weekday time spent viewing television/playing videogames, presence of television in bedroom) and variables for movie content (proportion of PG-13 and R movies viewed). Outcome measure: self- and parent reports of grades in school. Effects of media exposures on change in school performance between baseline and 24 months were assessed using structural equation modeling. Information about hypothesized mediators (substance use, sensation seeking, and school problem behavior) was obtained at baseline and at the 16-month follow-up. Results: Adjusted for baseline school performance, baseline levels of med…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Being treated differently: stigma experiences with family, peers, and school staff among adolescents with mental health disorders.

Stigma directed at adolescents diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders by individuals in their interpersonal network likely undermines their wellbeing, yet little is known about their subjective stigma experiences. In particular, the prospect of diagnosed youth experiencing prejudice and discrimination by family members has not previously been examined. This study examines adolescents' perceptions of being treated 'differently' because of mental health problems by family members, peers, and school staff. Qualitative analysis of narratives from mixed method interviews with 56 adolescents in a mid-western US city demonstrated variation in the perceived extent and nature of stigma and in contextual factors perceived as promoting or protecting from stigmatization, depending on the interpersonal domain. The greatest number of participants experienced stigmatization in relationships …

matched on Schools (mesh)

Effects of classroom education on knowledge and attitudes regarding organ donation in ethnically diverse urban high schools.

School-based health education is a promising approach for improving organ donation rates, but little is known about its efficacy among ethnically diverse youth. The impact of a classroom intervention was examined in a multicultural high school population where students' ethnicities were 45% African American, 30% Asian American, and 33% Caucasian (allowing for multiracial choices). A baseline survey was administered to all health classes within two wk prior to intervention. On the intervention day, classes randomly assigned to the intervention group received an educational session, followed by a second survey; in control classes, the second survey was taken before the educational session. At baseline, non-Caucasian ethnicity and male gender were each associated with lower levels of willingness to donate. Following the intervention, students in the intervention group demonstrated a signifi…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Increasing school playground physical activity: a mixed methods study combining environmental measures and children's perspectives.

Schools are integral settings in which children can participate in moderate and vigorous physical activity. This study reports on the relationship between playground characteristics and child activity levels using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The aim of the study is to increase understanding of how children respond to their school playground environments. Twenty-three primary schools located in a predominantly low socio-economic area of Melbourne, Australia were involved. SOPLAY (System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth) was administered in all 23 schools to measure the levels of student physical activity and playground environmental factors such as equipment provision. In 12 of the 23 schools, a sample of 9-11-year-old students participated in focus group discussions exploring perceptions of their school playgrounds using a photo ordering techniq…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Combining education and video-based contact to reduce stigma of mental illness: "The Same or Not the Same" anti-stigma program for secondary schools in Hong Kong.

This study examined the effects of three versions of school-based stigma reduction programs against mental illness - education, education followed by video-based contact (education-video), and video-based contact followed by education (video-education). The participants, 255 students from three secondary schools in Hong Kong, completed measures of stigmatizing attitudes (Public Stigma Scale), social distance (Social Distance Scale), and knowledge about schizophrenia (Knowledge Test) at pre-test, post-test, and 1-month follow-up. Results suggested that adding video-based contact to education could significantly improve program effectiveness only when video-based contact was presented after but not prior to education. In comparison with the education condition, the education-video condition showed larger improvements in stigmatizing attitudes at post-test, in social distance at both post-t…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Time trends, trajectories, and demographic predictors of bullying: a prospective study in Korean adolescents.

Purpose: To illustrate time trends and trajectories of bullying and identify demographic predictors of bullying. Methods: A prospective study of 1666 seventh- and eighth-grade students from two Korean middle schools was conducted between 2000 and 2001. Using the Korean-Peer Nomination Inventory, bullying was categorized into four groups: victim, perpetrator, victim-perpetrator, and neither. Results: Only the prevalence of male victims significantly decreased over the course of the study. Most students uninvolved in bullying at baseline remained so over the study period. In all, 52-58% of baseline victims and perpetrators and 74% of victim-perpetrators continued to be involved in bullying. Significantly more boys were involved with bullying than girls; individual stability of bullying behavior did not differ by gender. Shorter, heavier boys and those from lower SES, whose fathers had lowe…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Birds of a feather, or friend of a friend? Using exponential random graph models to investigate adolescent social networks.

In this article, we use newly developed statistical methods to examine the generative processes that give rise to widespread patterns in friendship networks. The methods incorporate both traditional demographic measures on individuals (age, sex, and race) and network measures for structural processes operating on individual, dyadic, and triadic levels. We apply the methods to adolescent friendship networks in 59 U.S. schools from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health). We model friendship formation as a selection process constrained by individuals' sociality (propensity to make friends), selective mixing in dyads (friendships within race, grade, or sex categories are differentially likely relative to cross-category friendships), and closure in triads (a friend's friends are more likely to become friends), given local population composition. Blacks are generall…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Student-teacher relationship stability across early school years for children with intellectual disability or typical development.

Student-teacher relationships of 37 children with moderate to borderline intellectual disability and 61 with typical cognitive development were assessed from child ages 6-8 years. Student-teacher relationship quality was moderately stable for the typical development group, but less so for the intellectual disability group. At each assessment these relationships were poorer for children with intellectual disability. Child behavior problems consistently predicted more conflict, whereas social skills predicted more closeness. Accounting for these child characteristics reduced the status group difference to nonsignificance. Earlier student-teacher relationships predicted subsequent changes in child behavior problems and social skills. Student-teacher relationships in the intellectual disability group were significantly lower for children in regular than special classes by age 8.

matched on Schools (mesh)

The experiences of young people with obesity in secondary school: some implications for the healthy school agenda.

In 1995, the World Health Organisation launched a Global School Health Initiative to reduce health risks among young people. In the UK, the National Healthy School Programme (HSP) developed as part of a wider government commitment to promoting social inclusion. One of the key issues to be tackled by the programme is childhood obesity, for obesity is widely argued to be a public health problem for which a solution needs to be found. However, the assumption that obesity is necessarily problematic and that a higher body weight leads to health problems and social exclusion, is not without challenge. Critics of anti-obesity campaigns question the significance of weight per se and highlight the potential implications of discrediting not only fatness, but also the people who are seen as fat. This paper therefore explores the experiences of young people with obesity within the secondary school e…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Culture and the socialization of child cardiovascular regulation at school entry in the US.

The measurement of cardiovascular functioning targets an important bridge between social conditions and differential well-being. Nevertheless, the biocultural, psychosocial processes that link human ecology to cardiovascular function in children remain inadequately characterized. Childrearing practices shaped by parents' cultural beliefs should moderate children's affective responses to daily experience, and hence their psychophysiology. The present study concerns interactions among family ecology, the normative social challenge of entry into kindergarten, and parasympathetic (vagal) cardiac regulation in US middle-class children (N = 30). Although parents believed children must be protected from overscheduling to reduce stress and improve socio-emotional adaptation, maternal rather than child schedules predicted parasympathetic regulation during a nonthreatening social engagement task f…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Social and emotional training in Swedish classrooms for the promotion of mental health: results from an effectiveness study in Sweden.

Mental ill-health is a major problem worldwide. It includes depression, aggressive behavior, feeling down and alcohol and drug abuse. Since all children go to school, the school is an obvious arena for health interventions. A set of educational techniques named Social and Emotional Learning, based on the use by teachers of cognitive and behavioral methods, which teaches students self-control, social competence, empathy, motivation and self-awareness, has shown promising results in the USA. This paper reports on the application of similar techniques in Sweden (the Social and Emotional Training [SET] program). The study has a quasi-experimental longitudinal design, with two intervention and two control schools. A wide range of instruments, both Swedish and international, are employed. In this paper, results from the school years 1999-2000 (baseline) through to 2001-2002 are reported. Both …

matched on Schools (mesh)

Discerning direct and mediated effects of ecological structures and processes on adolescents' educational outcomes.

This short-term longitudinal study examined the relations among family and school characteristics, family-level processes (youth perceptions of parent-adolescent interactions), school-level processes (youth perceptions of school belonging, school climate), adolescents' school engagement, and later academic performance. Participants were an ethnically diverse, urban sample of 1,120 9th-grade students (M age = 14.6 years). The structural characteristics of families and schools influenced the proximal processes that occurred therein, and these proximal processes, in turn, influenced students' proximal (i.e., engagement) and distal educational outcomes (i.e., grades in school). Moreover, the structural characteristics of families and schools influenced proximal and distal outcomes indirectly through their influence on the proximal processes. The multimediated ecological model suggested that …

matched on Schools (mesh)

Don't fret, be supportive! maternal characteristics linking child shyness to psychosocial and school adjustment in kindergarten.

The goal of this study was to explore the moderating role of maternal personality and parenting characteristics in the links between shyness and adjustment in kindergarten. Participants were 197 children enrolled in kindergarten programs (and their mothers and teachers). Multisource assessment was employed, including maternal ratings, behavioral observations, teacher ratings, and individual child interviews. Results indicated that shyness was associated with a wide range of socio-emotional and school adjustment difficulties in kindergarten. Moreover, support for the moderating role of parenting was also found. Relations between shyness and certain indices of maladjustment were stronger among children with mothers characterized by higher neuroticism, BIS sensitivity, and an overprotective parenting style, and weaker for mothers characterized by high agree-ableness and an authoritative par…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Influence of social connectedness, communication and monitoring on adolescent sexual activity in Ghana.

This paper examines connectedness to, communication with and monitoring of unmarried adolescents in Ghana by parents, other adults, friends and key social institutions and the roles these groups play with respect to adolescent sexual activity. The paper draws on 2004 nationally-representative survey data and qualitative evidence from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with adolescents in 2003. Adolescents show high levels of connectedness to family, adults, friends, school and religious groups. High levels of adult monitoring are also observed, but communication with family about sex-related matters was not as high as with non-family members. The qualitative data highlight gender differences in communication. Multivariate analysis of survey data shows a strong negative relationship between parental monitoring and recent sexual activity for males and females, and limited effe…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Examining the overlap in internet harassment and school bullying: implications for school intervention.

Purpose: As more and more youth utilize the Internet, concern about Internet harassment and its consequences for adolescents is growing. This paper examines the potential overlap in online and school harassment, as well as the concurrence of Internet harassment and school behavior problems. Methods: The Growing Up with Media survey is a national cross-sectional online survey of 1588 youth between the ages of 10 and 15 years old. Our main measures were Internet harassment (i.e., rude or nasty comments, spreading of rumors, threatening or aggressive comments) and school functioning (i.e., academic performance; skipping school; detentions and suspensions; and carrying a weapon to school in the last 30 days). Results: Although some overlap existed, 64% of youth who were harassed online did not report also being bullied at school. Nonetheless, youth harassed online were significantly more lik…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Involvement or isolation? The social networks of children with autism in regular classrooms.

Including children with autism in regular classrooms has become prevalent; yet some evidence suggests such placements could increase the risk of isolation and rejection. In this study, we used social network methods to explore the involvement of children with autism in typical classrooms. Participants were 398 children (196 boys) in regular 2nd through 5th grade classes, including 17 children (14 boys) with high functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome. Children reported on friendship qualities, peer acceptance, loneliness, and classroom social networks. Despite involvement in networks, children with autism experienced lower centrality, acceptance, companionship, and reciprocity; yet they did not report greater loneliness. Future research is needed to help children with autism move from the periphery to more effective engagement with peers.

matched on Schools (mesh)

The role of family and maternal factors in childhood obesity.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between a child's weight and a broad range of family and maternal factors. Design, setting and participants: Cross-sectional data from a population-based prospective study, collected between January 2004 and December 2005, for 329 children aged 6-13 years (192 healthy weight, 97 overweight and 40 obese) and their mothers (n=265) recruited from a paediatric hospital endocrinology department and eight randomly selected primary schools in Perth, Western Australia. Main outcome measures: Height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of children and mothers; demographic information; maternal depression, anxiety, stress and self-esteem; general family functioning; parenting style; and negative life events. Results: In a multilevel model, maternal BMI and family structure (single-parent v two-parent families) were the only significant predictors of child BM…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Parental attachment, parental control, and early development of alcohol use: a longitudinal study.

The authors explored the predictive influence of both parental attachment and parental control on early onset of alcohol consumption in adolescence by use of a longitudinal sample of 1,012 young adolescents. Whether the relationship between parental control and adolescents' drinking is moderated by parental attachment was also examined. Consistent with other studies, attachment and strict control were cross-sectionally related to adolescents' alcohol use at all 3 measurements. However, the longitudinal results of structural equation modeling analyses suggest that a good attachment relationship between parent and child does not prevent adolescents from drinking. In addition, strict control was related to lower engagement in alcohol use. Furthermore, with regard to the moderating effect, parental attachment did not moderate longitudinally the association between parental control and an ear…

matched on Schools (mesh)

Prosocial involvement as a positive youth development construct: conceptual bases and implications for curriculum development.

Pro-social involvement programmes are significant and important for the healthy growth of adolescents as well as for the development of society. Pro-social involvement of adolescence refers to paid-job, volunteer works, sport and games. It serves the functions of making adolescents aware of and to accept the social norms and moral standard of the society, which would bring positive changes to the adolescents and consequently benefit the society as a whole. Past studies showed that adolescents who participated in pro-social involvement programmes tended to have positive self-perception, more social skills, and less anti-social behaviors. In Hong Kong, professionals in education and social services have fully recognized the benefits of pro-involvement programmes. They have organized multi-level and diverse pro-social involvement programmes and encouraged adolescents to participate. Through…

matched on Schools (mesh)