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Project Description

N/A

Project duration: Mar 2000 - Mar 2003

Sites studied include 65 neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, California

Sample Characteristics and Sites Studied

Random stratified sample of 65 neighborhoods in Los Angeles county.
3250 households (50 households per neighborhood) in wave 1 (approximately 6,000 children and teens ages 0 to 18). One adult, 1 child under 18, and child’s mother (if different from adult) randomly selected from each household. Households with children under 18 and poorer households are oversampled. Waves 2 and 3 include total sample in wave 1 plus new entrants into neighborhood.

Recent Findings in Brief

09/01/03: Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study (LAFANS): Los Angeles County Young Children's Literacy Experiences, Emotional Well-Being and Skills Acquisition: Results from the Los Angeles Family and Nei

• Children living in the poorest neighborhoods have the lowest levels of school readiness on multiple dimensions. Despite efforts of their parents, many of these children have more limited access to books and adults who read to them, are more likely to have mothers with lower literacy levels, have somewhat more behavior problems, and lower language and math scores than other children.
• Within poorer neighborhoods, the most disadvantaged children are likely to be those whose mothers did not go beyond high school and have poorer reading skills themselves.
• On some measures, girls and immigrant children, and Latino children are also less ready for school.

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