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Role Parents Played: H made his debut in May 1922 in New York wit Margaret Wycherly in Taboo, later playing th same role in England with Mrs. Patrick Camp bell. He next played in Eugene O'Neill's A: God's Chillun Got Wings and The Emperor Jone. Himself a Negro he played the title role of Blac Boy (1926), was Crown in Porgy (1928), Robei Smith in The Hairy Ape (1931), Joe in Shot Boat (1928, 1932). He played the title role c Othello in America and England. His screen sue cesses starting in 1933 include Sanders of th Rirer, Jericho, and King Solomon's Mines.
For me, to spend a day going through each class's cards was an occasion to discover more about the children's lives, the teachers' work, the parents' care and concerns than I might otherwise leam in a whole term.
Did we achieve any particular goals? Oh yes. We grew in knowledge and awareness of parents, and gained a much higher regard for them both as parents and as effective teachers. There was the mutual satisfaction of a job done well in which everyone played a continuing and vital role. We learned more about children's books in two or three terms than we might have done in our whole teaching career so far. And, of course, there was the sheer gratification of improved literacy levels in the school, enhancing everyone's ability to work well.
We had, of course, been aware of the importance of the role parents played in shaping the attitudes towards learning held by the children we were trying to help. When we heard diat the Centre for Urban Educational Studies (CUES)1 was conducting a research project into Family Co-operation in the Development of Literacy, we went at once to meet die researchers. Valerie Elder, the leader of the project, and her team made a strong impression on us. They spoke widi conviction and excitement of their findings in two inner-city boroughs about parents' attitudes toward their children's education.
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