One of the major purposes of this book is to examine some of the real-life conditions under which children actually learn their language, how families instill values about the use or nonuse of language, and how they use it in an everyday context. Although some related theoretical issues are included, the author"s goal is to describe communication habits and family interaction in the home environment of one community called Rosepoint. Rosepoint could be any small community in America. It stands for the common situation in America in which the educational system and the child"s background and experience are not congruent. The variety of cultures that make up American society puts an extraordinary burden of understanding on every level of the education system. This book makes an important contribution to a better understanding of the processes of socialization in a multicultural world.