ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the general framework within which the study has been conducted, along with a discussion of the major findings. It presents detailed descriptions and analyses of the community, and interactions between the growth and development of its children and the push and pull of the environment. The chapter presents the results of a long term, comprehensive study of the physical growth, mental development, and academic achievement of the children of El Progreso. It attempts to disentangle the web of environmental factors within which the children of El Progreso live their lives, and to understand the ways in which those factors act to channel their growth, development, and achievement. The importance of academic achievement in societies undergoing modernization cannot be overemphasized. The level of economic development of a particular country will dictate the amount of schooling and academically-related skills necessary for its members.
