Dissatisfied with the effects of schooling on children from low-income families, Doreen Grant left her post as head of a secondary school in Liverpool and turned to research for solutions to this perennial social problem. This is a popular account of her involvement with under-privileged Glaswegian parents and children, and her attempt to address the problem of underachievement from the perspective of the home rather than the educational establishment.

Combining the theory of international scholars such as Brofenbrenner, Bruner, Donaldson and Freire with practical experience, Doreen Grant indicates the improvements in children's active learning when parents participate fully in the process of education.

Learning Relations, first published in 1989, describes the creation of a coherent learning environment in the inner city: as parents gain confidence in their personal vocation as natural educators, it becomes clear that they are not only willing but fully capable of improving their children's chances of success.