Final answer:
The claim that half of U.S. children live with only one parent before turning eighteen is false; instead, around 32 percent of children lived with a single parent in 2017.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Before they reach the age of eighteen, half of U.S. children live with only one parent for some period of time' can be determined as false. Current research shows that while single-parent households are on the rise, they do not yet represent half of the family structures for children under eighteen. According to Livingston (2018), in 2017, 32 percent of children lived with a single parent. This is an increase from 27 percent in 2010, and significantly higher than in 2008 when the percentage was 25. These percentages include both children who live exclusively with one parent and those who live with a single parent and that parent's cohabitating partner.
The majority of U.S. children, or 69 percent, live in two-parent households, which is a decrease from 88 percent in 1960 but still represents the norm. These numbers illustrate that although there is a significant portion of children living in single-parent households, it is not the majority.
Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question would be B. False.