While nature contact is increasingly recognized for its health benefits, its role in human development and learning remains insufficiently examined. The present meta-analysis aimed to investigate (a) the extent to which nature contact predicts social functioning, cognitive functioning, and academic performance, (b) whether these associations vary…

In this second-order scoping review--that is, a broad overview of research on a particular topic, identifying key concepts and evidence gaps--we (a) provide an overview of robust (and semi-robust) findings in giftedness and talent research and (b) identify areas where giftedness and talent research has not yet produced robust (and semi-robust)…

Adolescence is a period of growing focus on social interactions and relationships. The peer context is one of the most significant developmental contexts in this transitional period and positive peer experiences contribute positively to adolescent well-being. Although negative peer influence on antisocial behaviour has received much attention, we…

The present article focuses on teacher competencies as a major factor that impacts student learning. Ultimately, all attempts to improve education converge in the teacher and the quality of his/her work with students. With their teaching methods, their communication and their classroom management, teachers can structure the kind of learning…

This article presents a review of the literature on orofacial clefting in children. The authors review the etiology, prevalence, and variations of clefting as well as issues related to neuropsychological, social, academic, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children with clefts. Finally, the authors discuss the implications for school…

From the 1990s until 2017 the High Ability and Inquiry Research Group (HAIR) at McGill University in Montreal, received C$1.3M in research funds from Canadian, Quebec, and US agencies to support its research and graduate training in education and educational psychology. Their research encompassed two principal areas, Inquiry in Education and…

It has long been thought that the prefrontal cortex, as the seat of most higher brain functions, is functionally silent during most of infancy. This review highlights recent work concerned with the precise mapping (localization) of brain activation in human infants, providing evidence that prefrontal cortex exhibits functional activation much…

In this "FastFacts," a state's Department of Education requests information from the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) on how the research defines skills in social-emotional development, approaches to learning, and executive function, to inform planned revisions to the early childhood indicators of progress for children…

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a lifelong condition that significantly affects the individual's learning, development, behavior, family, and quality of life. Diagnosing children with this condition and providing effective supports is challenging for professionals because little intervention research has been performed with the…

Executive function is understood as an umbrella term encompassing a number of interrelated sub-skills necessary for purposeful, goal-directed activity. Research suggests a vital role for executive function in children's social-emotional development. However, executive function is rarely considered in models of intervention programs that attempt to…

The article surveys computer usage with young handicapped children by developing three instructional scenarios (present actual, present possible, and future). Research is reviewed on computer use with very young children, cognitive theory and microcomputer learning, and social aspects of the microcomputer experience. Trends in microcomputer,…

Current hypotheses explaining the link between learning disability and delinquency are evaluated. An alternative hypothesis is proposed which postulates that ineffective social cognitive problem-solving skills increase risk for delinquency in learning-disabled youth. (Author/DB)

This article examines learning processes of the infant and the caregiver role in the development of social-emotional skills. The "lived experience" model is discussed that takes into account the dual coding of affect and behavior as the architecture of social and emotional development, along with the caregiver role in this process. (Contains…

Presents various concepts and principles presently being used to develop social skills training methods for children from a cognitive-social learning perspective. Identifies skill deficits that may lead to later social difficulties and suggests methods to remediate each type of deficit. (AOS)

This article compares research findings on heightened cognitive flexibility in academically gifted children and similar flexibility in social intelligence. It proposes that social-cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt prior social knowledge to formulate solutions to new interpersonal situations) is an important component of social…