Montessori communities are known for beautiful mealtimes. Even at the Infant & Toddler level, mealtime is a key moment for children to exercise independence and healthy social interactions. Meals and snacks with the youngest Montessori students are an essential component of the work cycle and daily routine. The Practical Life curriculum allows…

Life skills are personal resources that can be trained and applied in a specific situation and transferred to other contexts. The growing body of research has shown that intervention programs produce positive results in learning and transferring life skills. Nonetheless, there is a need to clarify the efficacy of life skills training, namely the…

What do cows drink? The correct answer is water, but many are tempted to say milk. The disposition to override an intuitive response (milk) with a more analytic response (water) is known as "cognitive reflection." Tests of cognitive reflection predict a wide range of skills and abilities in adults. In this article, we discuss the…

In this article, we integrate cultural evolutionary theory with empirical research from developmental psychology, cultural anthropology, and primatology to explore the role of peer learning in the development of complex instrumental skills and behavioral norms. We show that instrumental imitation, contingent teaching, generative collaboration, and…

This paper examines the genetic ("nature") and environmental ("nurture") influences on why students vary in their reading skills. We review core findings from the field of modern behavioral genetics, a discipline that studies the interplay of genetic and environmental influences, on reading science. Additionally, we provide an…

When people address early mathematics education, commonly they write or reference policies, standards, "scope and sequences" and curriculum, or documents on instructional strategies. These are important; however, we believe that the core consideration should be the nature of mathematics and the development of mathematics "in…

Competition is a ubiquitous component of American culture and in many US physical education programs. In this article, five myths associated with competition are dispelled: (1) Everyone likes competition, (2) Competition is motivational, (3) Competition is fun, (4) Competition promotes physical activity, and (5) Competition prepares children for…

Optimal talent development can only occur when high ability students are willing to take opportunities for growth in a domain and are able to persist when presented with challenges that accompany performance or production at the highest levels. This paper proposes the use of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development to provide a framework…

In kindergarten and beyond, students gradually develop their musical skills. But music aptitude develops much earlier--and teachers can begin to foster it in preschool. It's clear that, properly nurtured, preschoolers have an amazing ability to learn the fundamentals of singing on pitch and basic rhythm. It's also clear that by kindergarten that…

A growing body of national research confirms that significant levels of learning and growth occur during early childhood, and that it is important, from a public policy perspective, to increase access to quality programs and services that support the development of skills and attitudes children need to succeed. Clearly, no one-size-fits-all…

Understanding the developmental stages of children is crucial for coaches. Equally important is the way adults communicate with children. In his seminal work describing the influence of society and social interactions on the psychosocial development of children, Erikson (1950, 1963) described the developmental crises faced by children at each…

What we're thinking about behaviorally challenging students and what we're doing to them requires a fresh look. When schools believe that parental discipline explains a child's misbehavior, educators are less likely to consider different explanations for the misbehavior and the full range of interventions that could be implemented at school. And…

Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) is a rare condition characterized by distinct regression of developmental and behavioral functioning following a period of apparently normal development for at least 2 years. The purpose of this article is to present the developmental, behavioral, psychosocial, and medical histories of eight children who…

This article explores the unique and personal experience of learning within a broader framework of development called skill theory. The framework offers a perspective for recognizing within a diversity of experiences a stable order of increasing complexity in skills that individuals display as they execute or demonstrate changes in their…

This article mingles stories and concepts of young Jewish Israeli children about God, with reflections on the roles of faith, memory, imagination, and cognitive development in children's Religious Education. The stories are meant to illustrate, among other things, the purity and innocence of young children's faith, which is largely untroubled by…