Findings of current research on children in day care and theory-based early intervention programs are summarized in the two sections of this report. Section 1 provides findings on children's development, different kinds of day care, and children's socialization. Findings related to Piagetian, Montessori, and other intervention program models, as…

The authors report the first year's evaluation findings on the Family Consultation Project, a transdisciplinary, noncategorical early intervention program serving infants at known or high risk for developmental disability due to genetic disorders or severe perinatal medical complications. The intervention program encouraged mutual pleasure in the…

This paper describes an evaluation of the Child Development Fellowship Program at Boston Children's Hospital which was instituted to provide training to pediatricians (Fellows) in the developmental psychology of normal children. The training objectives for the program are listed briefly and the program evaluation techniques are described and…

This study investigates characteristics of experienced teachers of infants in terms of the kinds of adult-child interactions that occur. Two measurement instruments were developed so that teacher-infant relationships could be studied objectively. Assessing the Behavior of Caregivers (ABC) I and II are checklists for use with infants (0-18 months)…

This paper details Michael Lewis and Mark Starr's model of early child development known as the salient responses of the human organism. The model is described as a representation of the actions taken by humans in their qualitative attempts to move to more progressive states of development through interactions with the environment. The salient…

This paper reports the results of a retrospective study of the 3-year Head Start Planned Variation (HSPV) experience. The long-term residual effects of HSPV's effort to install and implement educational models in various communities are discussed with emphasis on the effects on the models and sponsors themselves. Six models were studied: Bank…

At the Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education, Pennsylvania's largest independent multidisciplinary evaluation program, approximately 300 preschool aged children are evaluated annually to determine developmental performance in the areas of cognition, speech-language, gross and fine motor skills, social-emotional…

This paper examines the problem of defining quality in early childhood centers, the nature of evaluation methods, and the contributions of research to the promotion of high quality. The concept of quality is multidimensional and dynamic, and there is no consensus about a definition of quality in the literature. Quality can be viewed from many…

The School Development Program (SDP), initiated 25 years ago by Dr. James Comer, is described, with focus on the need for knowledge about its child development component and the implications of this lack for program implementation and impact. The SDP program is recognized for its primary focus on child development and human relationships as its…

Children are dependent on professionals to find the ways in which the mysteries of interacting and conceptualizing in a new language can be unlocked. Child second language data and evidence concerning children's development suggest ways in which to accomplish that process. An elementary program in English as a second language (ESL) will be…

This paper describes an ongoing project on the nature and effects of family structure and family interaction. The research presented involves the study of normal families, emphasizing the effects of system-level variables on the development of children within the family. A theoretical model is provided which focuses on the individuation process,…

This report of the National Conference on Home-Based Child Development Programs is intended to serve as a resource document to people interested in developmental programs for parents and children. The report includes (1) a summary of Home Start evaluation findings; (2) brief descriptions of programs such as Dr. Ira Gordon's Florida Parent…

The Healthy Steps for Young Children program is a national initiative developed by pediatricians from Boston University in collaboration with professionals from the Commonwealth Fund. This program for families with young children (birth to 3 years of age) provides developmentally--oriented services within pediatric primary care through addition of…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of a parent education program in increasing school readiness in poor and high-needs children. Participants in the Parents and Children Together program (PACT) of Binghamton, New York, receive home visits from trained and certified parent educators, beginning when a child is born and continuing until he or she is…

Noting that the physical and mental growth of children are influenced by many environmental and familial factors, this paper explores improving the well being of children. The first part of the paper discusses child rearing, emphasizing three fundamental themes: creating an environment where children are born healthy and wanted; helping children…