Addresses the issue of alcoholism in the family, looking at the child in the alcoholic family, the influence of the alcoholic parent, and the effects of chemical dependency on the family. Provides strategies for interventions with children of alcoholics that elementary school counselors can use to help the children adjust in the school…

Briefly describes types of studies included in this special issue on minority children. Discusses issues in research on minority children and ways in which this research can be encouraged. (PCB)

Results from this study on mothers' conceptions of child development suggest a complex picture of diversity in Mexican-American mothers who retain values and beliefs from their own culture and take on values and beliefs of the American culture. (PCB)

A sample of 2,232 children, aged three-five years, was administered the Preschool Reading Attitudes Scale to assess the developmental aspects of reading attitudes. Factor analysis on test-retest results for 360 subjects indicated stable and interpretable factors distinguishing three-, four-, and five-year-old students. (TJH)

Children with cerebral palsy sometimes display nutritional inadequacy, as evaluated through anthropometric measurements and laboratory values. Causes of poor nutritional status include inadequate calories offered or adequate calories offered but not consumed. Inadequate caloric retention may be due to vomiting, rumination, or gastroesophageal…

Bladder and bowel dysfunction is a common problem for children with myelomeningocele and related spinal-cord defects. The chronic medical and social effects of this problem necessitate a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. Reviewed are bladder and bowel anatomy and physiology, developmental concerns, treatment techniques, and psychosocial…

A parallel distributed processing model of visual word recognition and pronunciation is described. A key feature is the assumption that there is a simple, uniform procedure for computing a phonological representation from an orthographic representation for irregular words as well as regular words. (SLD)

Discusses the importance of the outdoor play area for infant and toddler cognitive, physical and social development. Also discusses design, landscape and arrangement considerations for the play area. (RJC)

Tested the hypothesis that focusing attention on relative performance will promote ego involvement and undermine intrinsic motivation in school-age children but not in preschoolers who do not have a normative conception of ability. (PCB)

Discusses theoretical and clinical issues that surround the psychotherapeutic treatment of biracial children. Summarizes Heinz Kohut's theory on the development of the self in the biracial child. A case study is included. (BH)

Suggests that recent social changes and trends make it imperative to include demographics of all kinds in research on child development. Proposes guidelines to help child development researchers procure demographic information from their study population. Provides specific questions that may help researchers devise demographic indicators, and…

The outdoor environment is a significant and essential component of curriculum for young children, having the potential to foster and extend all aspects of development. Children can experience a greater sense of freedom and nature than is generally possible indoors. Evidence suggests that early childhood teachers underestimate the importance of…

Discusses the theme of morning from the perspective of children. Provides several passages and describes stories from children's books that deal with the subject. Discusses the benefits of morning activities and routines, as well as morning journeys and exploration. Presents a creative activities sampler and print and film resources. (AEF)

Examines how and why the American academy has employed the social construct of gender in defining the writing center as a site where caring education is promoted according to a cultural ideal of "women's work." Draws on the author's encounters with feminist philosophy, academic professionalism, psycho-sociolinguistics, and child development…

Examines the conflicting views in the literature on the effects of prenatal exposure to drugs and reports on an early intervention project in a New York City agency. The rate of developmental delay was found to be virtually the same for children with and without prenatal exposure to drugs. (TJQ)