This paper presents an overview of a 3-year longitudinal study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The purpose of the study is to examine the concurrent, long-term, and cumulative influences of variations in early child care experiences on the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical…

An interview on peace education with Petra Hesse, of the Center for Psychological Studies in the Nuclear Age (Cambridge, Massachusetts), is presented. The Center for Psychological Studies in the Nuclear Age was founded out of a concern about children's fears of the future and the risks of nuclear war. Petra Hesse coordinates a research project on…

A study guide for the Child Development Associate (CDA) Professional Preparation Program, this book contains essential information on the basics of good professional practice for early childhood educators. It includes self-study activities, checklists, and resources for additional information. Unit 1 provides an overview of the early childhood…

The University of Oregon developed a rural personnel preparation training program for early intervention personnel. The program was centered in a targeted rural area in Oregon for each of 3 years and graduated 8 students per year for a total of 24 trainees. The content of the program was designed to develop competencies in infant and child…

This paper describes the characteristics of toddlers aged 12 to 30 months in relation to the qualities necessary for an effective early childhood program for such children. The first half of the paper discusses these qualities, which include: (1) respect for toddlers' budding autonomy; (2) attention to language development; (3) social interaction…

After noting the near-universal presence of rhythmic response in play in all cultures, this paper looks first at the historical development of theories of play, and then examines current theories of play and their implications in the teaching of music to young children. The first section reviews 19th and early 20th century theories of play,…

A study guide for the Child Development Associate (CDA) Professional Preparation Program, this Spanish-language guidebook contains essential information on the basics of good professional practice for early childhood educators. It includes self-study activities, checklists, and resources for additional information. Unit 1 provides an overview of…

Part of a series for 4-H members between 9 and 19 years of age, this age-graded guide is designed to help children and adolescents: (1) understand the toddler's physical, mental, social, and emotional growth; (2) learn to care for a toddler; and (3) choose types of play that toddlers enjoy. Contents include suggestions on projects that 4-H members…

This booklet for 4-H members who elect to undertake projects in child caregiving provides guidelines and information that help children and adolescents between 9 and 19 years of age: (1) understand infants' physical, mental, social, and emotional growth; (2) learn to care for a baby and promote feelings of security and safety; and (3) choose types…

A fundamental problem in language acquisition is determining how children learn the formal vocabulary of the adult grammar. A proposed solution is the Semantic Bootstrapping Hypothesis (SBH), which states that children infer the identity of syntactic entities such as "subject" in input based on the presence of semantic entities such as…

Ways to promote healthy child development are addressed in this essay. The following conditions conducive to identified: (1) an intact, cohesive, nuclear family; (2) a relationship with at least one parent or surrogate who is consistently loving and nurturing; (3) easy access to supportive family members; (4) a supportive community (neighborhood,…

This monograph describes and illustrates the characteristics of middle grades students in terms of intellectual, physical, emotional, and social growth; discusses the characteristics of effective middle grades teachers; and explores the implications of teacher/learner research data for curriculum and instruction related to early adolescents (ages…

A nationwide program to provide teenagers with opportunities to develop more positive attitudes about children and parenting, to improve self-awareness and self-understanding, and to increase knowledge and skills related to child care and development formed the basis for a survey compiled by voluntary organizations serving teenagers. Nonrandomized…

The effect of maternal personality characteristics and interaction behavior on interventions with children was investigated among 210 Puerto Rican mother/child dyads of low socioeconomic status. Mothers' and children's personality characteristics were assessed according to numerous and varied paper-and-pencil tests. Measures of children's…

This monograph, the third in a series of four volumes, descibes a study designed to discover and interpret the home conditions under which young children in the English-speaking Caribbean islands, especially the underprivileged, are nurtured. The main purpose of this volume is to document the process by which data have been collected in order to…