Examined developmental changes and within-family consistency in parent-child interactions for mothers and fathers of 98 school-age children (ages 6-18) with mental retardation. Both positive and negative exchanges decreased longitudinally with age. Results showed fewer parent commands, less child noncompliance, fewer child negatives, and less…

Discusses the effects technology may have on human intelligence. Topics include the use of computational devices, including calculators, in schools; the changes word processing has brought about in writing; the use of television; and the effects of weapons on children. (LRW)

Presents suggestions for organizing the early childhood classroom, focusing on play unit assessment and creating accessible areas that hold children's interest. Discusses how classroom design influences teacher behavior, children's independence, and social interaction. Examines the connection between classroom design and developmental and program…

This case study shows that young children in a multilingual Indian preschool are functioning in an environment constructed out of their community's needs and values. The school did not focus on child development but stressed memorization and free expression and functioned consistently within the Indian historical, societal, and value context. No…

Asserts that the same positive outcomes associated with reading aloud to children also apply to oral storytelling, and encourages parents to share their culture, values, and beliefs through storytelling to their children. Presents specific ideas for storytelling, including "me" stories, story starters, nursery rhymes, books, cooking,…

A multi-site, randomized evaluation of the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program with 665 families found the effects of the program on parenting and child development outcomes were generally small. More consistent positive effects were noted for very low-income parents and their children relative to more moderate-income parents. (Contains references.)…

Discusses how orienting a student to a Primary Montessori program is influenced by the child's experience in an Assistants to Infancy program. Maintains that introducing the zero-to-three sub plane changes the overall character of a school, requiring a new theory-practice framework for parent education, the role of the school in all-day programs,…

Examines the ways in which anxiety appears in children's narratives about their transitions to secondary school. Features a pilot study that focused on Year 5 and 6 children (n=90) in two London, England primary schools. Explores the positive functions of anxiety as part of a development process. Includes references. (CMK)

Examines the pedagogical discourse on the child's happiness, the structure of happiness, empirical findings on a child's happiness. Addresses the problems of research on children's needs. Concludes that happiness also includes feelings of joy or sorrow and that pedagogical judgments should take into account these feelings. (CAJ)

Explores the use of research in early childhood education and the relationship between quality early childhood education and school success, providing a historical perspective on young children's care and education, describing factors that have changed thinking about the needs of young children and their families, and suggesting steps for…

Presents a pilot study that investigates cross-cultural preferences of visual information in primary school children for whom English is a second language. Discusses results in terms of developmental considerations, background of participants, origin of publication, and graphic qualities of representations. (Author/LRW)

Asserts that although there are distinct characteristics to each of Montessori's planes of development, there is no separation, especially between early childhood and childhood. Suggests that these first two planes of education could fall under one "Children's House," and points to the path of responsibility and the steps toward living in society…

Summarizes three studies that have revolutionized child psychology by teaching us that children are biologically programmed to learn language; children's language development is orderly and pragmatic, but grammatically mysterious; and children's linguistic self-expression reveals some disturbing ways in which they have been socialized. Presents…

Knowledge about Down syndrome and attitudes toward the inclusion of children with Down syndrome were examined in 2,053 community members and 538 experienced teachers. Both groups displayed reasonably accurate knowledge. However, they significantly underestimated life expectancy. Around 20% of each group believed the regular classroom was the best…

A study investigated the degree of association between parent-reported language scores at ages 1,2, and 3 years, and the cumulative duration of middle-ear effusion (MEE) during the first 3 years in 621 children. At age 3, the cumulative duration of MEE significantly contributed to the variance in parent-reported scores. (Contains references.) (CR)