Contradicting advocates' testimonials, the Alliance for Children wants a moratorium on adding more computers in elementary schools until research discovers how computer use affects young children. The alliance claims that computers and their entertaining software stifle creativity and distract children from each other, from adults, and from play.…

Parents of 180 Swedish children (ages 3-19) with different types of disabilities attending Computer Play Centers evaluated the importance of computers for their children within ten different areas of development. Parents had high expectations of the computer and believed computers helped develop their child's self-confidence, coordination,…

Explores the argument introduced by the "Mozart Effect" research: that music's positive influence on spatial-temporal reasoning should be the purpose for music education. Considers the implications by reshaping the National Standards for Music Education to fulfill the spatial-temporal rationale. Suggests how to reconcile musical and…

Reviews educational trends in the United Kingdom concerning parents' involvement in their children's education, and examines families as a context for development. Lists functions parents perform for their children and explains several parenting styles. Discusses parents as educators in three particular areas: (1) numeracy and mathematics; (2)…

Explains that this special issue profiles the characteristics of children in kindergarten through grade six. The research on which the profiles were developed was comprised of questionnaires sent to 75 teachers and follow-up interviews with 10 teachers in each of the 7 grades. Reviews the four stages delineated in Piaget's theory of child…

This article presents key ideas from Lev S. Vygotsky's social-interactionist zones of proximal development theory and applications of this theory to assessment and intervention with children having language impairments. A case study illustrates the steps in coordinating assessment and intervention. (Author/DB)

The purpose of elementary physical education is poorly defined, and the public has low expectations and support for the field. The Developmentally Appropriate Physical Education Practices for Children rating scale emphasizes teaching practices that are appropriate to each student's age and ability. The paper describes use of the scale. (SM)

Much study remains to be done to make cooperative learning achieve its potential as a primary format for teacher achievement of traditional and innovative goals. Commentary by Philip C. Abrami and Bette Chambers criticizes Slavin's position on the underlying mechanisms of cooperative learning. (SLD)

Offers a list of more than 50 books, in picture book and board book format, that are best suited to the developmental needs and interests of infants and preschool children. Books are listed under the following headings: identification of objects, rhythm and rhyme, pattern and repetition, and contrast and opposition. (AEF)

This study investigated potential effects of auditory and other communicative experience on development of visual attention in 80 infants (tested at 9, 12, and 18 months), half deaf and half with deaf mothers. Results indicate that early visual attention is associated with and potentially influenced by a complex interaction of maturation,…

Addresses "the retardation problem," over-aged students retained in a grade because of failure to make "normal" annual progress. Concentrates on how influences in the 1940s in South Australia refocused attentions on over-aged students changing the substance of educational debate regarding their classroom presence and the…

Examines the relations among reciprocal nominations, reciprocal rejections, and loneliness among children with learning disorders (LD). Reveals that sense of coherence, peer reciprocal rejection, and conception of friendship qualities predicted loneliness. Discusses the examination of intra- and interpersonal variables in understanding loneliness…

Four articles address music and movement in early childhood education: (1) "For the Love of Music--and Children"(Cindy Smith); (2) "Music: The Great Connector" (Thomas Moore); (3) "Learning through Music: The Support of Brain Research" (Elizabeth B. Carlton); and (4) "Music and Movement Bring Together Children of…

Differentiates traditional education, progressive education, constructivism, and the Montessori approach. Examines the role of motivation in constructivism and in Montessori's planes of development. Concludes that Montessorians and constructivists are allies in the struggle to liberate children from conventional educational methods, which blunt…

This article uses a developmental model of language (Situational- Discourse-Semantics or SDS), along with a constellation or neuro-network model, to describe the developmental emergence of phonemic awareness. Ten sources of phonemic awareness are profiled along with developmental continuum, providing an integrated view of this complex development.…