First Steps is a program instituted by the Western Australia Ministry of Education to improve the literacy and numeracy of primary school students, particularly those at risk of academic failure. First Steps is organized around reading, writing, spelling, and oral language; children's skills are organized along developmental continua. These…

The Project on State-Level Child Outcomes was initiated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to examine the effects on children of waiver policies related to state welfare reform efforts prior to the passage of federal welfare reform legislation. This report details the project's examination of child well-being in the context of…

This paper highlights issues in the identification of appropriate metacognitive learning strategies when working with students at-risk for school failure. These students typically require explicit instruction to learn skills. The acquisition and efficacy of metacognitive learning strategies is explored across the lifespan. An outline is provided…

Presents a variety of theoretical articles and research about television and the family. The nine articles of this special issue deal with family interaction and conversations about television, children's fright reactions, and television characters as significant others. Theoretical approaches include systems theory, frame analysis theory, and…

Presents PEERS, a broad based intervention program designed for remediating social withdrawal among isolate children and promoting increased peer interactions. PEERS examines deficits in four skill areas: the child's social, language, and motoric competencies, and the parents' child-rearing ability. (MJL)

The history of New York City's Bank Street College (established in 1916 as the Bureau of Educational Experiments) is traced. The school was a laboratory for innovative teaching and fostered progressive educational practices and psychological child development research. (FG)

Demonstrates the use of cluster analysis to uncover classification structure in children referred for psychological evaluations. Data were acquired on intellectual development, academic achievement, and social adjustment. The cluster solution identifies six groups which are statistically distinct. All three measurement areas are important in…

Examines predictors of accent transfer from L1 to L2 in a group whose acquisition of English as a second language had begun at ages ranging from 6 to 15 plus. Discusses effects of age on L2 acquisition, adding that the only other strong factor was whether L2 was used in the home. (Author/MES)

Describes a seminar in which undergraduate students in home economics were provided with research training and the opportunity to work together on a research project which included housing, clothing, nutrition, consumer services, child development, and family relations. Students also explored difficulties international students encounter in…

Argues that Norwegian day-care centers can represent a genuine welfare factor for parents and children only if center planning and development are founded on systematic analyses of the children's developmental environment and the day-care center's function as one of several measures designed to meet child needs and interests. (Author/DB)

Reviews studies of infant behavior and development. Delineates a behavioral hypothesis relating prenatal and neonatal risk factors in infancy to crib death. The mutual dependence of experience and neurostructural development suggests that infancy is a period of critical learning experiences. (Author/RH)

Suggests and lists sources of information on reading instruction that discuss the promotion and enrichment of the interactive learning process between children and their environment based on principles underlying the cognitive-field theory of learning. (MKM)

Notes the existence of gender bias in early childhood education. Provides a list of "Do's" and "Don'ts" for teachers and administrators to eliminate bias. Claims that by reviewing this list and supporting information, teachers can become more knowledgeable about hidden bias and learn how to change their behavior to provide the…

This article describes an application of a general outcome measurement system, Individual Growth and Development Indicators, with 68 preschoolers (ages 3-6). Results indicate the measures were easy to use; efficient in administration, scoring, and data interpretation; and provided valuable information for making early childhood education and…