Maintains that pictures are one constant aspect of children's books. Reviews research on whether pictures hinder or facilitate the development of reading skills in young children. Provides suggestions on when and where pictures might provide instructional support. (CFR)

Describes parent-child activities during storybook reading, suggesting that interactive reading (constructing meaning) is more developmentally enriching than attending to story. Found that Curacaoan mothers were more concerned with child's understanding of story than with constructing meaning. Argues that parents should be trained in dialog that…

Notes that achieving school readiness for all children by the year 2000 will require a reconceptualization of the concept of readiness. Reviews some of the relevant history of readiness as an area of inquiry, and details the issues surrounding readiness, including school readiness versus learning readiness, and chronological age of entry versus…

Examined 39 mother-infant dyads to see whether qualitative differences in adolescent mothers are associated with differences in child functioning. Multiple measures of parental characteristics indicated that parenting expectations had a unique and differential power in explaining both objective child observation ratings and the mothers' Parenting…

Reports on a study of the role of pupil age in scholastic performance among 4,123 Maltese primary-age students. Finds a strong and consistent age effect in Maltese, English, and mathematics achievement in three grade levels. Also finds that girls consistently outperformed boys in the three subjects. (CFR)

Reports research on teachers' beliefs about children's development. Discusses (1) teachers' estimates of ages at which children succeed on tasks, (2) teachers' ability to engage in task analysis, (3) their view of children's error, and (4) their view of developmental accounts. Concludes that good teachers' beliefs provide an inadequate basis for…

Discusses general conclusions for which evidence is provided by the research presented in this issue. Conclusions relate to (1) child-teacher relationships and attachments; (2) concordances between children's relationships with their teachers and parents; (3) children's internal representations of their relationships; (4) factors underlying…

Examines responses of homosexual parents and their children's teachers and administrators concerning parent-school communication. The article discusses dynamics that encourage homosexual parents to disclose their homosexuality to the school and the value or risk placed on disclosure. It reports on issues of gender, offering parent and faculty…

In Texas, which has minimal child care standards, extensive alternative care arrangements were associated with pervasive negative effects in third graders. Children with the alternative care background received more negative ratings from parents and teachers, poorer grades, lower standardized test scores, and more negative sociometric nominations…

The Rostock Longitudinal Study, which has followed 247 at-risk children from birth to age 14, seeks to identify factors contributing to interindividual developmental differences. Results reported underscore the limited prognostic value of single risk factors, the diminishing impact of organic perinatal risk factors over time, and the increasing…

An understanding of developmental psychology should be the basis of school reform. How students grow and learn is the obvious focal point for efforts to establish improvement policies. Experiences in creating a climate in inner-city schools that supports development are described. (SLD)

Reviews the way in which story dramatization stimulates children's development. Discusses five steps in the process of story dramatization. (BB)

Outlines the racial and cultural identity needs of minority group children adopted by white parents. Discusses the social worker's role in educating adoptive parents about these needs and how they can be met through the neighborhood, the school, the church, friendship systems, and recreational activities. Contains 29 references. (SV)

Contains 1,073 entries from 91 institutions, giving author, institution, year, degree, emphasis, discipline, and title, arranged by topic: allied health, biocommunication arts, child development/care, clinical psychology, dentistry, environmental health, exercise science, food service, health education, health services, medical laboratories, nurse…

The relationships between education and nutrition are addressed, with emphasis on the following: (1) research needed to help at-risk children; (2) policy recommendations to address the needs of at-risk children; and (3) innovative programs that address children's needs. Findings of a seminar on comprehensive social services for disadvantaged youth…