Analyzed experiences of five mothers as they settled their children into their first child care center, and presented evidence that the mothers operated with intuitive theories about what this experience involved for their children. Connected themes in the cases to themes in psychological and societal discourses about children's development and…

Describes the development of the Early Adolescent version of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (EA-HOME) Inventory. Presents information on its usefulness with African Americans, Chinese Americans, European Americans, Mexican Americans, and Dominican Americans. Notes findings indicating high interobserver agreement, with…

Stresses the importance of using the wealth of resources available to teachers when a child with a developmental delay joins the classroom. Presents specific questions teachers should ask both parents and specialists to ensure a meaningful educational environment for all children. Presents generalized resource information appropriate for all…

This cross-sectional study explored whether participation, from early childhood, in play involving different cognitive abilities predicts visuo-spatial achievement at ages 9, 12, and 15. Based on parental assessment, prior and present practice of spatial manipulation play was found to be consistently more frequent in boys than in girls; the…

A meta-analysis of 41 studies was conducted to examine the strength of the relation between parenting (positive control, negative control and responsiveness) and self-regulation in preschoolers. Results revealed significant associations between both types of parental control and self-regulation, with effect sizes being small in magnitude. There…

This longitudinal study examined gender differences in motivation and the role of reading prerequisites, that is phonemic and comprehension skills, in the formation of motivational tendencies from kindergarten up to grade 1. The longitudinal sample consisted of 157 Finnish-speaking children. Teachers rated children's adaptive goals, (i.e. task…

Background: Prisoners' children appear to suffer profound psychosocial difficulties during their parents' imprisonment. However, no previous study has examined later-life outcomes for prisoners' children compared to children separated from parents for other reasons. We hypothesise that parental imprisonment predicts boys' antisocial and delinquent…

Background: Although delineating the processes by which children appraise the family as a source of security from their collective experiences in the family subsystem has assumed center stage in many conceptualizations of child development, the dearth of measures of child adaptation in the family system has hindered empirical advances. Therefore,…

Children's lead and pesticide exposures are used as examples to examine social disparities in exposure reduction efforts as well as environmental policies impacting children in poverty and minority children. The review also presents an estimate of the effect of social disparities in lead exposure on standardized test performance. Because including…

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of three college courses on attitude change toward older adults. To measure attitude change the Kogan Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (1961) was administered to 221 college students at the beginning and end of the semester. Participants were enrolled in one of three college courses: Child…

Over the last fifteen years, increasing numbers of fathers have been attending medical or day-care centers for young children, traditionally "reserved" for mothers and babies. Thus the professionals who work there are able to take an active part in the "co-construction of the fathers" by accompanying their emerging fatherhood. The…

Neonatal assessments should provide valid estimates of behavior and neurological status, reflect recovery from acute effects, predict subsequent outcome, and point to specific intervention strategies for any problems noted. The authors report relations among measures designed to evaluate early behavioral capabilities and dysfunctions in areas…

Although Vygotskian principles involving the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) are hailed as tenets undergirding teaching and learning within a constructivist setting, these principals have not been implemented widely within school classrooms. Tharp and Gallimore, building on the notion that learning can be maximized when a teacher has a…

California continues to widen access to local child care and preschool programs--albeit in fits and starts--for a variety of families. About 65% of all four year-olds statewide now attend a preschool center. Government spends $3.6 billion on early care and education programs statewide, including a three-fold increase in state spending since 1996.…

Background: This study described a cohort of teen mothers and their children attending an urban high school with a parent support program and school-based child care center. Specific aims of the study were to describe maternal characteristics and outcomes, and child developmental and health outcomes. Methods: A volunteer sample of 65 adolescent…