Object exploration is considered a driver of motor, cognitive, and social development. However, little is known about how early childhood education and care settings facilitate object exploration. This study examined if children's exploration of objects during free play was facilitated by the use of particular spatial components (floor, tables,…

Based on end-of-year report cards, 70% of AISD pre-K students met expectations across all personal development areas in 2011-2012. [Funding for this report was provided by Title I funds. For "Issue 2: Tuition-Supported Program," see ED628766.]

Cognitive and behavioral measures were administered to heterogeneous and homogeneous Mexican-American and Anglo groups at the beginning and end of the prekindergarten year. The results suggest that the learning environments of both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups have a facilitating influence. (SB)

Describes factor analysis of preschool children's play behavior, as measured by the Smilansky-Parten play matrix. Varimax rotation solution suggests three factors: Dramatic-Constructive Play, Solitary Behavior, and Functional-Constructive Play. Study suggests that these factors represent constructs of preschoolers' play. (Author/RWB)

Education in the early years is a key element in the Government's current strategy. Recently, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) funded a major study of Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE). The Early Years Transition and Special Educational Needs (EYTSEN) Project developed from the EPPE research and was also funded by…

To investigate the development of preschoolers' social-cognitive play behaviors, ten preschoolers (two, three and four years old) were observed in their classrooms on 15 occasions by a time-sampling schedule. Social-cognitive behavior coding (Parten and Smilansky) indicates that children's play became more social as they grew older. (Author/PN)

A portrait is presented of the toddler with slow expressive language development (SELD), based on research examining the health history; cognitive, communicative, and adaptive skills; behavior; and phonology of 30 toddlers with SELD and 30 nondisabled toddlers. The paper offers a review of research on the outcomes of SELD, and explores…

A study examined preschoolers' metacognitive self-regulatory behaviors. It was hypothesized that tasks that omitted or greatly decreased verbalization would allow preschool children to exhibit evidence of metacognitive self-regulatory behaviors. Subjects were 20 preschool children, half identified as special needs and half designated as typical…

CHILDREN FROM LOW SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS ARE HANDICAPPED BY THE LACK OF MANY EXPERIENCES FOUND TO BE CONDUCIVE TO SUCCESS IN DEVELOPING SCHOOL SKILLS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COGNITIVE SKILLS AND SCHOOL BEHAVIOR PATTERNS DEEMED TO BE NORMAL FOR CHILDREN OF THEIR AGE. THE FOLLOWING SKILLS ARE TO BE…

Explores the relations between temperament, communicative competence, and humor expression among four- and five-year-old nursery school children. Shows that ratings of communicative competence and various dimensions of temperament account for a significant proportion of the variance in the reported frequency of children's laughter and verbal and…

A case study of a 3-year-old autistic child and her family is presented, following the child through a 3-year intensive intervention program with a multidisciplinary team in a day treatment program. The day treatment program plan included academic goals, language goals, parental goals, and home training goals. A major component of the program was…

Piaget's concepts of knowledge seen as a result of active interaction between the child and his environment, and motivation, seen as intrinsic to intellectual functioning, have implications for the development of preschool programs. A preschool program must be action-oriented if the child is to learn to "know" and must offer an…

One of the ways in which children of depressed parents are affected is in the area of cognitive schemata. In cognitive behavioral theory, schemata drive emotions and therefore influence behavior. Subsequently, a better understanding of the cognitive schemata of children of depressed parents is attempted in this paper. It offers a review of the…

Examines strategies adults use to provide the developing child with increased responsibility for controlling his or her behavior. Teachers at a day care center used informative strategies with three- and five--year-olds, but did not use strategies that inhibit behaviors with five-year-olds. (Author/BB)

Numerous physical, mental, and behavioral activities that parents and their 3- to 5-year-old children can enjoy together are suggested in this activity guidebook. The guide suggests ways parents can give their children a good start at developing the abilities and ideas that are fundamental to all future learning at home before the children begin…