The authors bring together findings from research dealing with the effects of father absence in children's development. (WY)

Studied discriminative and investigatory response behavior and effects of response training on children 4-5 to 6-5 years of age. (DR)

Free, spontaneous play provides the child with opportunities to practice problem-solving and language use. Nonetheless, results from laboratory observations of children's play indicate that adults and instructional materials can enrich the play of young children. (PP)

Discusses the problems which arise as a result of the child's spontaneous activities changing into meaningful behavior. Emphasizes the child's need for guidance from knowledgeable adults and the need for completing activities to the child's satisfaction. (Author/DB)

The developing directional preferences in writing and drawing that were observed in subjects between four years of age and adulthood suggest that two semiindependent motor systems are involved in writing: one for rapid and nonfigurative tasks, the other--which occurs later--for precision and symbolic functions. (Author/GT)

Examines influence of household income on cognitive stimulation during the transition to school. Cross-sectional and longitudinal fixed effects regressions are estimated to examine income's effect. Household income was positively related to level of cognitive stimulation in children's home environments across both sets of analyses. Implication for…

Investigated mechanisms underlying reductions in susceptibility to interference from irrelevant information that are evident in the developing child. Used two experiments requiring attention to one stimulus out of many. Found that age changes in selective attention are mediated to an important extent by changes in the speed and efficiency of…

A review of groundbreaking studies in child development by Piaget, Vygotsky, Baillargeon, Premack, and Woodruff suggests that the ideal learning environment would need to have developmentally appropriate and challenging activities; nurturing experts; plenty of social interaction; and opportunities for problem solving, thoughtful reflection, and…

A mail survey was used to investigate 5-year trends in Japanese mothers' reports of their 3-year-olds' cognitive, psychomotor, and social developmental attainment. Findings indicated significant decreases in all domains, not attributable to changes in family structure, although scores were higher among children in nuclear families than in extended…

Describes how infants and toddlers learn to use action, object, picture, and word symbols, and offers suggestions for educators and caregivers to facilitate symbol use. Discusses how adults can introduce books to young children and enhance the symbolic aspect of the care and education program. (KB)

Investigates the development of understanding of quantity in 36 children with Down's Syndrome. Findings confirmed similarities in sequence of development between Down's Syndrome children and nonretarded children. Down's children who received training recognized conservation of continuous and discontinuous quantity. (RJC)

Research indicates that early cognitive intervention typically yields short-term advantages for children and their parents. Long-term effects are not maintained unless: intervention sets off a chain of positive consequences, and the whole life span is taken into account. Long-term change efforts should incorporate familial and psychosocial…

Examines research on the importance of understanding children's biological timetables for mind and brain development, and forces that can threaten this neurodevelopmental timetable during critical periods. Discusses the brain's adaptability, and focuses on the importance of knowledge derived from the study of special populations for understanding…

It is demonstrated that the topics discussed in contemporary research in metacognition are integral parts of the theory of cognitive development of L. S. Vygotsky. Unique to Vygotsky's approach is a focus on the sign system of human language and the linguistic tools of thought and control. (SLD)