Maintains that reading humorous storybooks to toddlers can support their development and learning. A bibliography of humorous children's books is included. (BB)

Evaluated the associations of hypothesized protective and risk factors with assessments of social, literacy, and cognitive competence. Subjects were 117 Head Start graduates attending kindergarten in rural Georgia. Found that caregiver self-esteem, independence-promoting developmental goals, and responsive caregiver-child interactions were…

Discusses ways for teachers of young children to utilize the arts, particularly music and the visual arts, across the early childhood curriculum. (BB)

Examined children's developmental trajectories in five domains. Children were assigned to same- or mixed-age child care groups and assessed at 6-month intervals between approximately 32 and 49 months. Children in the two groups differed in their trajectories for communication, cognitive, and motor development but showed similar trajectories for…

Identifies popular child care settings and outlines several components of quality child care. Lists short- and long-term cognitive, social, and emotional effects of child care on children from low-income families. Describes some benefits of child care and reports a cost-benefit analysis of one quality program. Offers recommendations for future…

A study of 16 children (ages 2-4) with autism and pervasive developmental disorders found that children involved in home-based services before and after age 3 all demonstrated significant changes on six developmental domains but there were no significant differences between age groups. Improvement in communication, cognitive and social-emotional…

Two studies investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes for young children by conducting a survey of parents of children with and without disabilities and early childhood and elementary professionals. Large proportions of both groups rated all of the outcomes as either critically or very important. (Contains references.) (CR)

Presents the theories of Vygotsky and Bandura that provide the foundation for research on cross-age learning in multiple-age groupings. Discusses the cognitive, social, and emotional benefits children derive from mixed-age groupings. Outlines social learning contexts, such as learning centers and projects, and structural contexts, such as multiage…

Investigated effects of program auspice (nonprofit versus profit child care), adult-to-child ratios, and class age span on teaching and on preschoolers' social and cognitive development. Found that age, gender, social background, and age span were significant predictors of children's social and cognitive development; adult-to-child ratio and…

Children in foster care face a challenging journey through childhood. In addition to the troubling family circumstances that bring them into state care, they face additional difficulties within the child welfare system that may further compromise their healthy development. This article discusses the importance of safety and stability to healthy…

Measures of quality are now in widespread use across states as part of quality improvement initiatives. For example, many states are currently using global measures of quality that were first developed for research and practice purposes (such as the Environmental Rating Scales) in their Quality Rating Systems (QRSs). Although global quality…

They are adolescents--and those who work with them must understand them, connect with them, and make learning relevant to their lives. This article looks at recent theories and educational practices identified as appropriate for supporting the educational learning experiences of students ages 12 to 15. In this article, the author also discusses,…

Play skills are vital to a child's overall healthy development. However, the training many caregivers receive may not include extensive information on play skills. This book presents a play checklist to help caregivers observe children's play skills, pinpoint play skills on which children need to work, and plan goals for improving those play…

The relationship of familial and school-based risk factors to socioemotional and learning problems was assessed in a sample of 69 Hispanic 3-year-old children in Head Start Programs in New York City. In a preliminary study of maternal stress, child temperament was identified as a significant predictor of child socioemotional problems. School risk…

Recognizing that for young children, play is a tool for learning, this book compiles contributions by different authors, reflecting both up-to-date research and current classroom practice as they relate to children's play. Part 1 of the book explores the value of play as a cross-cultural concept as well as one rooted in the Western world. Gender…