The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program and National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development have forged a partnership with the goal of exploring the role youth sports can play in developing young people's social and emotional skills. With funding from the Susan Crown Exchange (SCE) and guidance from a strategic advisory…

Every year brings new research studies that aim to describe early childhood development. Despite this boom in research, there has been little useful translation of these studies into clear recommendations for educators and mental health practitioners. This book shows experienced educators and mental health practitioners who work with young…

Building on extensive feedback from the field as well as vigorous new research on how best to support infant and toddler development and learning, the authors have revised and updated the widely used "Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale." ITERS-3 is the next-generation assessment tool for use in center-based child care programs for…

In May 2010, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University released the monograph "Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems" (Leone & Weinberg, 2010). The monograph examined a number of topics relevant to the education and experiences of…

School-ready children are children who are prepared to learn successfully in school. These children show growth over time in their physical, social and emotional, language, and cognitive development. They also show increasing interests in new experiences and in mastering new skills. Getting "school-ready" starts long before the weeks or…

Presents a set of guidelines for selecting hardware to promote students' sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social development. (MP)

The author addresses the issue of programing for the preschool/primary gifted student. Young gifted children are seen to be different in three overlapping areas: advanced cognitive development, psychosocial sensitivity, and high energy levels and fine motor coordination. Suggestions are offered for parents which relate to the three areas…

Noting research indicating that the flow of interaction with infants influences their brain development, this viewer's guide and videotape examine characteristics of early brain development and how parents can positively affect the infant's development in a number of areas. The first part of the viewer's guide provides an overview of the…

The paper explores the role of parents and the nuclear family in optimal development of gifted preschool children. The family helps the child accomplish basic developmental tasks by adapting to the child's critical needs and interests in appropriate ways. While stimulating academic skills is important, affective education to aid the acquisition of…

Discusses how unit building blocks can be used to enhance five major interrelated aspects of child learning, namely, physical, emotional, social, intellectual (cognitive), and intuitive development. Also presents six ways to encourage good block playing among children. (BB)

Many parents question whether their children are ready for kindergarten and whether they can succeed. Teachers must determine where students stand as they guide them through their kindergarten skills. Parents can hone their children's kindergarten-readiness skills at home by providing creative, challenging activities that prepare them for the…

This paper provides curriculum makers with an overview of developmental theory and relates the theory to instructional strategies. The section on socioemotional development addresses Erikson's eight ages of man, Kohlberg's stages of moral development, motivation and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Taylor's stage model of creative development, and…

This digest offers guidelines in providing challenging reading opportunities for gifted students. Research findings concerning the characteristics of the gifted child as reader (e.g., they read earlier, better and more) are noted. Specific needs of gifted learners can be met by: using literature as a supplement to the readings in basal texts;…

Research reveals the importance of early experiences for the development of young children's brains. This guide suggests ways to make the most of children's brain potential at different ages. The activities described can be used to enhance all children's learning and brain development. Following an introduction, the guide's sections are: (1)…

Knowledge is reviewed regarding the social/emotional, cognitive, and language development of maltreated preschool-aged children, and a set of child and family patterns of development is presented. Implications for classroom management are then discussed, focusing on disruptive behavior, interventions for cognitive and language development, and…