Background: In the United Kingdom, creative dance is classified as part of physical education rather than an important core subject. Purpose: Taking the U.K. National Curriculum as an example, the article's primary aim is to examine literature exploring the benefits of creative dance, for children aged 3 to 11 years in mainstream state education,…

Children in the 21st century are avid users of technology--more so than generations past. This rise in use has led to much attention on the consequences of technology use, and how this impacts children's brains and their socio-emotional, cognitive and physical development. Much of the research in these fields, especially brain-based research, is…

The North Central Comprehensive Center team at McREL International conducted an analysis of current literature regarding student and teacher absenteeism to better conceptualize the problem and highlight successful steps that can be taken to address it. Drawing upon theoretically conceptualized and practically applied strategies for resolving…

Epilepsy affects between 0.3 and 0.6% of Canadian children aged 18 years and younger, and is one of the most frequently diagnosed neurological disorders among children in Canada as well as Europe. As such, it is likely that teachers will experience having a child with epilepsy in the classroom. Understanding how best to support children with…

Just as infants and the elderly have special health care needs based on their stages in the life cycle, adolescents also have particular health needs. While some of those needs are simply a result of the bodily changes that define adolescence, others are true medical conditions which are most commonly found in this age group. Among achievements…

Reviews significant recent research and information related to the beginning period of human life, and specifically discusses the developing fetus and infant, and the surrounding environment in which the infant is born and reared. Suggestions for prevention of mental-health problems are offered. (Author/DB)

Research examining the effects of sports participation on children and youth is reviewed from the perspective of psychological and physical development. Statistical information regarding the participation rate in different kinds of youth sports is given. The effects of prolonged athletic activity on bone, muscle, and adipose tissue growth is…

Reviews the research on (1) developmental stages of play among young children; (2) solitary play as a separate continuum with its own developmental stages; and (3) benefits of solitary play on the child's whole development. (BB)

This paper will present evidence to support ontogenetic and phylogenetic parallels and draw from these comparisons to further illuminate our understanding of micro and macro human development. Individual and collective stages of physical, psychological and spiritual development will be compared and their homologous structures examined.…

This article provides a literature review on the consequences of adolescent childbearing on postnatal infant development. (DB)

Reviews and integrates research on the short-term and long-term impact of different forms of child maltreatment. Notes that scant studies concerning physical and motor development suggest psychobiological consequences of abuse; studies on social and emotional development indicate significant impact of abuse; and studies of cognitive/academic…

Research findings are reported which depict characteristics and conditions of young adolescents in the 1980s. Discussion begins with an overview of what is known about the physical, socioemotional, and cognitive growth of young adolescents. It is argued that: (1) adults perpetuate many myths about teenagers; (2) adolescence is no more pathological…

The three papers included in this symposium discuss the relevance of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development to the early childhood practitioner. First, an overview of Piaget's theory is presented. This focusses on the particular aspects of the theory most relevant to practitioners in early childhood education. Second, curriculum…

The current state of and opportunities for basic research related to child and adolescent development are described in this report. The document was prepared as a resource for developing the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's 5-year plan of research for the years 1983-1987. Five broad areas of research are addressed: (1)…

This monograph from the Center for Child Well-Being, looks at children's well-being holistically, integrating physical, cognitive, and social-emotional dimensions. The monograph begins by identifying elements of child well-being and then reviews the literature on well-being, describing foundational elements in physical, social-emotional, and…