The NOURISH:ECE project explored the role of maternal and child health nurses (MCHNs) in early childhood education and care (ECEC) through the design and pilot of professional learning (PL) regarding responsive feeding practices. Eight focus groups were conducted in Queensland (MCHNs, n = 20; educators, n = 29) to explore attitudes regarding…

This pilot study investigated the efficacy of Qigong Sensory Training, a parent-implemented tactile intervention, in improving sensory processing and self-regulation in children with or at-risk for autism who were enrolled in early intervention. A pretest-posttest, single-subject design was implemented with three families. After 5 months, atypical…

Introduction: Measures of parental self-efficacy (PSE) for healthy dietary or physical activity (PA) behaviors in children have been used in several studies; however, further psychometric validation of PSE for these behaviors is needed. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new PSE instrument. Methods:…

Catalyst, a quarterly newsletter from the Institute's Communications Office, contains news, information, and features about the programs and services of the National Institute for Literacy. Contents of this issue include: (1) Shanahan on the National Early Literacy Panel Report: What's in Store; (2) Director's Message; (3) Representative Fattah to…

The Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is evaluated in this research report with respect to the effects of home environment. The main data of an original HIPPY study consisted of the children's performance in various tests of mental ability. In the present study, the same sample is used, but the focus of research is on the…

Among three groups of disturbed mothers of young children studied, women hospitalized more often were found to be less able to differentiate between their own and their children's needs; this group showed greater life-event stress and more maternal role conflict. (Author/CMG)

The document provides reports on 92 model programs serving families with developmentally disabled individuals. Programs range from the avoidance of residential care, through an active parent staff intervention activity, to the outreach by staff into the home of the child where the parent has been trained to carry out a number of activities, to the…

Summarizes a study of the Family Union, an agency intended to provide services to prevent the placement of children of client families in New York City's Lower East Side into foster care. Discusses child welfare policy recommendations and research opportunities. (BB)

DAY ONE is an education program offered to parents of newborn children to help them become the child's first educator. The DAY ONE Research Project was a collaborative effort of the West Virginia Task Force on Children, Youth, and Families and the Charleston (West Virginia) Area Medical Center Women and Children's Hospital to measure the…

This paper reviews the development of infant schools, day nurseries, kindergarten, nursery schools, and Head Start, and discusses the implications of these services for present-day policy. The philosophy and pedagogy of infant schools, their origins, and their development in North America, are described. Also discussed are the origins of day…

Fifty-one low-income families, each with a toddler, plus at least one other child under age 5, participated in a 5-year home-based intervention study designed to help mothers become more effective educational change agents. One group received a 9-month treatment specifically designed for the needs and characteristics of the individual families;…

These findings and implications are part of the final report on the National Home Start Evaluation. Home Start, a federally-funded 3-year (1972-1975) home-based demonstration program for low-income families with 3- to 5-year-old children was designed to enhance a mother's skills in dealing with her own children and to provide comprehensive…

This paper outlines the design and outcomes of an investigation comparing a day care program and home-rearing of infants and preschool children and discusses at length some issues involved in day care research. The study proposed to develop and evaluate a program at a Toronto municipal day care center which accepted infants, and compare the…

A project proposed to demonstrate an effective delivery system for providing family literacy services to homeless parents of young children by taking the "Read Me a Story" program directly into bridge housing sites where the families resided. The approach offered was the direct parent/indirect child model. The curriculum came from…