The authors discuss loose parts -- pipe cleaners, acorns, fabric, stones, and so forth -- as versatile materials not originally intended for children's play that they can manipulate, modify, and use in their play activities. The authors review the historical foundations of loose parts play, focusing on influential individuals and theories, and…

A wide range of conditions in the places where children live, grow, play, and learn can get "under the skin" and affect their developing brains and other biological systems. Rapidly advancing science around early childhood development provides increasingly clear evidence that, beginning before birth, these environmental conditions shape…

The detrimental effects of lead exposure in children have been known for over 100 years. Although a few initial measures implemented about 30 years ago were effective in somewhat reducing levels of lead exposure in children, relatively little has been done recently from a policy perspective to protect children from lead. We now know from recent…

In children, concepts develop in a spiral, with the child at the center. A positive self-concept begins within a responsive caregiving environment. Concepts build upon one another. The more ideas and memories that a child has about the way the world and relationships work, the easier it is to develop further ideas. Once a child realizes, for…

The paper discusses research and research applications regarding the exceptional child and the physical environment, and presents ways in which space can have an impact on learning and development. An argument is made for the creation of research based design principles based on knowledge of the relations between the physical environment and the…

Six experiments were conducted to investigate the sensitivity of one- to four-year-olds to changes in perspective that are occluded from view. Results indicated relatively early sensitivity to proprioceptive cues for changes in perspective and somewhat later sensitivity to appropriate visual-environmental cues. (PCB)

The role of the physical environment is discussed as a major factor influencing child development. A differentiated approach is advocated wherein environmental, age, and organismic specificity are related to developmental impact. Availability, variety, complexity, and responsivity are discussed as dimensions of objects (toys) that interact with…

This study examined associations between quality of social and physical environments in preschools and children's development of academic, language, and literacy skills, and the extent to which preschool quality moderated the associations between child risk and development. Participants were a diverse sample of 540 four-year-old children in…

A recent study outlines the environmental prerequisites for a successful day care center. (Author)

The author looks at the sharp increase in a number of childhood disorders--including asthma, certain cancers, and learning/behavioral disabilities--and the role environmental toxins may play in this increase. He describes the need to train many more health professionals in prenatal and children's environmental health and the national network of…

Authors look at a range of variation in experience of five- to six-month-old infants on a concrete behavioral level, and conceptualize these discrete behaviors. (Authors/MB)

Parents constantly influence--positively or negatively--the formation of their child's psyche. Throughout all their life they carry--embedded in their unconscious or subconscious--traces of parental influence. (CK)

This proposal suggests researching the possibilities of offering experiences with surroundings--space, forms, colors, and materials--to many children at any early age. The design for such a setting would provide children with the unique advantage of developing within themselves a sympathy for basic forms, natural materials, and primary colors and…

Observational research was conducted in homes with a wide socioeconomic range to identify the major factors of experience that affect the development of a child's abilities. Thirty children, aged 12 to 36 months, were observed in three aspects of their environment: Human (family and peers), Static Physical (home and neighborhood), and Range of…

Presents the scientific basis for the impacts of the environment on children and describes the differences between adults and children in physical, biological, and social environments. The article highlights why children should not be treated as "little adults" in developing environmental policy. (GR)