Considers factors that may be involved in changes in the socialization process at puberty, and examines some central findings from the literature on pubertal changes from a socialization perspective. Pubertal maturation is expected to be accompanied with socialization problems in terms of unclear and different expectations to the developing…

Reviews the research concerning how the classroom environment--classroom ambiance, privacy, density and crowding, and arrangement of play and learning centers--can influence young children's play and social, emotional, and intellectual development. (BB)

This article introduces three papers about research projects of the Early Childhood Research Institute of the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). The papers address peer-mediated strategies to promote communicative interaction, social behavior in preschoolers with special needs, and the importance of parents as intervention agents. (JDD)

Describes characteristics of a high-quality school-age care program: resourceful, caring staff; recognition of the importance of peers; opportunities for mixed- and same-age grouping; children's selection of activities and experiences; guidance for children's social and emotional development; and environments that encourage a wide variety of…

A study of 33-month-old children, their mothers, and their older siblings concentrated on arguments used when 2 family members were in conflict with a third. There were some direct relationships between partners' arguments. Arguments children used with their mothers differed from those they used with their siblings. (BG)

By any measure--student achievement, social development, or democratic values--ability grouping and tracking practices are indefensible and unsupported by research. Tracking allows schools to practice in-school segregation and perpetuate unequal opportunities and unequal socialization within classrooms. Jonathan Kozol's investigation shows how…

This article offers a model of college student integration that emphasizes how students shape their college experiences by pursuing specific life tasks over others. A study of 311 first-year college students found that school persisters tended to focus more on academics during their first semester and social and personal needs during their second…

Examined thresholds for two aspects of child care: adult-child ratio and group size. Investigated associations among different levels of these variables and with quality of care and children's social development. Findings suggest that meeting licensing standards for ratios and groups has a positive effect on ratings of the quality of care provided…

Key components of human behavioral genetics and Sandra Scarr's work of the past two decades are critically reviewed based on scholarship in animal neuropsychology and clinical and educational psychology. Scarr's opinion that interventions to enhance intellectual development are ineffectual for children from abuse- and neglect-free backgrounds is…

A microanalytic description of teachers' interactions with children suggests that the sociomoral atmospheres of three types of classrooms differ considerably. Children in the direct-instruction classroom experience an almost totally unilateral relationship with the teacher; in the constructivist classroom, there is more reciprocity and intimacy;…

DeVries' study of sociomoral development in direct-instruction, eclectic, and constructivist kindergartens is critiqued. Additional research in such areas as class-to-class and child-to-child variations and interpersonal negotiations in nonclassroom contexts is recommended. (LB)

Measures of self-monitoring and other measures were completed by 93 elementary school children on 3 occasions during a 15-month period. Self-monitoring was related to peer acceptance and self-esteem, but the relation may have been influenced by gender. Boys' self-monitoring correlated with popularity measures, whereas girls' did not. (BC)

This article addresses the academic difficulties of children with language disorders (including dyslexia) and suggests that their persistent academic vulnerability results from the lifelong need to acquire language, to learn with language, and to apply language knowledge for academic learning and social development. The need for continuing…

Discusses the failure of early childhood education to meet the needs of boys. Describes developmental differences between boys and girls, and teacher attitudes towards boys. Suggests actions relating to environment, teacher training, hiring, evaluation, and activities that will meet the needs of boys. Lists characteristics of good early childhood…

Used Thematic Apperception Test to assess complexity of representations of people, affect-tone of relationship paradigms, capacity for emotional investment in relationships and moral standards, and understanding of social causality. Findings from 71 second graders and fifth graders (Study 1) and from 49 ninth graders and twelfth graders (Study 2)…