The development of 36 Down's syndrome infants and children (ages 3-35 months) who had been involved in an early intervention project for periods ranging between four months and two years was assessed. (Author/DLS)

Examines the effects of cultural influences on social behaviors of children from diverse backgrounds and suggests practical applications for developing and implementing social skills training programs for these children and their parents. It defines "social skills" and provides charts of behavioral characteristics for students with…

Describes a curriculum-embedded focus for character education. Outlines a series of character-related topics (justice, responsibility, civic virtue) and combines them with corresponding social studies topics and activities (reviewing the origins of self-government, interviewing community elders) for each grade K-12. Includes reading list and…

Calls for a renewed effort by educators, schools, and communities to teach character and civic virtue. Discusses the role of civic education within the social studies curriculum and the impetus for affirming democratic principles and ideals. Recommends incorporating character education within the traditional subjects of civics, history, and…

Provides a series of guiding principles for schools and other groups for evaluating and designing character education curricula. These include a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners and helps them to succeed, moral leadership from both staff and students, and development of a caring community. (MJP)

Emphasizes the power of storytelling, particularly heroic stories of virtue, in moral education. Provides a careful delineation of the differences between modern moral "fables" (a man contemplates stealing drugs for his dying wife) and classical stories involving heroes such as Ulysses and Galahad. (MJP)

Relates how character education can be quickly incorporated into the curriculum when teachers, the school, and the community share mutual goals and work as a team. Outlines some of the techniques used such as devoting each month to a specific character attribute and sending home newsletters to keep parents informed. (MJP)

Addresses some of the concerns surrounding the controversy of religion and public education. Finds some common ground in the ethical issues shared by character education and citizenship education and the nondenominational moral teachings in religious education. Outlines four broad strategies for maintaining productive community discussions. (MJP)

Considers the problems inherent in researching changes in social values and individual perspectives among selected age groups. Asserts that studies aimed at researching both aspects need to be organized as longitudinal studies. Utilizes data taken from a study of East and West Berlin adolescents to reveal specific research problems. (MJP)

Explores the role of genre painting in the education and socialization of 17th-century Dutch children. Focuses on three types of painted scenes that transmitted educational messages: the private sphere of family life and the public domain of the street and of the school. (MJP)

Presents general background information on migration in South Africa and its effect on education. Described a cross-cultural communication program that addresses creatively the outcomes of migration, including its theoretical model, an application, program operation for learners and educators, and challenges. Reviews lessons learned by migrant…

Examined how women's reconstruction of various family patterns during childhood and adulthood relate to levels of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. Found that women who recalled cross-generational alliances or triangulated family patterns, and whose parents were emotionally distant, were more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low…

Comments on the special theme issue examining the roles of socialization, biology, and culture as they affect adaptive and maladaptive developmental outcomes. Proposes a theory-guided research approach, based on four assumptive components of contemporary developmental theories: systematic change and relative plasticity; relationism and…

Article describes a substance-abuse prevention program, Four-Fold Prevention, designed to specifically focus on four primary areas of social support-parents, schools, communities, and peers. This program enhances positive and supportive relationships among children and influencing adults and peers by opening the lines of communication about…

Anecdotal reports of the protective qualities of mentoring relationships for youth are corroborated by a growing body of research. What is missing, however, is research on the processes by which mentors influence developmental outcomes. In this article, we present a conceptual model of the mentoring process along with a delineation of some of the…