Reviews various methods of social skills assessment with children. Found that behavioral observations, sociometrics, and teacher ratings have been the most often used methods. Suggests school psychologists should utilize all three measures to secure a comprehensive picture of children's social behavior and to obtain some measure of social…

The quality of education in the United States has been seriously damaged by two factors: equality of opportunity equated with the results of education (unless all students perform equally well, the system is judged to be unjust); and societal preoccupation with self-satisfaction and rejection of personal responsibility. (MLW)

The shift in behavior therapy towards more cognitively oriented interventions in the treatment of behavior disorders in school children is reviewed. Recent applications of cognitive behavior modification have dealt with traditional academic concerns. (Author/MH)

Described a naturalistic study of an Early Learning Lab which yielded examples of classroom management strategies that allowed young children to create their own solutions to help them feel empowered when accomplishing a task, while gaining self-confidence and a sense of identity from the experience. (Author/SD)

Presents the results of a study that reveals that the determinants of habitual cheating are much the same as those that relate to having cheated at least once (versus never having cheated). Suggests that habitual cheating is related inversely to grade point average but related positively to having seen others cheat. (MJP)

This article reviews critical learning and behavioral problems of children exposed prenatally to alcohol and other drugs, especially executive function deficits. It considers risk factors associated with prenatal drug exposure and effective classroom interventions for executive function deficits in nonverbal working memory, internalization of…

Presents 10 areas where innovation is needed for comprehensive school health education to succeed at the secondary school level; contrasts these areas with characteristics of the traditional health education program. A multidisciplinary approach to alcohol and other drug prevention is outlined in a figure. (SM)

Examines the impact of Jean Piaget's cognitive-developmental theories on educators' views of child socialization, which argued that moral development occurred late in childhood. Notes that recent research indicates that moral and emotional development occur much earlier and that teachers and parents can have a significant influence on young…

Identifies and discusses five basic skill strengths or skill deficits that mark critical difference between low-risk and high-risk youth. The "Five Cs of Competency" described include critical school competencies, concept of self and self-esteem, communication skills, coping ability, and control. Contends that these characteristics discriminate…

Proposes a conceptual framework based on attachment theory and parenting styles typology for examining the relationship between family context variables and the development of self-regulation skills. Also presents initial findings from a study of the parental practices and values associated with academic self-regulation in college students.…

The traditional approach for teaching physical education in early elementary school has emphasized "fun" activities and many low-organized games. For very young children, ages three through about eight years of age, the curricular time that has been used for low-organized and competitive games can be substituted with more developmentally…

This article describes a training program, Self-Regulation Empowerment Program (SREP), that school professionals can use to empower adolescent students to engage in more positive, self-motivating cycles of learning. It is a two-part approach whereby self-regulated learning coaches (SRC) (a) use microanalytic assessment procedures to assess…

The beginning of the year is the right time to establish a climate of kindness, caring, and sharing for a teacher's group-time meetings. Group time is often a teacher's first "formal" introduction to the children, and a time when a teacher sets the stage for creating a sense of community. By demonstrating a teacher's loving acceptance for all…

The prevalence, etiology, and consequences of adolescent risk behavior have stimulated much research. The current study examined relationships among anger and depressive symptomatology (DS), risk perception, self-restraint, and adolescent risk behavior. Telephone surveys were conducted with 290 14- to 20-year-olds (173 females; M = 15.98 years).…

Relations of the components of cognitive adaptation theory (self-esteem, optimism, control) to quality of life and benefit finding were examined for 70 women (91% Caucasian) diagnosed with Stage I, II, or III breast cancer over 5 years ago. Half of these women experienced a recurrence within the 5 years; the other half remained disease free. Women…