A process engaged in by the West Chester University (Pennsylvania) teacher education program began with a faculty seminar on racial, class, and gender identity and culminated in the redesign of courses in special education and child development. Theory of the stages of racial identity formation proved useful in interpreting both faculty and…

Findings of a study of 32 infants attending a neonatal intensive care unit follow-up clinic included mechanically ventilated infants were more irritable than nonventilated infants; infants from lower income families were fussier than infants from higher income families; 5-minute Apgar scores were more predictive of infants' success on a visual…

Reviews new visions of language and of development that acknowledge human sociocultural and ideological complexity. Argues that children's differentiation of ways of using language is linked to their differentiation of their own place--potential or actual--in the social world. Offers a concrete illustration of writing children as social and…

Gifted adults are recognized by society solely by their achievements, though the unusual developmental trajectory of the gifted creates an extraordinary experience of life at any age. The achievement orientation is now taking over gifted education and makes it difficult for the gifted to understand and honor the qualities of mind that make them…

Examines the problem of biting in group child care, especially among toddlers. Discusses reasons for the behavior such as teething, impulsiveness and lack of self control, excitement and overstimulation, and frustration. Offers advice for child caregivers when biting occurs in their program. (TJQ)

Examination of traits and life experiences of 21 eminent women in the visual arts found that, as children, artists were creative, versatile, vital, energetic, sensitive, and enjoyed their work. Early achievement predicted later accomplishments and early intensive concentration in one's field, often to the near exclusion of other activities, was…

This paper presents an overview of how fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is identified, a review of theories on how alcohol acts to produce FAS, and a summary of the impact of the early and long-term effects of FAS. Issues that are particularly pertinent to children with FAS and their caregivers are raised. (DB)

Reviews "The Epigenesis of Mind: Essays on Biology and Cognition" (S. Carey and R. Gelman, editors), a collection of essays that present a hard-scientific vision of cognitive development. Examines the arguments this work articulates and then determines the place it occupies in the analysis of the state of developmental psychology as presented in…

Replies to the commentary by McCartney and Black (PS 523 017) on an article by Bradley and Caldwell (PS 523 016), both reported in this issue. Argues that scientifically useful descriptions of caregiving environments can be attained using a systematic, objective approach to classifying acts and conditions of the environment while recognizing that…

Compared parental perceptions of the use of internal information sources--intuitions, religious beliefs, personal childhood experiences--to use of external sources for information about their toddlers' development. Found that parents perceived the internal sources as being used more frequently and as more useful for information on their child's…

Associations between major or minor offending and developmental factors, family characteristics, environmental characteristics, and problem behaviors and symptoms were examined with 180 youth having severe emotional disturbance. Minor offending was associated with increasing age and parental incarceration. Major offending was associated with…

Suggests that, through practical understanding of quantum theory, teachers can develop new role-play and narrative strategies, arguing that describing fictional worlds through narrative and exploring virtual worlds through role play can transform children's consciousness. Applies the quantum theory metaphor to drama, learning, and self-image.…

Discusses the renaissance of motor skill acquisition studies that are affording new insights into the processes by which infants and children learn to control their bodies. The article explains how studies are now focusing less on how children perform and more on how the components cooperate to produce stability or engender change, thus making…

Compared the early literacy development of English-speaking preschoolers and kindergartners to that of Spanish-speaking children. Subjects wrote at least six words and one sentence, then interpreted their own productions. Found that syllabic writings in English-speaking children were like those of Spanish speakers; found differences in how…

Three possibilities for the pathogenesis of childhood autism are considered. Little evidence exists for autism as a basic affective disorder, as proposed by R. P. Hobson, but growing evidence supports childhood autism as a basic cognitive disorder, as the author argues. The author's original theoretical perspectives are revised. (SLD)