Argues that children's toys and games contribute to representing and reinforcing dominant conceptions of appropriate social identities. Invites students to play a number of children's games in order to experience the "hidden agendas" concerning race, class, gender, and political socialization conveyed to them while they are playing. (DSK)

Documents and argues the need to move beyond linear conceptions of development in art. Proposes an art education that explores multiple pictorial repertoires, including those that rely on cooperation of multiple modalities of expression, and allows students to construct meaning through connections across symbol systems. (DSK)

Discusses differences between girls and boys, focusing on pitfalls and perils specific to each gender, offering research on differences in their development and educational experiences, explaining how the different sexes self-blame, and noting good news for girls related to equal educational opportunities. The paper concludes that the problems of…

Examined Chinese kindergartners' play skills and, three years later, subjects' abilities to cooperate in competitive games. Found that although Chinese children conversed more than their American counterparts, who spent more time in social play, social contact scores were nearly identical across groups. Although social play strongly influenced…

This article outlines historical, socio-cultural, and research information that attests to the fundamental relationship between touch and child development. It describes applications including touch therapies with very low-birthweight infants, with fragile premature infants, and with infants of depressed mothers. (Contains extensive references.)…

Examines young children's gender role development, focusing on the impact of television viewing. Maintains that role models and imitation are extremely influential factors shaping gender-typed behavior. Identifies gender bias in television programming, including music television and commercials, and discusses gender bias in children's television…

Addresses continuous developmental education, focusing on the theoretical foundations of continuity between the preschool and primary school stages. Describes the Russian "Program of Cultural Development of Four-Year-Old and Five-Year-Old Children" that is an approach to designing developmental preschool education. Discusses the…

Notes that children are scientists at play, positing theories and making observations about their activities. Suggests that successful early childhood science programs include open-ended, free-choice activities; a wide array of equipment; safe supervision; spontaneity; a variety of discovery locations; helpful print resources; and community…

Notes that children from birth to age 6 learn best through their senses and gain understanding when involved in activities that bring them into direct contact with the natural world. Suggests that the challenge for early childhood educators is to encourage students to use all of their senses and provide them with excursions outdoors to build…

Compares the reading and comprehension ages of children who were in Reading Recovery at age 6 to those in a comparison group as they enter their fifth and sixth years in school. Reports that the ex-Reading Recovery children were 12 and 13 months superior in terms of reading and comprehension ages, respectively. (CMK)

A study determined self-reported positive and negative physical, academic, and social effects of stimulant medication on 86 secondary students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Students reported the medication helped them pay attention, earn better grades, and improve their behavior but were unsure if it helped them on tests or on…

Explains the imposed query model of information seeking and incorporates findings and implications surrounding work on imposed queries into reference work with children. Highlights include a developmental view; types of reference questions; relevance; information services for children; stereotyping; modeling search behavior; and evaluating…

Describes in operational terms the benefits of Montessori's developmental perspective for children from birth to 3 years, and from 3 to 6 years. Identifies optimal outcomes for social, moral, cognitive, and emotional development to be used in educational and psychological research and for child assessment. (KB)

Stresses the importance of early musical experiences for children to assist in their musical development. Addresses how a child's home environment affects their musical development, the similarities between language acquisition and musical development, and the role parents and teachers have in developing young children's musical abilities. (CMK)

Examines children's verbal responses to music listening by interviewing 33 children in kindergarten through fifth-grade. Explains that three judges categorized their responses. Indicates judge consensus over the form and content of responses; age tendencies resulted in 3 questions; similarities between development of verbal responses to music and…