Mothers' education is frequently found to be positively correlated with child health and nutrition in developing countries, and yet the causal mechanisms are poorly understood. An examination was conducted of the role played by three mechanisms in this process: formal education that directly teaches health knowledge to future mothers; literacy and…

This study identified the associations between maternal racial socialization practices and child developmental outcomes by examining the effect of poverty, maternal temperament, positive affect, and social support on socialization. The sample included 51 8- and 9-year-old African American girls of various socioeconomic levels from the Girls'…

This book brings a philosophical perspective to the topic of children's thinking. It attempts to answer the questions of what it is to think and understand, and how children do so. The book provides an introduction to the philosophy of education as it relates to children's understanding, and is careful not to assume any previous philosophical…

This study examined the ways in which current practices described in the middle school literature on meeting the needs of diverse learners are reflected in the policies, beliefs, and instructional practices of administrators and teachers. A survey of 125 principals asked about school characteristics, school organization, principal beliefs,…

This book provides parents with some insight on how children come to understand sex and reproduction. Chapter 1 discusses some of the ways children think differently from adults and chapter 2 offers suggestions for talking with children about sex and birth and forming families. In chapters 3-8, children's explanations of the origins of babies are…

This paper explores the similarities between Orff's Schulwerk, Montessori's philosophy, and Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences in an effort to explore how to best teach a child. In the late 19th century, specific learning theories began to emerge. Maria Montessori and Carl Orff each developed innovative teaching theories during the first…

Noting that children's play activities, particularly the development of dramatic scenarios, have been a central focus of developmental-interaction thinking over many decades, this paper explores the emphasis on play and the specific meanings accorded to it within this developmental-interaction tradition. The first part of the paper considers the…

This document is comprised of the four 1999-2000 issues of a quarterly journal for teachers and parents of children in Montessori infant and toddler programs. The May 1999 issue presents articles on eating in the prepared environment and meeting infants' basic needs for food. The August 1999 issue includes articles discussing infants' sensory…

This technical report presents issues related to defining and applying accountability systems for young children, including those with disabilities. It notes that reaching shared perspectives on definitions of accountability systems and their constituents remains complicated by the number of levels to which such systems can apply (e.g., child-,…

Based on the view that child development occurs within a relationship involving mutuality and that development and the teaching/learning process are intertwined with the social environment, this book examines the critical relationship between child care providers and the young children they care for and teach. Along with an extended discussion of…

This paper first gives a historical overview of mosaics, discussing mosaic masks made by the Aztecs and floor mosaics made by the Greeks, as well as the Roman mosaics at Pompeii and the Byzantine decorative mosaics exemplified by those at Ravenna. The paper then elaborates on children's mosaic making observed during research conducted between 1986…

Whether students of various ages reported different self-perceptions of their writing because of survey design effects was studied. As part of a writing performance assessment, 1,972 students in an urban/suburban school district in grades 3 (n=736), 6 (n=636), and 9 (n=600) completed a brief self-perception survey that contained 5 items measuring…

This paper introduces a framework for conceptualizing a system of care for children and youth with severe emotional or behavioral disorders built on a child development perspective. The approach focuses on developmental transitions which all children and youth experience. Such transitions include entry into school, negotiating the challenges…

This document consists of the four 2003 issues of a newsletter disseminating information on the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) and providing a forum for important news, research, and information concerning advancement in child growth and development research. Each issue of the newsletter includes announcements and notices of…

This booklet offers guidance to parents in caring for their newborn babies. Advice is given on the following topics: (1) newborn health screening; (2) what a healthy newborn looks like; (3) newborn reflexes; (4) baby checkups; (5) fathers' role; (6) the baby blues; (7) sleeping position; (8) breast milk; (9) breast feeding; (10) bottle feeding;…