Identified the nature of information on early learning and education communicated by three popular Australian women's magazines, and examines the extent to which this information reflected contemporary educational and developmental issues. Found that articles had a sound basis in contemporary theory and research, but were strongly tempered by…

Joseph Chilton Pearce, a writer who lectures internationally on child development, discusses the importance of the birth environment on infant development, the negative effects resulting from doctor-assisted births, his experiences in the births of his children, the importance of bonding, and the relationship between childbirth and childhood…

Studied the evolution of knowledge of the rules of a children's game, and children's capacity for putting them into practice at ages ranging from four to seven. Results showed distinguishable evolutive levels of knowledge and practice through age, with the development of the capacity for putting the rules into practice before being able to…

Overviews the philosophy and theory of camp experiences and discusses the special benefits of camps, including experiences that can lead to significant life-changing outcomes, sound educational goals, a sense of psychological and physical safety, and helping children to deal with social problems such as the degradation of the environment and human…

To aid at-risk children, summer intervention programs must emphasize links between physical well-being and drug awareness, nutrition, health, and safety. West Virginia's Project YES (Youth Enrichment Services) is a comprehensive, community-based program highlighting many aspects of child development. The article describes the program's history,…

The use of standardized tests to evaluate young children has been widely criticized. Alternative methods for assessing the emerging literacy development of young children through functional meaningful activities is needed. Assessment must accommodate the developmental needs of each child. Guidelines for the appropriate use of standardized tests…

For both 6 and 11 year olds, social knowledge had a significant influence on test phase responses. It is maintained that the study clarifies the relationship between the use of knowledge-based and similarity-based information in children's acquisition of concepts. (BG)

Examines the validity of the Strange Situation procedure for Japanese mothers and infants by examining correlates and antecedents of Strange Situation behavior for 60 infants and their mothers. Results suggest that the Strange Situation may not be a valid index of the security of infant-mother attachment in Japan. (SLD)

It is argued that Australian elementary mathematics curricula have been influenced by earlier British and United States educational movements and theories and are out of touch with current research emphasizing a constructivist approach. A new model of young children's numerical development is offered, and recommendations for improving mathematical…

Nine articles discuss persistent physical education practices that are not in the best interest of children, suggesting developmentally appropriate alternatives. Some topics discussed are sequence of instruction in games, developmentally appropriate dance and gymnastics, social-emotional components, and activities with questionable value. (SM)

Study examined why one school district required some children to take two years to reach first grade. Staff interviews, classroom observations, and demographic analysis indicated extra-yearing was implemented by a small, powerful few. More poor and fall-born children were placed in the program, which did not affect student achievement. (SM)

The article presents guidelines for creating a thinking environment for children at home. Teachers today have little time to emphasize thinking skills, so parents must make their homes more thoughtful places by encouraging questions, open-mindedness, discussion, and practice time using simple everyday experiences to teach critical thinking and…

"Early Partners" and "Partners for Learning" is a 2-part curriculum to support parent-child interactions in the first 36 months of a premature, low birthweight child's life. Analysis showed that the rate of delivering the curriculum in the child development center and the home added significantly to the prediction of 36-month…

Empirical evidence is presented in favor of a theory that attributes the delay in the acquisition of the passive to young children's ability to accomplish nonlocal assignment of features. Two experiments testing monolingual Spanish-speaking children's knowledge of the passive are discussed and analyzed in light of the theory of Argument-chain…

A model for predicting organized youth sport participation readiness has four predictive components: sport-related fundamental motor skill development; sport-specific knowledge; motivation; and socialization. Physical maturation is also important. The model emphasizes the importance of preparing children for successful participation through…