Responds to a recent critical report on computers in childhood. Highlights include computers, children, and research; social and emotional development; types of software; motivation; social and cognitive interactions; cognitive development; creativity; language and literacy; writing and word processing; mathematics and reasoning; and science and…

The developmental status of 37 Australian preschool children (ages 5-78 months) born to mothers with intellectual disability was assessed. In all developmental domains, a substantial proportion of the children (between 35 and 57%) showed a delay of at least 3 months. Delays in physical and communication development were most prevalent. (Contains…

Discusses a cultural environment education curriculum that helps children appreciate their city, its buildings, and its history. The curriculum includes walking field trips, service projects, and collaborative efforts with other schools. Includes a table with educational objectives for the curriculum and the corresponding evaluation. (MJP)

Provides a selected list of workbooks and other curriculum materials to enhance character education instruction. Includes addresses and phone numbers for 13 research organizations such as the Ethics Resource Center and the Character Education Institute. (MJP)

This study examined the application of the ecological approach and community education to support the participation of 27 male students at a Finnish reform school in various leisure time activities and facilities. The students expressed needs to join in the production system, cultural system, contact system, and decision-making system of society.…

Thirty sixth graders in accelerated mathematics classes were taught in cooperative-learning teams for 12 weeks. Students appeared to benefit academically, personally, and socially from the cooperative-learning strategies used to teach mathematics, cooperative-learning skills, effective communications, internal locus of control, and personal…

Presents four articles discussing methods and activities that can help early childhood educators meet the demands of children with special needs. Suggests that helping those children participate in the center's activities can facilitate their social and cognitive development and support their inclusion in society. Creating the appropriate…

A special section containing four articles examines the development of self-image in young children. Suggests that child-care professionals play a vital role in the early development of children's strong and positive self-image. Describes practices that can promote image-building and underscores how the development of strong self-image is also…

Describes three perspectives from which middle school teachers can plan laboratory activities for the purpose of improving students' scientific literacy. Perspectives are the learning cycle approach categorizing activities by stages of development; problem-solving skills approach categorizing activities according to the amount of teacher control;…

Examines television's role in the social development of Black children, including television's use, socialization content, potential antisocial and prosocial effects, and television as an educator. concludes that television is a significant player in the socialization (cognitive and social learning) of Black children with positive and negative…

After-school program participation is associated with higher grades and test scores, especially for low-income students. Programs come in three types: school-age childcare, youth development, and educational after-school programs. Few programs meet students' needs, due to inadequate funding, poorly trained leadership, transient staff,…

Comments on research problems raised in this special issue. Suggests that recent research highlights the nature of the multiple processes underlying variability in child and adolescent adjustment. Views variability as a function of covarying influences from multiple domains, operating on specific developmental outcomes across a background of time…

We examined the effectiveness of the PATHS curriculum in a magnet elementary school serving a distressed urban area. Aspects of social-emotional competence were examined for second graders who had, and had not, received the PATHS intervention. The intervention groups differed, with the control group having lower social-emotional competence than…

Background: An increasing number of lesbian women and single heterosexual women are bringing up children with no male involvement. This study follows up to adolescence a sample of children raised in fatherless families from birth or early infancy. Methods: Twenty-five lesbian mother families and 38 families headed by a single heterosexual mother…

This short-term longitudinal study examined relations between emotion knowledge and social functioning in a sample of low-income kindergarten and 1st graders. Individual differences in spontaneous emotion naming and emotion recognition skills were used to predict children's social functioning at school, including peer-nominated sociometric status,…