Autism is a life-long, complex developmental disorder that causes impairment in the way individuals process information. Autism belongs to heterogeneous categories of developmental disabilities where neurological disorders lead to deficits in a child's ability to communicate, understand language, play, develop social skills, and relate to others.…

It is known that communication is central to the learning process. An early childhood classroom minus the busy hum of children and teachers interacting is the opposite of a developmentally appropriate environment. Communication can be specifically linked to the expanding skills of listening and speaking, as children connect to the reading and…

The study examined the unique relationship between multiple dimensions of classroom behavioral adjustment problems and salient social-emotional competencies for urban Head Start children. These relationships were investigated using a hierarchical model that controlled for the variance in social-emotional outcomes attributed to age, gender, and…

This study focuses on the various playful uses of language that occurred during a semester-long study of two German language courses using one type of synchronous network-based medium, the MOO. Research and use of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) have flourished in the study of second-language acquisition (SLA) since the late…

The aim of the present study was to investigate the extramusical effects of a music education program in one preschool classroom over a period of six weeks. The class had not previously been exposed to regular music lessons. Readily available teaching resources containing sound recordings were used. Analysis revealed six themes that addressed the…

Three samples of francophone subjects from Quebec (Canada) are used to establish the prevalence of parent-child RTP according to different personal, social and family variables, and to verify if children who engage in more RTP with their father exhibit less physical aggression towards other children and are more competitive without resorting to…

This paper examines the interactions between teachers and children based on a micro-ethnographic study of an early childhood classroom in which the teacher attempts to scaffold children's learning. The attempts at scaffolding are subverted by children as they resist the teacher's endeavors to modify their play. Teacher's attempts at scaffolding,…

This study, part of a narrative classroom inquiry into the teaching and learning of mathematics in a Canadian elementary classroom, emerges from the three years I was a participant-observer in Janine O'Neil's 3rd/4th-grade classroom at Bay Street Community School. Drawing on the curriculum commonplaces of teacher, social milieu, subject matter,…

Children with developmental disabilities often have difficulty with joint attention that can affect more advanced communication skills. This study evaluated the complexity of child engagement behaviors demonstrated by twenty-five, pre-intentional children (age 9 to 25 months), who had developmental disabilities and were at risk for being…

This article presents a qualitative study of six families of children with disabilities and their perspectives on humor. The findings revealed that the families had an understanding of humor that went beyond the generalized humor construct. They embraced both the concept of humor and "other types of fun." Furthermore, the families' attempts at…

Adult piano students (N = 711) from 24 states across the U.S. rated the existence and importance of 31 potential benefits of adult piano study. Benefits selected from existing adult music and leisure-benefit research were organized into three categories: Personal, Skill, and Social/Cultural. The category of Skill Benefits was the most-agreed-upon…

Advocacy among primary students and lack of classroom participation was the identified problem area for this action research project report. There were 19 student participants in an afternoon kindergarten at Site A, and 20 student participants in a first grade classroom at Site B. The research team consisted of three teacher researchers. Two of…

Noting that parents are children's most important teachers, this guide provides parents and children with weekly activities for all parts of the year that are intended to enhance children's eagerness to learn. The suggested activities, carefully chosen by Medina County, Ohio, kindergarten teachers, were designed to reinforce skills introduced in…

This practicum identified an inability of staff to facilitate play among students with diverse abilities in an inclusive preschool setting, and presented staff training projects to improve such facilitative skills. Because the staff lacked knowledge regarding play characteristics, functions, and categories needed to provide necessary interventions…

Aimed at parents with infants, this book is a collection of 250 simple, fun-filled games that can be played with children up to the age of 1. The games have been categorized into the following eight types: (1) growing and learning games; (2) special bonding games; (3) kitchen games; (4) laughing and having fun games; (5) art and singing games; (6)…