Icelandic teachers discussed perceived changes in their work and students' social interactions during a program to foster students' social competence. The program emphasized classroom discussion on interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution to promote social growth. Teachers believed they gained confidence in handling interpersonal…

Discusses ways for teachers of young children to utilize the arts, particularly music and the visual arts, across the early childhood curriculum. (BB)

Social skills training with a 12-year-old mainstreamed trainable mentally handicapped student resulted in improved eye contact, greeting of peers, and use of appropriate voice level. Perceptions of peers changed, but their interaction with the student did not change. (Author/DB)

Examined children's developmental trajectories in five domains. Children were assigned to same- or mixed-age child care groups and assessed at 6-month intervals between approximately 32 and 49 months. Children in the two groups differed in their trajectories for communication, cognitive, and motor development but showed similar trajectories for…

The article examines the social/emotional development of children of substance abusers and relates it to their behaviors at school, offering an alternative perspective for understanding their school behaviors and for helping them. Several implications for teacher education are included. (SM)

Examined the relation between part-time employment and adolescent development. Long work hours were associated with lower performance in school, greater psychological and somatic distress, drug and alcohol use, delinquency, and autonomy from parents. Workers do not have any advantages over nonworkers in self-reliance, work orientation, or…

Discusses the developmental appropriateness of implementing multicultural education in infant and toddler programs. Suggests ways to help bring multicultural education into the infant and toddler classroom. (BB)

Tested a proposed developmental pathway for toddlers' mastery of skills in generating non-ritualized forms of cooperative coordinated action with peers. Studied nonverbal imitative acts among U.S. toddlers and toddlers of the Seltaman people of Papua New Guinea. Found that ready imitation of one another emerged during the same developmental period…

Considers how child care and early education in Italy reflect the convergence of cultural values and practices of the larger cultural region but also the immediate community's local traditions. Focuses on educational practices of Reggio Emilia preschools, and how they demonstrate the relationship between children's social competencies and…

Examined young children's social development of effortful control in a longitudinal study. Found that between 22 and 33 months, effortful control improved considerably, its coherence increased, it was stable, and it was higher for girls. Found that children's focused attention at 9 months, mothers' responsiveness at 22 months, and mothers'…

This article discusses findings from the Asperger Syndrome Research Project, which investigated the complex characteristics of children and youth with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Intellectual, academic, social and emotional, and sensory characteristics are described, along with suggestions for professionals and parents for addressing these…

Investigated prosocial behaviors of five-year olds interacting within different learning-activity centers in a multiage preschool setting. Subjects and their younger classmates were observed for a total of 45 hours. Found significantly more proximity seeking, helping, and sharing behaviors than other kinds of prosocial behaviors in the setting.…

Identifies popular child care settings and outlines several components of quality child care. Lists short- and long-term cognitive, social, and emotional effects of child care on children from low-income families. Describes some benefits of child care and reports a cost-benefit analysis of one quality program. Offers recommendations for future…

Examines two different types of human motivation, pragmatic and nonpragmatic. Experimental studies in preschool-age children in both the former Soviet Union and Western cultures are presented. Suggests that the two contrasting conceptions of human motivation lead to totally different practical strategies for transforming human motivation in…

Discusses the sometimes brutal, sometimes idealistic attempts by early Soviet revolutionaries to conscript the home and family into the Marxist educational system. Programs ranged from the benign (teaching peasant children new crops) to the totalitarian (extending criminal prosecution to the age of 12). Briefly covers later periods. (MJP)