Sampled the speech of American, French, and Swedish mothers to their one-year olds, to analyze distribution of phonetic parameters of adult speech, as well as children's own early words. Found that variability is greater in child words than in adult speech, and mother-child dyads showed no evidence of specific maternal influence on phonetics of…

Examines children's variation in rate, style, and sequence of grammatical development, within and across natural languages. Using a sample of English and Italian infants, concludes that while there are structural differences between English and Italian that could affect the order in which nouns and verbs are acquired, no differences were observed…

Four paraprofessional staff members in a mainstreamed day care program were trained to engage in positive interactive behaviors during diaper changing. Results indicated that staff increased frequency of game playing and other interactive behaviors during diapering, but increases were not generalized to feeding routines. (Author/JDD)

The Missouri Parents as Teachers project developed in response to a 1984 state mandate requiring parent education and serves about 85,000 families with children, ages birth through 4. Components include home visits, group meetings, and early childhood developmental screenings. Discussed are the project's historical perspective, project evaluation,…

The interactions of Efe infants and toddlers in Zaire with their parents, other adults, and other children were observed. Efe children experienced a pattern of simultaneous and multiple relationships, rather than a pattern that initially focuses on one person and then progresses to other relationships. (BC)

Birth and death certificates were correlated with information in the state Child Abuse and Neglect Registry on 104 abuse-related fatalities. Significant findings included young age of parents at first pregnancy; high rate of single parenthood; and lower educational achievement among mothers. A model for data collection is discussed. (Author/BRM)

Discusses the problem of drug-exposed infants from the perspective of a county attorney's office, focusing on a new Minnesota law that responds to the problem through early identification and provision of services. The approach calls for mandated reporting by medical providers and includes the possibility of civil commitment. (SLD)

Children's attachment to their mother, measured by the Strange Situation procedure, reunion behavior at four years of age, and the Attachment Q-Set, was stable from infancy through preschool. The quality of teacher-child relationships, measured by the Attachment Q-Set, was stable if the teacher remained the same. (BC)

Discusses appropriate care for children affected prenatally or after birth by parental chemical dependence. There is increasing evidence that environmental intervention by professionals and other caring adults can alleviate these children's distress. Maximizing their development also depends on implementation of child welfare protections and the…

This paper presents a decision model illustrating the role of values in influencing choices between policy options in implementing Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The paper discusses value assumptions, the role of conflicting values in decision making, the concept of an individual hierarchy of values, and implications…

Presents a policy statement from delegates at the Warwick International Conference of Early Years Education that opposes a British government proposal to introduce a one-year nongraduate teacher training certificate course for nursery nurses and classroom assistants, which will qualify them to teach in infant classes. (BB)

Nine adolescent mothers interacted with their infants in three interaction style conditions differing in terms of stimulation and responsiveness provided by the adult. Results support the position that, by interacting in a stimulating and contingently responsive manner, caregivers increase the likelihood of engagement states that are believed to…

The Getting Started Together project is a 48-hour curriculum to enhance health care professionals' abilities to work with handicapped and at-risk infants and toddlers and their families. The curriculum was packaged into 10 self-instructional videocassette modules for people who are unable to attend classroom sessions. (JOW)

Describes how one child care center staff helps infants make the transition to the toddler group. Transition occurs over a period of several weeks, involving parent-staff consultation and continual adult support. The child manages the change in small steps, resulting in a smooth transition and allowing the child the independence and support…

A father shares his experience raising a daughter born with severe brain damage. The article explores the parents' emotions in learning the scope of their daughter's condition, coping with support machinery, getting to know parents of other children with disabilities, dealing with health professionals, and securing financial support. (PB)