Certain play situations are very difficult for young visually impaired children. This booklet focuses on three areas of play: exploring toys and materials, making transitions from one activity to another, and playing with other children. Through anecdotal descriptions of common situations encountered by caregivers, the booklet discusses why these…

Assumptions about nature and personhood and the relationship between the two are implicated in the aim of doing philosophy with elementary school students and transforming classrooms into communities of inquiry. Assumptions are also made about dialogue; truth; knowledge; and the ability of children to form communities that will engender care for…

An 8-week observational study of the behavior, on and off the computer, of a class of seriously emotionally disturbed adolescents was performed. In addition, an in-depth case study of a single student revealed that the student was able to maintain the most on-task behavior when paired with another student on a computer activity. Analysis of the…

Although it has become commonplace in our society for children to take care of themselves for periods of time every day while their parents work, not much is known about the adequacy or effects of these self-care arrangements. Recent studies have reached very different conclusions regarding academic performance, social skills, self-esteem, school…

A study was conducted to test a model of relational competence that consisted of three components: motivation, knowledge, and skill in interaction for both participants in a conversation. The model is based on the assumption that the additive combination of these components for both participants will be significantly predictive of several…

A 1985 review of secondary education in Alberta culminated in a set of policies and directional statements designed to more effectively prepare students for the future. One challenge arising from these policy statements was the identification of essential concepts, skills, and attitudes that all students should acquire by the time they graduate…

Many handicapped workers fail in competitive employment situations for social reasons rather than for the inability to perform required work tasks. Such individuals are usually those who need to be trained under conditions more closely matching those of the workplace. Thus, work-related social skills should be taught, at least in part, in work…

The paper examines current research on the social and personal competence of learning disabled (LD) adolescents and young adults, revealing two major lines of inquiry: (1) interpersonal environment (perceptions by others, sociometric status, social behavior deficits, verbal and nonverbal communication skills), and (2) affective status…

The two studies described in this article investigated the effectiveness of educational-based programs as crisis intervention strategies for limiting the negative effects of divorce on preschool-age children. In the first study, a pretest posttest control group design was used. Two experimental groups, including seven children from divorced homes…

Sensations of burnout have a great deal to do with societal issues and the way that society defines the self concept of individuals. When people do not feel as societal values dictate, they often begin to sense disappointment in themselves, their life styles, and what they are receiving from people around them in the form of approval, praise, or…

Mentally retarded people may be particularly vulnerable to depression and related emotional disturbances due to limited social skills, lack of friends, and negative self-esteem. A therapy group for depressed retarded clients provided an opportunity to collect information about depression in retarded individuals and to evaluate various treatment…

Students in grades three and four are introduced to the concepts of abstract reasoning, ambiguity, and interpersonal relationships in this philosophic reader. The story involves mystery and myth and works with literary techniques of similie and metaphor. Pixie is introduced as a precocious character who is impatient with other people, a tease, and…

Designed to accompany "Pixie," a philosophy reader for students in grades three and four, this instructional manual presents discussion plans, games, philosophical activities, and reasoning exercises so that the concepts in the reader can be readily operationalized in the classroom. The "Pixie" program focuses on abstract reasoning, ambiguity, and…

The document contains the final report of a special project to increase sexual information as well as social awareness and skill of deaf and blind youth through workshops for teachers and parents on family life education and social skills development. Training activities for the project's 3 years are outlined. Evaluation of workshops by trainees…

The study examined social behaviors of 19 gifted and 19 nongifted preschool children. A social behavioral inventory was developed from repeated observations of interactions collected during an 8 week pilot study. Four general categories of behavior were observed and analyzed: verbal positive (greeting, conversation, compliment, concern, laughing,…