This brief paper is an anecdotal commentary on a class exercise developed for an advanced European History course covering the period 1815 to the present. It describes a role-play, case-study exercise designed to reinforce previously covered material. Students are directed to attend a mock peace conference to consider if any one country was…

Noting that both boys and girls suffer because of gender bias in society and in the classroom, this paper examines the roots and consequences of such bias. The paper first provides a historical overview of gender bias and its relation to the prevalent world view. Next, it examines the manifestations of gender bias in the classroom and their…

A study examined the differences in what boys and girls choose, or are free to choose, to do on the playground during recess. Given the apparent problem that boys dominate the playground area, leaving girls on the perimeter, it was hypothesized that girls engage in passive, non-competitive, small group activities, whereas boys engage in…

Designed to assist administrators and teachers conducting child care programs for school-age at-risk children, this curriculum guide outlines age-appropriate, process-oriented arts experiences. Content focuses on learning activities in the visual arts, dance/creative movement, drama, and music. Each section includes all or several of the following…

Play therapy can be used to help children with disabilities to develop a sense of strength and competency. Play therapy literature concerning children with disabilities is divided into two distinct approaches: (1) the "I am" attribute which deals with emotional adjustment and helps the child to develop positive self-esteem, personal competency,…

This paper elaborates on a series of quotations to illustrate major influences in children's language development. The first quotation, from Lilian G. Katz (1988), suggests that what children like is not necessarily developmentally appropriate for them. This idea can be applied to the development of language competence. In the second quotation,…

It is generally recognized that early childhood experiences are extremely important for human development. The development of rational thinking, attention span, and ability to memorize in the first years of life are very much dependent upon motor experiences gained through exploring and comprehending. Early learning experiences should not be…

A controlled study involving 60 randomly selected 4- to 5-year-old children from Guyana (South America) assessed whether providing the opportunity for fantasy play to children in nursery schools that do not provide such opportunity would have an effect on the children's level of symbolic, language, and cognitive ability. Subjects included 20…

In this study an observation schedule was developed and used to compare activities and behavior of 77 New Zealand children with disabilities who had been mainstreamed into special groups within preschools and play centers and 77 non-disabled peers. The development of the schedule is described, results are given, and advice is offered to…

A study of Newfoundland's and Labrador's Direct Home Services Program (DHSP) for families of developmentally delayed infants and preschool-age children evaluated current efforts and obtained data for use in the development of strategies for future interventions. The study had six purposes: (1) to examine parents' early experiences pertaining to…

This document presents Jackson County (Michigan) Intermediate School District's Special Education Early Childhood Center's 1988 curriculum. Sections focus on: (1) the center's program; (2) play observation; (3) eligibility; (4) classroom structure and function; (5) the importance of play; (6) developmental milestones; (7) planning and teaching…

This series of 19 newsletters is designed to be distributed monthly to parents of premature or high risk infants on their child's adjusted age birthday from birth through 18 months. Each newsletter describes activities and behaviors of infants and toddlers appropriate to the month of age and discusses issues of concern to the parents. Regular…

Key elements in the construction of an operation were an integral part of an empirical study designed to test practical, pedagogical implications of the Piagetian model of cognitive growth. A total of 49 kindergarten children were pretested to determine their levels of seriation and classification operations. Pretests were conducted with a battery…

Compiled as a result of Massachusetts Bay Community College's Family Day Care Training Program, this handbook includes suggestions, quotations, and information provided by program completers. First, the handbook defines family day care as the care of one to six children, including the provider's own, in a private residence during all or part of…

Guidelines for arranging environments appropriate for preschool-age children are provided in this staff development module, one of a series for child caregivers working in military day care centers. The document is divided into two parts. In part 1, discussion focuses on how environments affect children's feelings and behavior and on ways to…