Presents thoughts of teachers (many from Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School in Columbia, Missouri) on why they engage in the expressive arts and literature. Offers specific examples of how teachers explore life and literature through drama, music, and art with 22 children's books. (SR)

A study involving two children (ages 7-8) with autism and eight typical peers investigated the efficacy of Pivotal Response Training implemented by multiple peers in enhancing social competency of children with autism. After treatment, the subjects engaged in high levels of interactions, initiations, varied toy play, and language use. (Author/CR)

A study examined the effects of a video-based intervention combining self-assessment, self-modeling, discrimination training, and behavioral rehearsal on two sets of parents' interactions with their children with autism during self-care tasks and social play with their siblings. The intervention increased parents' social prompts and altered…

Describes a movement in which teachers are discovering that the schoolyard presents a broad palette of opportunities to enrich their teaching. Argues for the importance of the schoolyard environment as a teaching tool and source of nourishment for the humanities and the creative process. Includes descriptions of formal schoolyard gardening…

Compared behavior of 52 Costa Rican 12- to 23-month-olds with iron-deficiency anemia to that of 139 infants with better iron status. Found that iron-deficient infants maintained closer contact with caregivers; showed less pleasure and playfulness; were more wary, hesitant, and easily tired; made fewer attempts at test items; and attended less to…

A study in a south Texas preschool found that Mexican American children, when given the opportunity to engage in sociodramatic play, displayed various language functions needed for the development of early literacy skills. The preschoolers created elaborate monologues and dialogue in their native language (sometimes in their second language),…

Discusses methodological problems of Sigman and Ruskin's longitudinal study. Questions whether determination of specificity, universality, and uniqueness is appropriately addressed by between-syndrome comparisons. Describes problems with group matching, offers a method of partially correcting them, and argues that group designs have limited…

Addresses questions about group comparisons and the extent to which the original Sigman and Ruskin study identified specific, unique, and universal deficits in autism. Considers the alternate methodology for measuring improvements in the performance of children with Down syndrome and autism. (JPB)

Presents an example of how a teacher can incorporate "play" into the music classroom. Describes play in general, discusses musical play, and considers the benefits of play for children. Addresses the teacher's role and how teachers can enter into children's play. (CMK)

Provides a general background on child-centered learning, focusing on topics such as "center time" and children's play. Offers suggestions that will enable early childhood teachers to implement child-centered music practices. Considers ideas on different music centers and activities for teachers interested in developing a child-centered music…

This special training section includes four articles on the importance of movement and action to children's development. The articles are "From Cartwheels to Caterpillars: Children's Need to Move Indoors and Out"; "Kids Gotta Move: Adapting Movement Experiences for Children with Differing Abilities"; "Roughhousing as a…

Adaptations to the Candy Land board game to allow play by children with moderate or severe disabilities are suggested, such as attaching a small photograph of the student to the marker and using large heavily weighted markers. Ways to generalize new skills and gradually remove the adaptations are discussed. (DB)

A program that combines sports and literature can improve students' reading, writing, and comprehension skills, promoting links between children's personal development and self-esteem and forging links between sports, literature, and daily life. Describes one such program, Sports PLUS After School, noting: program goals, components, and structure;…

Studied Baumrind's approach to parenting style to examine the relations between parenting style and preschool children's social competence manifested through peer play. Found that mothers' and fathers' parenting style is related to children's play with peers, with an authoritative parenting style correlating to more complex levels of play. (SD)

Used teacher interviews and observations to examine the roles five teachers undertook to promote literacy in a classroom of Spanish-speaking kindergartners. Found that teachers' roles could be identified and described as: monitoring, facilitating, interacting, inquiring about, initiating, extending children's play, engaging children in discussion,…