This study assessed the extent to which the emergence and maintenance of peer group-status and behavior reflect the operation of group processes and individual processes. Of specific concern was whether support could be found for empirical relations derived from the self-perpetuation hypothesis. The study, which concerned the constructs of…

In this investigation, methodological and substantive issues regarding early mastery motivation (also termed competence motivation and effectance motivation) were examined longitudinally using a primarily middle-class sample of 37 children observed at 1 and 3.5 years of age. Data on cognitive competence and mastery motivation were collected in…

This paper describes the work of a teacher at the Heartwood Dance Center, a school of dance and related arts in rural Calhoun County, West Virginia. The teacher also conducts freelance workshops in local schools of the region, where people are isolated and incomes are generally low. The extent to which children are talented is partially dependent…

The first of a series of four, this booklet is designed to interest and involve 9- to 11-year-olds in learning about human development. "Fun to Grow On" focuses specifically on helping elementary school children share and enjoy some simple activities with preschool children. The activities are intended to teach older children that (1) each person…

The effects of uninstructed and teacher instructed cooperative group learning on the interactive behaviors of 32 nonhandicapped and 16 handicapped (moderately mentally retarded) elementary students and also on the attitudes of nonhandicapped students toward handicapped persons were investigated. In the teacher instructed condition, the teacher…

The annotated bibliography of over 1,200 citations published between 1943 and 1983 is intended as a comprehensive reference guide to the scientific study of infantile autism. After a search of the literature was conducted, the information was organized by format and subject, first for journal articles (19 topics are concerned with general…

This paper describes a procedure used to locate pretend play episodes in streams of play activity of 4- and 5-year-olds. A story grammar was used to compare pretend play episode activity with story construction. Participants were five girls and three boys attending the same preschool. Pretend play schemes and episodes were defined in terms of…

Two projects at the Kansas Early Childhood Institute investigated characteristics of social interaction by handicapped, at risk, and nonhandicapped children. The first project examined patterns of social interaction and play behavior among preschool children in an integrated classroom. A longitudinal observation of four mild to moderately retarded…

Creative dramatics can be used effectively by the elementary teacher to help motivate students to become involved in various language arts activities. Dramatic play, pantomime, story dramatization, imagination exercises, creative movement, improvisation, and other structured activities encourage students to relate new experiences to old. As they…

This book describes the roots, culture and learning styles of black children. It is written to promote awareness that black children differ from other children in ways which are relevant to education. These differences must be known and acted upon in order to provide black children with an appropriate education. The book contains the following…

The manual presents an Individualized Education Program development guide for working with special education preschoolers. Goals, objectives, and activities are specified in six major areas: (1) speech and language skills (expressive skills, comprehension skills, imitation of non-speech vocalizations, sorting by category; (2) self help skills…

This paper discusses the meaning and formation of children's play in order to (1) deepen understanding and respect for what play is, (2) demonstrate how young children cannot thrive or survive without play, and (3) give a common framework for interpreting and deriving meaning from the play behavior that occurs in the daily lives of young children.…

This document, one of a series for child caregivers working in military care centers, discusses ways of constructing appropriate environments for toddlers. Sections of part 1 focus on recognizing the influence of environments on children's feelings and behavior, coordinating the arrangement of space with the physical and psychological…

One of a series designed for caregivers in military child care centers, this book discusses how to plan and implement an effective environment for infants 6 weeks to 12 months of age. The document is divided into two parts, with selected resources listed at the end. Part 1 outlines some ways to organize and arrange physical space at the center. In…

The study reported in this monograph represents two years of data collection designed to explore the social meaning of language in naturalistic classroom settings. The first part of the book presents the framework within which the study was carried out. The first chapter explicates the framework provided by prior research on classroom language,…