In establishing high quality programs for young children, it is imperative that teachers focus on individual differences, growth patterns, and learning styles while providing educational experiences that develop the physical, social, emotional and cognitive domains without regard to chronological age. Research affirms that a play-oriented approach…

An experienced teacher, certified in the education of the gifted, designed and implemented a practicum that offered opportunities for enhancing the cultural literacy and creative play of preschool children who received little individual, reading-related attention from their working parents and caregivers. Play that enriched the imaginative…

A total of 23 American and Hmong-American preschool children from 2 day care center classrooms were observed during free play in an effort to determine the proportion of positive, negative, and neutral initiations made to peers as a function of sex and cultural background. A series of weighted, two-way analyses of variance were performed on…

The Early Intervention for School Success (EISS) program was designed to provide developmentally appropriate instruction in kindergarten and first grade classrooms, by providing the knowledge and skills that teachers and parents need to insure that children in California schools remain happy about learning. This goal is achieved by helping…

Early personality and environmental characteristics that predict later problematic aggression and depression in children were investigated longitudinally. A developmental psychopathology approach was taken. (This approach assumes that patterns of adaptation and maladaptation in development can best be understood when explored simultaneously and…

Noting that new approaches must be found to decrease the numbers of inmates returning to United States prisons and to provide means for productive changes that will result in self-improvement and new options for inmates both inside and outside the prison after their release, a drama program was established in 1979 for inmates at the Federal…

Examined are the interactions of parents and their children with developmental disabilities, focusing on the following aspects: social, emotional, language, communication, clinical, educational, and methodological. A partial listing of contents follows: "Determinants of Parent and Child Interactive Behavior" (Carl Dunst and Carol…

This study was designed to provide a detailed description of toddlers' social interactions in day care settings and to identify variables that promote positive encounters among children. Twenty-four toddlers, ranging in age from 17 to 28 months, were each observed for approximately 4 hours during regular center activities. Across all center…

The critical and creative thinking dispositions which are intrinsic to children's critical thought may reflect the standards of an adult culture which values verbalized thought over other kinds of human intelligence. Primary critical and creative thinking dispositions are those which help the child explore the world. These are biological processes…

This guide provides assistance in selecting and designing the day care center's building and grounds and in planning and arranging the center's playroom. In regard to the building and grounds, discussion considers program and support service functions, highly desirable features of buildings and grounds, playroom space, outdoor space, and…

Current writings on the functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain are examined, focusing upon possible implications for improving present educational techniques. It has been generally accepted by researchers that the organizational and verbalizing processes are functions of the left cerebral hemisphere, while creative and intuitive…

Contained in this yearbook are the proceedings of the fifth annual Arizona State University Reading Conference. This edition reflects an emphasis on a wide range of topics, including study skills, oral language, and teaching strategies. Following a foreword, the conference articles discuss the following: (1) study skills across the curriculum, (2)…

This article presents a negotiating practice that demonstrates the importance of the interplay of visual, verbal and linguistic signs. As such it discusses the relationship between identity and a signifying practice in a Swedish preschool, as children and teachers negotiate meaning. With emphasis on the relationship between building identity and…

This paper reports on an experiment to determine: (1) the effects of two different styles of television program format on the ability of preschool children to recall program content and (2) the cumulative effect of sustained viewing of particular programs upon spontaneous play behavior. Three groups of preschoolers (totaling 58) were exposed to…

This book of play activities for children from 2 months to 2 years of age is designed to be used by parents, caregivers, or child care students. The games described include activities for motor, language and cognitive development, self-concept development, and interpersonal relationships. The games are grouped into eight series based on the…