During the early 1980s, use of crack cocaine by expectant mothers introduced U.S. schools and social agencies to a large cohort of children with attachment problems, attention and learning difficulties, hyperactivity and other abnormal behaviors. Research focused on the early characteristics and needs of so-called "crack kids," but little…

This article explores the experiences of six First-year teachers working in the broad, cross-categorical field of early childhood special education. A multicase approach provided insight into the complexity of teachers' roles and work with young children with special needs in a range of settings, with children of various ages and developmental…

Current neuroimaging and neurophysiologic techniques have substantially increased our possibilities to study processes related to various language functions in the intact human brain. Learning to read and write influences the functional organization of the brain. What is universal and what is specific in the languages of the world are important…

We compared health status, anthropometric and psychological development of 123 children adopted before 18 months of age from China, East Asia (Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Cambodia), and Eastern Europe (mostly Russia). Data were collected close to the time of arrival, and 3 and 6 months later. Anthropometric measures included weight,…

In Canada, until now, no studies have focused on the practice of home education in the francophone province of Quebec. While the home-educating population in that province is tangible, it has remained largely unknown. Quebec's distinctive character on three fronts-- political, historical and cultural--make the application of results from the rare…

In Hawaii, state agencies and foundations are poised to support readiness efforts to improve educational outcomes for children. Developing a shared understanding of the construct of readiness is key to these efforts. The purposes of this research were to (a) discover the perceptions and beliefs held by Hawaii parents, teachers and administrators…

This book is an effort to introduce early childhood educators to Vygotsky's perspective, research on young children that has been stimulated by this perspective, and current educational practices emanating from it. The discussion is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of Vygotsky's life, the social conditions in which his…

This book reports on a study examining the relative effects of family and day care experiences on young children. The study explored the full range of children's experiences in a wide variety of settings and examined how those experiences are related to the children's development. Chapter 1 presents and compares different forms of contemporary day…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) is the first nationally representative longitudinal study of eighth grade students in public and private schools. It is sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics to provide longitudinal data about critical transitions experienced by young people as they develop, attend…

The five articles in this newsletter theme issue focus on the development of socioemotional and communication skills in infants and toddlers through the Partners in Parenting Education (PIPE) program. The first article, "The Partners in Parenting Education Program: A New Option in Parent Education" (Perry M. Butterfield), describes the program's…

Almost every teacher and parent encounters children with behavior problems. Social changes, including an increasingly violent and information-based society, affect ways in which children view and function in the world. Teachers and parents need to have greater understanding and skill in implementing discipline strategies. This guide presents…

This handbook is intended as a guide to caregivers in programs serving children under the age of three, and as a text for students training to work with infants and toddlers. The book includes material to help program developers and directors set up and manage a child care program. The text stresses the importance of good organization, one-to-one…

This document is taken from a workshop presentation focusing on the identity development of biracial children. The confusion of the academic community concerning this topic is emphasized. Three main aspects are examined: (1) "What is the identity process of any child?"; (2) "What is society?"; and (3) "How does society…

Noting that parenting is a responsibility people enter into with varying degrees of competence and confidence, this book offers parents information on children's developmental stages so that they may effectively address typical problems of childhood and adolescence. Following a brief introduction, the first chapter of the book discusses general…

This report provides an overview of initiatives of the Carnegie Corporation, including its Task Force on Meeting the Needs of Young Children. This task force was established to promote healthy development and education in children ages 3 to 10, including an emphasis on primary education strategies for improvement in disadvantaged communities. The…