The first of five volumes on Project REACH (Regular Education for All Children with Handicaps) describes an approach for assessing and programing for the social skills needs of students with severe disabilities. Three major categories of social skills--social exchange, social rules, and body posture--are addressed. A section on assessment covers…

Research findings are reviewed concerning infants' abilities to discriminate parents from other social stimuli during the first 6 months of life. The term "discrimination" is used to signify the ability of infants to respond differentially to two or more social stimuli. Studies reviewed are categorized in terms of the visual, auditory,…

The purpose of this unit is to help elementary students make new friends among their classmates and outside the classroom. The underlying rationale is that primary students especially can benefit from the study of the characteristics of friends because they need to learn how to interact with other children, to assist in overcoming the egocentric…

The validity of adolescents' responses to questions about the quality of their relationships with parents and peers is often limited by memory distortions, stereotypic response tendencies, and social desirability. In order to obtain more detailed reports about their behavior than is possible using questionnaires, and to investigate the…

This article examines social studies in the primary grades and shows how community resources can facilitate social learning. A three-stage model is examined which addresses the issues of citizenship and community involvement in the primary grades. It provides for teacher/school, parent/community, and learner involvement in all stages of…

Recounts the equal role of women in Sri Lanka, due both to Buddhist tradition and to the Prime Minister encouraging women to enter and contribute to public life. (ND)

This study attempted to refine the assessment of the effectance of four-year-old children through observation of their play. Two scales were developed; the first scale defined organization, involvement, and interpersonal responsiveness in play while the second operationally defined psychosexual content of play. The results confirmed the validity…

Reports recent research which illustrates the educational value of play in preschool education. Play theory, the relationship between cognitive development and play, implications from research on preschool program models, the use of play equipment, dramatic play and teacher participation in play activities are discussed. (SDH)

A longitudinal investigation of the social and cognitive development of male twins was conducted when twins were 2.5 years of age, and again when they were 8- to 10-years-old. This study was designed to re-examine the heritability of the traits studied at the earlier age and, thus, to address the question of the stability of genetic determination.…

These exploratory studies focused on child-pet bonding and the effect of the quality of chldren's home environments on the social development of preschoolers. Survey data from 88 parents regarding the parents, their homes, and their preschool child provided empirical support for the hypothesis that young children derive developmental benefits from…

A revision of the Westley-MacLean model of 1957 for communication research accommodates an incorporation of some of the research areas that have blossomed during the last three decades. The revision concentrates on two aspects of the original: (1) organizational features within the advocate, communicator and audience roles; and (2) environmental…

The literature review examines two questions: (1) what are the psychosocial implications of a learning disability; and (2) how can these socio-emotional issues be effectively addressed by various professionals in secondary and postsecondary settings. Twenty-eight references are reviewed. The review concludes that the lasting psychosocial…

This paper provides curriculum makers with an overview of developmental theory and relates the theory to instructional strategies. The section on socioemotional development addresses Erikson's eight ages of man, Kohlberg's stages of moral development, motivation and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Taylor's stage model of creative development, and…

This booklet provides parents with information that will help them give their children a good start in developing social skills--skills which will continue to support them as they grow academically, physically, socially, and emotionally. The booklet includes a list of social skills, a four-step coaching procedure, and some examples of verbal…

Black and white middle SES preschool boys and girls were compared on the frequency with which they interacted socially with peers (people orientation) and on the frequency with which they engaged in nonsocial activity which involved being occupied with some material or task (object orientation). They also were compared on the frequency with which…