An exploratory study examined the premise that pets provide developmental benefits for young children. Four hypotheses were derived from prior research: (1) children who have a bond with a dog or cat show more maturity in their cognitive, moral, and emotional development than children who do not have such pets; (2) children who have a more…

While the trend for increasing numbers of women to enter the labor market is clear and career opportunities for women have expanded, women continue to be employed in occupations that are traditionally female and low-paying. This study examined childhood preferred play materials, structured and free play activities, and leisure time activities of…

The relation of domain knowledge to achievement, and changes in this relation that occur with age and type of memory task, are discussed. First, different mechanisms through which domain-specific knowledge relates to strategy use in memory tasks are summarized. Then, empirical evidence that indicates direct effects of the knowledge base on memory…

This question and answer booklet is designed to help parents and their children understand the importance of successful school entry and what happens in school. Questions include: How do I get my child into school? What is kindergarten like? How can I encourage school adjustment? What if my child is not eager to start school? How do I deal with my…

In the field of adult education, self-esteem is a concept worthy of exploration, for it is a crucial component of much that happens in the educational setting. However, although many studies have explored self-esteem in children, little has been written about adult self-esteem. Self-esteem has been defined as a component of self and has many…

The Career and Life Management 20 course is required of Alberta, Canada senior high school students. Through the course students are to be given the opportunity to realistically set and plan for personal goals; assess and consider their own abilities; determine how their personal characteristics affect their learning and decision-making processes;…

This research review summarizes the current research literature regarding Gesell screening. It also explores the controversy over whether developmentally unready children should be held out of kindergarten, retained at the end of the kindergarten year, or placed in pre-kindergarten or pre-first grade classes. A seven-page bibliography on…

An attempt was made to integrate script and schema-based approaches in an examination of children's early gender role development and gender typing. The examination focused on: (1) young children's sequencing of gender scripts and the relation of this sequencing to children's age, sex, and gender role knowledge; and (2) age-related differences in…

This paper analyzes the rationale for the project approach to educational programming from the cognitive-developmental perspective. It is argued that in many ways, the project approach reflects the cognitive-developmental view; that it is a convergence of Piaget's constructivism and Dewey's progressivism. Like any approach, the project approach is…

The following lectures are presented in this publication: (1) "The Dynamics of Recreation" (Betty Van der Smissen); (2) "Recreation Prospects" (Edith L. Ball); (3) "A View of the Past--A Bridge to the Future" (Allen V. Sapora); (4) "Coming to Grips with the New Leisure" (Richard G. Kraus); (5) "The Mild Blue Yonder--Changing Lifestyles and…

In spite of statistics that show that demographically there are increasingly more women than men as people age, and that epidemiologically women are more likely than men to utilize health services, most health services continue to be based on research and training that is both age and gender biased. Few mental health professionals are…

Those who design and develop playgrounds are caught between the desire to provide developmentally appropriate, challenging opportunities for play and the desire to restrict play challenges in order to reduce danger to children or the likelihood of being held liable for injuries. While there can be no argument against accident and injury…

This document summarizes discussions at an invitational workshop on youth development in Nigeria. Youth were defined as those between 18 and 40 years of age, with those who were between 30 and 40 years old considered to be "mature youth." The following broad issues were discussed: (1) the characteristics of youth, including their…

This study tested the hypothesis that social competence of mother-infant play reflects both secure mother-infant attachment and more advanced cognitive development. Subjects were 58 toddlers between 16 and 19 months of age and their mothers. Two general methods were used: observation and maternal report. Standardized developmental assessments were…

Sixteen adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 years and their parents participated in a preliminary study on the impact of family and individual factors on diabetes control for the adolescent. It was hypothesized that there was a relationship between the adolescent's perception of adolescent development, social support, depression, family…