Discusses the educational applications of experimental psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory of peak experience, or optimal flow. Optimal flow refers to the receptive state people achieve when they are engaged in interesting and challenging activity. Includes an insightful critique of multimedia instruction from this perspective. (MJP)

Ten preterm infants in a neonatal intensive care unit were provided with tactile-kinesthetic stimulation. Following treatment, the infants' weight gains and performance on the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale significantly increased, compared to 10 control-group infants, also preterm. The groups showed no differences on length of hospital…

The Purdue Three-Stage Model was applied in a seminar program for intellectually talented middle school students, with the goals of achieving maximum competence; stimulating curiosity and interest; and developing creative and critical thinking, problem-solving ability, independence, and self-direction. The article offers information on student…

Nine adolescent mothers interacted with their infants in three interaction style conditions differing in terms of stimulation and responsiveness provided by the adult. Results support the position that, by interacting in a stimulating and contingently responsive manner, caregivers increase the likelihood of engagement states that are believed to…

Describes young people of today as new subculture of youth that is more global and culturally independent than previous generations. Presents eight characteristics that are representative of students in focus groups conducted on college campuses. Suggests four areas in which changes might be made in college placement centers and recruiting…

An interactive, child-initiated software package was used in teaching reading and communication skills to 3 groups of children (n=30), including 20 children with autism and mixed disabilities. Results suggest that such programs may stimulate reading and communication, but that interventions must be individualized and include detailed planning and…

Environmental restriction or deprivation early in development can induce social, cognitive, affective, and motor abnormalities similar to those associated with autism. Conversely, rearing animals in larger, more complex environments results in enhanced brain structure and function, including increased brain weight, dendritic branching,…

This presentation describes the use of a computer-based stimulation program to allow aphasic patients to practice their language skills independent of the clinician, specifically in the home setting. The prototype computer program, called the Computerized Language Activity Resource Kit, uses the vocabulary found in the Language Activity Resource…

This study, completed in two stages, was undertaken to empirically determine whether home variables make a significant difference in the learning difficulties and school performance of children in an Indian setting. Participants in Phase I were 30 second-grade children between 6 and 9 years of age who were of normal intelligence and showed…

Studies of the human brain suggest that cerebral dominance, the preference for either the right or the left hemisphere to direct the body's behavior, plays a causal role in distinctive learning styles and behavior patterns. The two halves of the brain are physically almost identical at birth, but childhood experiences which utilize one hemisphere…

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and practicability of a home-centered preschool intervention program for cognitive, language, and personality development of mother and child, based upon the use of paraprofessional educators who are themselves members of the population served. One question considered was…

Presented for preschool teachers are guidelines for meeting the needs of speech and language delayed children. Information is provided on the following topics: language development theory, the difference between speech and language, normal speech and language development (including a chart of language milestones from birth to 6 years), disorders…

This booklet describes the kinds of child care arrangements parents can currently make for children under three years of age. Some of the essential features of these arrangements are discussed: continuity of care, safe environments, consistency in parent and caregiver child-rearing values, stimulation for the children, social play, and some…

Two parallel and complementary studies of Language Modelling and its relation to the development of communicative competence in the young child are reported. Over a 6-month period, Study 1 involved weekly naturalistic observations (in the home) of the nature and quality of the linguistic stimulation offered by mothers to their children between 2…

This document is a first year report on a project which examines the effectiveness of (1) teaching the mother versus teaching the infant, and (2) using a professional versus using a paraprofessional as the intervening agent. Also being studied is the relationship between the sex of the infant and the way he is taught and the effectiveness of…