Reports a study that identified the dimensional structure of mentoring and other support behaviors that occur among adults in elementary schools. A questionnaire about support relationships completed by 488 elementary teachers found 6 factors that were dimensions of support: mentoring, supporting, collaborating, career strategizing, supervising,…

The author of "Life Centered Career Education" (LCCE) comments on reasons for the curriculum's success, what LCCE offers for the 1990s, how easy it is for a school system to implement LCCE, how LCCE can be used in mainstreamed settings, and what is needed to implement a comprehensive program like LCCE. (JDD)

The phenomenon of social skills is explored in the context of school superintendency, and findings of a study designed to assess social communications skills of 236 practicing superintendents are reported. Reasons for the discrepancy between the high skills expected and the low to average skills actually found are discussed. (SLD)

Compared social competence of 566 elementary students classified as learning disabled, mentally retarded, behavior disordered, low-achieving, or regular education students. Found significant group effects on three subscales and total score of Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment. Sex differences also were found, with…

Conducted meta-analysis of studies concerning social skills of children with learning disabled (LD). Children with LD were less liked and more likely to be rejected than normal achieving children. Children with LD were more likely to be rated as aggressive, immature, suffering personality problems, and having difficulty attending. Variations were…

Examined differences among middle-aged, middle-class female adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and female non-ACOAs with regard to interpersonal and intrapersonal functioning. ACOAs report higher levels of depression, marital conflict, and parental role distress; lower levels of self-esteem, perceived social support, family cohesion, marital…

This article describes a prototype videodisc method of assessing social competence, knowledge, and perception in children with disabilities. It notes major hardware features (Macintosh IIx computer), software features (using SuperCard), improved examinee response modes, and improved data entry techniques. (DB)

Tested hypotheses that low self-regard contributes over time to peer victimization and that behavioral vulnerabilities are more likely to lead to victimization when children have low self-regard than when they have healthy self-regard. Found that both hypotheses were supported with third through seventh graders, especially when self-regard was…

Discusses how the World Wide Web can be used as a major resource for teaching projects and building team skills. Presents a project assignment using the World Wide Web that might be included when teaching a unit in the primary grades on likenesses and differences. (CR)

Reintroduces the ethological concept of social dominance, and interprets it from a strategy-based perspective. Maintains that, by adopting this approach to social dominance and explicitly incorporating developmental processes and uniquely human capacities, human social-dominance patterns appear to be more similar to primate patterns than commonly…

Explores some of the research that describes the process of growing up to be violent, reviews a typical conflict-resolution program in the schools, and describes an action research project that provides some pointers on the development of conflict-resolution programs that address the problem of violence in greater depth. (SM)

A study evaluated whether the availability of particular types of toys would influence the level of interactive play achieved by eight preschool children with disabilities in an inclusive preschool classroom. Results indicated that cooperative play was significantly more likely when social toys were available. (Author/CR)

Two studies explored the relationship between young children's pragmatic skills and their grammatical development. The studies involved videotaping children with and without autism interacting with their parents at age 1;2 and 2;7. In both studies, pragmatic accomplishments of mutual attention, as well as mother's conversational style, explained…

This reprinted article discusses the intrinsic value and indispensable necessity of the use of natural signs in the education of students with deafness. The benefits of sign language over oral language, the use of sign language to teach moral development, and the need for a common language is discussed. (CR)

Promoting socioemotional literacy and learning to detect social problems early are among the most powerful tools educators can use to prevent youth violence. Educators can head off signs of trouble by developing their reflective capacities and by establishing caring, responsive, and supportive relationships with their students. Contains 13…