Healthy brain development relies on the quality of early relationships. Supportive relationships and parent-child conversations buffer stress; they contribute to the cognitive and emotional stimulation that developing brains need; and the quality of parent-child conversation is important even before young children are good conversational partners.…

Early experience has a powerful and lasting influence on how the brain develops. The physical and chemical conditions that encourage the building of a strong, adaptive brain architecture are present early in life. As brains age, a number of changes lock in the ways information is processed, making it more difficult for the brain to change to other…

"First Connections with Families" is a statewide initiative developed by the Nebraska Department of Education, in cooperation with the Health & Human Services System, to meet the requirements of LB 326, the Nebraska Read, Education and Develop Youth Act. This booklet contains information about child development (birth to 18 months;…

This annual report details the 1996-97 activities of the Foundation for Child Development. Included in the report is a discussion of the history and mission of the foundation and its funding priorities. The members of the Council, Board of Directors, Officers, and staff are listed. The report of the chair, Barbara Paul Robinson, describes the…

The developing child and his/her eco-social-cultural context is the focus of study of 28 children ages 0-3 years in the rural area of Cocal, Piaui in Northeast Brazil. Ethnographic methods, naturalistic observations and semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain the physical context (the house and its surroundings), as well as maternal…

Two studies suggested that measures of parenting behavior should be differentiated according to source of information (maternal report, interviewer rating) and the context (naturally occurring situation, structured situation). Study 1 used data from an interview portion of the JOBS Child Outcomes Study, whereby mothers and interviewers documented…

This paper examines the cognitive process of concept development in preschool children, based on recent psychological research. Rather than attempting an exhaustive review of the more than 7000 articles written on children's concepts of categories, the paper highlights and illustrates four key themes that emerge from recent research: first,…

This pamphlet, developed by the Colorado Department of Education and provided in both English and Spanish, outlines for parents the behavioral and developmental changes they might expect in their 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-year-old children. For each age, a highlighted list of behaviors and feelings that most children at that age display is provided. A…

This series of 10 booklets provides information to new parents on their infants' behavior and development. The topics covered in the four-page booklets are: (1) "Welcome to the World of Babies," including information on infants' communication, baby books, and developmental milestones from birth to 9 months; (2) "Language: All about Communication,"…

Using an experiential learning approach, these guides for 4-H leaders and members detail a 6-session program, "Babysitting Beginnings," to teach sixth through twelfth graders the responsibilities and skills involved in babysitting. Participants develop a babysitting tool kit for future use with children and a babysitting portfolio, a…

This study assessed the personal values of a group of 17 kindergarten-age children. Children participated in a classroom discussion of heroes and heroines, then drew a picture of their heroes or heroines. The researcher analyzed each child's artwork and determined the outstanding values represented by the hero or heroine. A parallel was drawn…

This paper addresses the different characteristics of children with hyperlexia, high functioning autism, and Asperger's Syndrome. It describes the pattern of development of 20 children with the characteristics of hyperlexia (precocious reading development and disordered language acquisition, accompanied with concomitant social and behavioral…

This paper focuses on how between 1965 and the present, the field of recreation has and has not accomplished the goals of author and educator J. B. Nash's in regard to recreation, physical education, and health, focusing on public recreation sponsored by city governments, county governments, and special tax districts. The paper looks at Nash's…

This paper focuses on differences in Brazil and the United States in attitudes toward multiracial and multiethnic children and developmentally appropriate practice in education and child rearing. Child rearing in Brazil is characterized by a generally permissive approach with a high degree of patience, although parent-child relationships among the…

Because increasing numbers of children receive their health care through managed care organizations, and parents often turn to health care providers for information, these organizations have a unique opportunity to affect children's development. This document comprises two publications, a full report and a brief; it discusses the role of the…