Investigated feasibility of teaching socio-dramatic play through the use of a verbal script to increase sophistication of free play behavior in preschoolers with developmental disabilities. Found support for the clinical utility of scripted play as a teaching strategy for such children. (SD)

This article presents a developmentally supported implementation of Internal Family Systems Therapy for school-age children and their families. Relevant developmental characteristics of children are described. Suggestions for working with parents, child-oriented interventions, and a case example are presented. (BF)

Offers a biographic profile on the life of John Blacking who was a distinguished music scholar. Explores his approach to the study of children as a distinctive musical culture and the nature of their musicality; the role of physical movement and dance in musical experience; and the development of world music in education. (CMK)

Discusses how adults can infuse music in young children's routines to nurture powerful learning connections. Includes discussion of musical development, its impact on other developmental domains, and brain development and music. Highlights four music activities to illustrate developmentally appropriate music experiences, asserting that…

This introductory article discusses the current status of our knowledge as well as critical research needs in the earliest stages of literacy, before formal schooling begins. It summarizes articles addressing this topic that are based on a three-day workshop on emergent and early literacy learning held in September, 2001. (Contains three…

A panel of speech professionals was randomly presented with speech samples from four neurogenic and four developmental stutterers and was asked to classify them accordingly without any patient knowledge. Results support the view that, based on the patient's verbal output only, it is difficult to distinguish between neurogenic and developmental…

After reviewing attachment research, this article argues enhancing early child-parent relationships involves two principle tasks: helping parents identify children's needs and parents' responses to these needs; and helping parents gain insight into how their "states of mind with respect to attachment" influence their parenting behaviors and their…

School....parents....friends--these are the main elements of life for all children. Whether identified as gifted or not, children look for support and strength through the people and places with whom and where they spend each day. When one of these essential ingredients to a well-lived life is lacking, all manner of issues can arise: (1) boredom;…

This article examines the practices of home-school communication in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase in South Africa. The aims of this qualitative investigation were to determine the nature and effectiveness of home-school communication practices and to make recommendations on how communication can be improved to facilitate better…

Magnitude is assumed to be represented along a holistic mental number line in adults. However, the authors recently observed a unit-decade compatibility effect for 2-digit numbers that is inconsistent with this "holisticness" assumption (H.-C. Nuerk, U. Weger, & K. Willmes, 2001). This study used the compatibility effect to examine whether the…

A growing body of research supports the belief that literacy begins at birth for all children, including young children with disabilities. The literature review revealed issues related to individuals with disabilities and literacy, including the differences in parental perceptions and lack of adequate support and exposure to literacy related…

Recent research on children's historical thinking has produced rich descriptions of instruction. However, the research literature is largely lacking a theoretical model of learning. This article asserts that developmental constructivist theory informs research design and interpretation, provides explanatory power, and promises more useful…

There are nearly one billion adults who cannot read and write, according to UNESCO statistics. Most of these are people living in extreme poverty, almost two-thirds are women, and nearly one in five is a young person aged between 15 and 24. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) believes that there are five compelling practical reasons for…

Because technology in the home is becoming ever more available, understanding the role of technology in early childhood development is increasingly an opportunity and a concern for educators. This report examines data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, to provide an overview of the role of technology in the…

Repeated measures and longitudinal studies arise often in social and behavioral science research. During the planning stage of such studies, the calculations of sample size are of particular interest to the investigators and should be an integral part of the research projects. In this article, we consider the power and sample size calculations for…