Immigrant (Japanese and South Americans in the United States) families' play was compared to play in families in their countries of origin (Japan and Argentina, respectively) and in a common country of destination (European Americans in the United States). Two hundred and forty 20-month-old children and their mothers participated. Generally, the…

Programs desiring to offer true alternatives for troubled children and youth can focus efforts through a developmental lens. Adults who focus their intervention decisions through beliefs based on healthy social-emotional developmental theory and practice provide a strength-based alternative, a sturdy foundation, and an oasis of hope for youth to…

The urge to surpass their current skills is not unusual for healthy young children. In fact, without it, they wouldn't have bothered to crawl, then stand, then walk, and later "climb many Mt. Everests." In this article, the author assesses the case of a child who carries it a bit further than most children, which frequently put this child's safety…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive validity of a collection of prelinguistic skills measured longitudinally in the 2nd year of life to language outcome in the 3rd year in children with typical language development. Method: A collection of prelinguistic skills was assessed in 160 children early (M = 14.31 months; SD =…

This phenomenological study examined kindergarten children's development of spatial representation in a year long mapping project. Findings and discussion relative to how children conceptualised and represented physical space are presented in light of theoretical notions advanced by Piaget, van Hiele, and cognitive science researchers Battista and…

This article presents an adaptation of the keynote address Steve Silvern delivered at the 2006 ACEI Annual International Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas. In his address, Silvern observes how educators seldom educate children "wholly." No one ever includes spirit when talking about the whole child, probably because spirit…

The most important element in operating a high quality child development program is the people who implement it on a day-to-day basis, the teaching staff. As a result, primary importance for an administrator is selecting the right people to join the staff. The questions to ask an applicant should reveal not only who they are professionally and to…

Confident in what she knows, excited about what she's learning, eager to share her passion with others--this is Marsha Williams, director of In Arms Reach Home Day Care, Baltimore, Maryland. She enjoys being a family care provider, because with no more than eight children, she manages to give more individualized attention on a daily basis. She…

This study examined 3- to 5-year-olds' (N = 128; 54% girls) ability to discriminate emotional fantasy and reality. Children viewed images depicting fantastic or real events that elicited several emotions, reported whether each event could occur, and rated their emotional reaction to the image. Children were also administered the Play Behavior…

This final report of the Family Development Research Program contains a description of the program's comprehensive family service approach to promoting child development and the longitudinal findings on program effectiveness. The program offered comprehensive services to 108 families which were low in both income and education. Services included:…

Issues connected with children's welfare and child development are appearing on national and international agendas with greater prominence and frequency. However, the international image of children is becoming increasingly homogeneous and Western-derived, with an associated erosion of the diversity of child contexts. This essay explores the…

Rich with clinical insights, this volume reviews the state of the science of identifying and treating autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in very young children. Leading authorities examine critical research issues and present innovative approaches to assessing social, cognitive, adaptive, communication, and sensory-motor impairments in the first two…

Children and adolescents, up to approximately age 20, are more susceptible than adults to potential health risks from chemicals and environmental hazards. Hazardous chemicals can interrupt or alter the normal development of a child's body, leading to lasting damage. Since children are smaller than adults, similar levels of exposure to toxic…

This report covers the third year of Chapin Hall's process evaluation of the Prime Time Initiative of Palm Beach County, Florida, a system-building effort to strengthen the quality of after-school programs in the county. During the past two decades, the after-school field has expanded enormously, partly in response to increasing concern about…

This study measures the nationwide participation rates of girls and boys in exercise and organized team sports. The central focus is on how the intersections among families, schools and communities are related to children's involvement and interest in athletics and physical activity. Some of the personal and social benefits associated with…