Describes therapeutic factors in group psychotherapy that can also be applied to the camping experience: group cohesion, interpersonal learning, and altruism. Offers strategies and specific activities for counselors and camp directors to incorporate these factors into the camping experience. (LP)

In response to O'Brien et al., who examined predictors of child outcomes among at-risk infants, this article suggests that the goal of prevention and early detection can be more efficiently met if the focus shifts from prediction to ongoing monitoring of children's developmental growth. A three-step model involving ongoing screening, eligibility…

Two studies examined impact of teacher background and teacher/child ratio on child and teacher behavior in a child care environment. Both studies indicate more effective performances produced by teachers with higher degrees. One study suggests lower ratios are more effective. No interactive effect of ratio and background was noted. (MT)

A portion of the Child Care Cost, Quality, and Outcomes study finds that quality of center-based care was positively related to preschool children's concurrent cognitive and socioemotional development. More advantaged children are not necessarily buffered from effects of poor quality care. In addition, stronger positive effects of child care…

The concurrent validity of the Immaturity (IMM) scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent was studied with 66 adolescents undergoing residential psychiatric treatment. Results support the concurrent validity of the IMM scale and suggest a number of correlate descriptors for the scale. (SLD)

Uses clinical case studies showing autistic children's fascination with and understanding of machines, family studies focusing on occupations of fathers and grandfathers of children with autism or Asperger Syndrome, and experimental evidence using picture-sequencing methods to identify physical or intentional causality to show that children with…

Presents a case study of a first-grader who began to articulate a literary voice through her appropriation of narrative form. Focuses on her active response as she made narrative discourses her own. Draws on the work of L. Vygotsky and M. Bakhtin to suggest a way of talking about how young writers construct themselves. (SR)

Examined the family backgrounds, health and developmental characteristics of 127 children from disadvantaged and deprived environments adopted after age 4. Found that parental psychosocial antecedents, medical and health problems and difficulties in infancy were more prevalent in this group than in the general population. Late age of placement,…

Surveyed 275 parents as to desires and expectations for child care, for which there is currently little information. Found that most parents were satisfied with their chosen child care arrangements, but had a limited base of knowledge for their choice and had stereotypical views of the meaning of progress. Choices showed concern for affordability…

As part of a larger longitudinal study, scores of 239 children (ages 1 to 4) with disabilities on the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) were compared with scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement (Revised) 1 to 3 years later. The BDI scores from children at or above age 2 predicted later achievement scores (mean correlation .74).…

This study of the oral motor behaviors of seven toddlers (age 15 months) may be interpreted to indicate that: (1) mandibular coordination follows a developmental continuum from earlier emerging behaviors, such as chewing and sucking, through babbling, to speech, or (2) unique task demands give rise to distinct mandibular coordinative constraints…

Compared willingness to participate in a developmental guidance program among 209 intermediate-grade students. Found that Korean American students indicated more comfort in discussing personal problems than Caucasians, while Caucasian students indicated greater comfort in classroom participation than Korean Americans. The groups were similar in…

Examines the use of finiteness markers copula "BE" and auxiliaries "BE" and "DO" in the spontaneous speech of children with specific language impairment. Focus is on whether the categorical distinctions between main verbs and auxiliaries and/or between the auxiliary types influence the relative order of emergence…

Determined whether individual neonate characteristics could be detected and reliably measured in preterm infants. Results showed that preterms were highly self-consistent in their reactions to stimuli from neurobehavioral assessments. Highly reliable individual differences among infants were also seen. Individual consistencies and differences in…

No differences in the development of reading and spelling were found between 103 Norwegian children learning print-script as their initial handwriting style and 104 Norwegian students who learned disjointed cursive letters initially. The longitudinal study extended from first to fifth grade. (SLD)