Describes the establishment and work of the Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development at the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, presenting an overview of this theme issue, which highlights Kennedy Center contributions, roots of the Kennedy Center, and ongoing research at the Kennedy Center. Two appendixes list Kennedy Center…

Describes the work of the John F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, which for three decades has promoted interdisciplinary research on developmental disabilities. The paper describes how the Kennedy Center is an integral part of both the educational community and the surrounding civic community at the Peabody College of Vanderbilt…

Comments on a study that reported the positive effects of a neurobehavioral intervention approach on motor skills of young children with cerebral palsy. Concludes that, in its current form, the neurobehavioral approach is only an initial step toward developing new methods for addressing challenging developmental concerns. (CR)

This article from 1855 discusses the validity of signing for individuals with deafness and the need to develop an instinctive "language of gestures" to enable them to profit by the experiences of others and to share in social communion. The need for sign language to communicate religious instruction is emphasized. (CR)

Examines relationships among parents' age, education, literacy activities and shared reading with children, and children's language skills and early interest in books through a longitudinal study of 108 preschool children. Discusses the role of endogenous and exogenous variables in explaining children's language skills and early book reading…

Recounts working with a young client in the Serious Habitual Offender Comprehensive Action Program. Client's reflections offer insight into how youth can use significant events in their lives as pathways to more antisocial behavior. Includes Rolf Loeber's (1990) developmental model that describes how children progress from disruptive to criminal…

Studies the development of self-regulation in school-aged children's help-seeking behavior within a Vygotskian framework. Hypothesizes that studying two age groups would allow definition of two levels of capacity for self-regulation. Shows that the level of self-regulation depends on both age and academic achievement, with older, high-achieving…

Construction-based activity in schools is an essential part of the design and technology curriculum. Issues behind the evolution of construction kit-based activity are examined, with a focus on the early childhood and other influences that may have shaped the minds of those individuals who have invented construction kits in the last 200 years.…

Notes that attachment behavior in infants is a facet of normal child development, and that children with attachment problems require special attention during and after the adoption process. Presents actions needed to increase the probability that such children can be successfully adopted, detailed attachment patterns, and parenting strategies and…

Determines when U.S. children begin to self-handicap, that is, to reduce preparation effort before evaluations. Finds that the high-self-esteem third graders acted adaptively by practicing more for the evaluation task, while the high-self-esteem sixth graders prepared more only if they had been reminded of their personal resources beforehand. (CMK)

Presents a developmental view of the creative process based on Montessori principles. Discusses the preschool child's need for activity, exploration at an individual pace, and connection between the self and the universe. Considers ways to nurture a child's self-actualizing creativity. (JPB)

Proposes a cultural framework for examining socioemotional development of infants and young children across cultures. The framework recommends three distinct yet interrelated units of analysis for research on socioemotional development across cultures: cultural contexts, cultural complexity, and cultural pathways. (JPB)

Describes child and human development as an eco-cultural project. Focuses particular attention to early development of trust and attachment relationships and the age 5-to-7 transition, wherein cultural goals and psychological well-being are achieved despite limited resources and socioeconomic constraints. (JPB)

Provides an introduction and overview of the development of self-determination and recommendations for instruction during preschool and early elementary years. Describes a model of instruction designed to promote self- determination for kindergarten through third grade. Includes suggestions for supporting families to promote this outcome.…

Since 1936, this Phoenixville (Pennsylvania) school, summer day camp, and day care center for children aged 2-7 has implemented the philosophy that children learn best through play, in a nurturing environment where loving people attend to their physical and emotional needs and their intellectual and artistic growth. Contains a resource list of…