The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System is a damaging and dangerous "reform" with fundamental flaws: assumptions that all children undergo the same developmental process and that everyone requires the same knowledge to be successful; the fact that the guide and exams cover irrelevant material; and the idea that testing is…

Maintains that reform in children's services is linked to changes in conceptions of the nature of childhood and children's needs. Highlights demonstration project of "wraparound" services for early adolescents to suggest that these emerging programs may embed notions of children as complex systems, ideas that differ significantly from accounts of…

Contrasts the use of behavioral and developmental theories to address a child's aggression. Presents concerns about the use of social reinforcers, activity reinforcers, and tangible reinforcers. Asserts that behavioral techniques that shape children's surface behaviors without placing the behaviors within a developmental context may interfere with…

Describes the concept of a kid-friendly home environment that attracts and welcomes children into the home. Provides a series of simple steps leading to positive relations with children and their friends to create an "open house," as well as a description of the positive effects such an environment has on children. (SD)

Discusses the role of the Child Life Specialist in helping to meet the special needs of medically fragile children. Argues that since many child care professionals may come into contact with medically fragile children at some point in their careers, it is important to examine child life as a specialization in the health care profession. (SD)

Describes the development and implementation of a cross-listed undergraduate and graduate-level child psychology course taught over the Internet. Describes course content and instructional goals. Outlines the opportunities and pitfalls of teaching in a virtual classroom. (CMK)

Examines the historical development of the term "child centered" in the discourse of early schooling in the United States. Beginning with Friedrich Froebel, who was the founder of the kindergarten and focuses on the development of the kindergarten until the 1930s. Explores how the underlying meanings of child-centerdness changed. (CMK)

Examined preschoolers' peer conflicts in the naturalistic classroom setting during free-play time. Found conflicts about play and ideas significantly increased with age while those stemming from physical harm were low overall. Findings support the proposal that conflicts are natural contexts in which children develop socially, morally, and…

Presents information for parents on children's language development prior to speaking the first word, focusing on infants' readiness to learn language. Describes ways parents can support the development of language as a social and intellectual skill, including talking early and often, using songs and poetry, describing experiences, using books,…

This article provides an overview of the benefits of using portfolio assessment for children with special needs followed by a discussion of the steps one might follow when implementing this strategy in an inclusive classroom. A sample letter to parents and a developmental domain descriptor sheet are provided. (Contains nine references.) (CR)

During the summer and on weekends, it is not unusual to see many children, the youngest holding their parents' hands, walking to classes amongst the beautiful landscaping and old buildings of Northwestern University on Lake Michigan's shores in Evanston, Illinois. The Center for Talent Development (CTD) has been offering services and programs to…

Objective: To summarize the past 10 years of published research concerning the 2% of American children younger than 18 years old who are adoptees. Method: Review recent literature on developmental influences, placement outcome, psychopathology, and treatment. Results: Adoption carries developmental opportunities and risks. Many adoptees have…

Through the process of distancing, children develop an understanding of the differences between themselves and others, themselves and objects, and objects and representations. Adults can support progressive distancing in children who are congenitally deaf-blind by applying strategies, such as the hand-under-hand exploration of objects, the…

This article argues that a child welfare system has a significant responsibility to detect and treat emotional and behavioral problems and disorders as a routine part of involvement with child protective services and out-of-home care. Given the very high risk of mental health needs in this population, preventing the development of these…

Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care, a prospective, longitudinal study involving 933 children, were used to examine relations between cumulative participation in 5 types of out-of-school care (before- and after-school programs, extracurricular activities, sitters, fathers, and…