Students in first, third, and sixth grade and college heard scenarios in which a peer experienced an emotionally equivocal or unequivocal event. Neither prompting children to consider alternatives nor reminding them of peers' individual differences produced greater discrimination between equivocal and unequivocal situations. (BC)

Examined the incidence of "romantic" dyads, same-sex friendship dyads, and cross-sex friendship dyads in preschools and day-care centers. Behavior patterns that characterize these dyads are described. It is maintained that results suggest that there are romances between preschoolers. (BG)

Reviews research regarding the sexual identity, personal development, and social relationships of children of gay and lesbian parents. To date, there is no evidence that the development of children of gay and lesbian parents is compromised relative to the development of children of heterosexual parents. (BC)

Twenty-eight regular and special education teachers surveyed indicated that they would like to teach more social skills but were constrained by limited resources and training. Teachers preferred proactive approaches over reactive responses and were about evenly split between wanting to conduct social skills instruction as a discrete content area…

In a study of 3- to 5-year-old, firstborn children, the quality of the children's play with peers, engagement in fantasy play with peers, and management of peer conflict predicted the quality of the children's interactions with their 6- and 14-month-old, second-born siblings. (BC)

Twenty-two studies are reviewed that report the effects of social skills training and intervention with 572 children (ages 5-19) with learning disabilities. Characteristics examined, along with intervention effectiveness, include age and sex of subjects, grade grouping, group size, intervention duration, intervention procedures, subject selection,…

Advocates teaching social skills and nurturing moral development to guide children toward positive social behavior and moral understanding. Recommends applying the same patience to teaching the social process as is applied to the teaching of the writing process. Argues against isolating children through the overuse of punishment. (SM)

This study found that interactions between mothers and deaf infants (n=20) were positively influenced by social support provided to mothers in the infants' early months, mothers' visual and tactile responsiveness, and infants' ability to cope with interactive stress. The relationship between early experience and later language development was not…

Reviews three books: (1) "Contemporary Issues in the Early Years: Working Collaboratively for Children" (Gillian Pugh, editor); (2) "Social Interaction and the Development of Language and Cognition," (Alison F. Garton); and (3) "Child and Nature," (World Organization for Early Childhood Education). (AC)

Most research on American and British preschool programs demonstrates that early learning experiences have an immediate positive impact on children's cognitive and social development. Because of this, there is a strong case for investment in high quality early learning on economic as well as social grounds. (MDM)

Adding plastic gutters to the nursery school's sand area began as a science curriculum enhancement and evolved into a whole curriculum that stimulated cognitive exploration, cooperative dramatic play, language enhancement, and general fun. The children manipulated the gutters and materials such as sand, water, buckets, and tennis balls in a…

In November 1990, President Bush signed into law the National and Community Service Act. This article briefly reviews three arguments for the role of service in an educational program (to stimulate learning and social development, to reform society and preserve democracy, and to halt separation of youth from the wider society). (36 references)…

The article examines options in social skills training for students with mild disabilities. Described are behavioral interventions and five packaged curricula. Among eight guidelines for evaluating a package are efficacy of approach, cost, and concern for generalization. Teachers are encouraged to teach social skills both directly and incidentally…

A study examined effects of a tactile prompting device (the Gentle Reminder) as a prompt for a 9-year-old student with autism to make verbal initiations about play activities. Results indicate that the device serves as an effective, unobtrusive prompt for verbal initiations during play contexts and during cooperative learning activities.…

Examined the effectiveness of a cooperative-learning group structure and direct instruction in promoting social communication of 14 delinquent female adolescents. Participants were assigned to one of three cooperative-learning groups to receive 12 30-minute social-communication training sessions. Systematic increases in communication skills were…