Examined the cognitive development of 79 surviving high-risk, low birth weight children at 1, 2, and 3.6 years. Found that children at high biological risk were able to catch up on their cognitive delay in highly stimulating home environments; those at both low and high biological risk in less stimulating home environments showed a decline in…

The nurturing, protective environment of camp is important for the healthy development of children. In contrast to earlier times, adults today prepare children for the world by encouraging them to grow up quickly and accept more responsibility. Camp encourages children to cultivate trustworthiness, caring, and, most important, an enthusiasm for…

Offers a framework for the analysis and evaluation of actions taken on behalf of children upon their environment. Examines defining suitable child development outcomes for intervention programs. Discusses poverty and prejudice, two examples of environmental conditions that threaten children's development. Summarizes the characteristics of a…

Reviews five books for educators: (1) "Once upon a Folktale: Capturing the Folklore Process with Children" (Blatt); (2) "Integrated Studies in the Middle Grades: Dancing through Walls" (Stevenson, Carr); (3) "Conflict in Child and Adolescent Development" (Schantz, Hartup); (4) "Ways of Assessing Children and…

Reviews four books dealing with different aspects of preschool and primary grades curriculum. The books address the following topics: the importance of a play-centered curriculum, problems and solutions related to children's transition from home or child care to school, how schools can teach respect and responsibility, and the theory and practice…

Analyzes seven characteristics of childhood play and describes way in which current computer technology for young children either allows for, or detracts from, creative play experiences. Argues that refinements are necessary before the computer can approach the effectiveness of more traditional materials in stimulating creative play experiences…

Development of ambulation was studied with 1,744 children, ages 3 to 10, with moderate to profound mental retardation. Although the probability of improvement declined with age, some improvements in basic skills did occur far past the normative age for development of speech and ambulation, across all levels of mental retardation. (Author/DB)

Twenty-four abused children, judged unable to participate in a public school setting due to developmental delays and abnormal behaviors, attended a therapeutic preschool for physically and sexually abused children from 1985-88. Most children made developmental gains at a faster-than-expected rate, and over 79 percent were staffed into the public…

This article reviews the changing structures and characteristics of the American family and discusses the increased influence of several societal concerns, including poverty, substance abuse, and exposure to violence. These issues are considered in light of their potentially deleterious effects on child and family development and functioning,…

Evaluated the development of 44 children adopted from Romanian orphanages. Adoptive parents described their children twice, using the Revised Denver Prescreening Developmental questionnaire when they first met the children, and again at approximately 11 months postadoption. Showed that progress was equal across areas, and that, on average,…

Claims in "The Bell Curve" that Head Start and other early intervention programs are a failure and a waste of funds depend on a notion of cognitive ability reduced to IQ. They ignore other studies that demonstrate the success of such programs and that, consistent with Piagetian views, recognize the interrelationships of cognitive,…

This response to an article comparing guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice from the fields of early childhood education and early intervention/special education stresses the importance of recognizing the uniqueness of both disciplines and of getting recommended practices into actual practice. (DB)

This article reviews the structure, development, function, and assessment of the visual system and then considers: common eye problems of young children with visual impairment; impacts of severe impairment on child development; and the roles of early intervention professionals, ophthalmologists, and pediatricians in working with these children and…

Studied the first comprehensive research on residential child care in Hong Kong. Found that substantial numbers of children in care had been transferred from one residential facility to another, and that their parents suffered from more health, economic, and social maladjustment. Comparison of children involved in four types of movement found…

Investigated effects of object reinstatement on event recall by 6- and 9-year olds'. Subjects were interviewed either 10 days and again 10 weeks after an event, or only 10 weeks after an event. Interviewing included free recall, prompts, and questions. Found that age, delay, and object reinstatement all affected amount and accuracy of recall. (JW)