Twenty-two preschool children with cognitive delays were observed during independent play at home and group free play at school. Assessed developmental age was more predictive of play behaviors in home independent play than in classroom free play. Findings highlight the need to consider contextual variation associated with play-based assessment…

Parents must help their children distinguish between wants and needs and put them in a balanced perspective. Children need to learn to respect differences in people rather than base their judgments on socioeconomic status. The article suggests ways parents can grab teachable moments to reinforce their values and decisions. (SM)

To illustrate the joint intervention of sociocognitive conflict and social marking in cognitive processes, 160 children (87 males and 73 females) in Geneva (Switzerland), with an average age of 6.5 years completed conservation of number and conservation of liquids tasks. Conflict and social marking are important in the acquisition of operational…

Reviews evolution of "good practice" and "child-centered" primary education. Discusses matching students' abilities to learning tasks. Examines study of selected teachers' classroom techniques in terms of pupil self-management, group teaching, active learning, and social confidence promotion. Questions value of matching,…

Discusses the reconceptualist movement in curriculum studies, which advocates researchers' use of critical, interpretive, feminist, or phenomenological frameworks to share their work with the early childhood community. This movement is the focus of this special issue of the journal. Discusses efforts of the past 20 years to reconceptualize ways to…

This paper argues for the integration of traditional concepts of developmental domains to provide more unified early intervention programing for young children with disabilities and their families. Research is reviewed which supports an integrated approach to child development. (DB)

The relationship between substance use (tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol) and conduct problems and delinquency was investigated for 2,573 boys in grades one, four, and seven in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania). Substance use is an indicator of boys who exhibit problem behaviors. Results are related to a developmental conceptualization of these problems.…

Maternal views on the separateness and independence of their children were investigated through interviews with 60 Japanese and 60 Israeli mothers about their kindergarten children. Cultural differences between subjects living in Fukuoka (Japan) and Jerusalem (Israel) are discussed for their implications for the study of child development. (SLD)

The development of sex stereotype knowledge (SSK) was studied using 120, 120, and 204 Portuguese children aged 5, 8, and 11 years, respectively. SSK increased with age and socioeconomic status. Results are compared with findings from Brazil, Latin America, and a 24-country study by D. Best and others (1977). (SLD)

This paper suggests a framework for viewing learning disability as a risk factor, noting the importance of the specific type of learning problem, multiplicity, severity, age at identification, and chronicity. Learning disability is viewed in interaction with other risk factors, developmental stages, gender, and contributions of internal or…

Telephone interviews were conducted with parents of 1,601 children to investigate the utility of a statewide (Ohio), first-step screening procedure called Developmental Profile II. With developmental delay specified as the outcome variable, six independent variables representing environmental and biological determinants were identified.…

Discusses the benefits of mixed-age grouping for children's social and cognitive development and reservations parents sometimes have about mixed-age groupings. Also discusses issues that teachers need to consider when implementing mixed-age groups: children's personal care routines; furnishings; children's language, motor, creative, and social…

Commendable as it is for children to have high self-esteem, many practices advocated in pursuit of this goal may inadvertently develop narcissism through excessive preoccupation with oneself. Self-esteem is more likely to be fostered when children have opportunities to build self-confidence through effort, persistence, and accrual of skills. (SLD)

This article reviews research findings on the types of abuse known to occur in day care; the dynamics involved, including the types of threats used to silence young victims; patterns of disclosure; implications for clinical evaluation of preschool-aged children in suspected cases; and influence on psychosexual development and the development of…

Skills that families gain in coping with transitions at the early ages of their child with visual impairments provide skills necessary for all the life-stage transitions that follow and, thus, are termed marathon skills. The transition programing of the Lighthouse Child Development Center in New York City is designed to develop those skills. (JDD)