This paper presents a review of research studies and theories involving sociodramatic play and its effect on the learning power of middle class children. Discussion centers on definitions, criteria, and principles of play, and ways for teachers to identify and encourage sociodramatic play in the classroom. Play, and especially sociodramatic play,…

This report, addressed to graduate students who intend to enter into field research in inner-city settings, details some of the personnel and community relations problems and logistical and financial challenges encountered by a research team, which undertook an evaluation of early education programs, basic research on child development, and social…

The Language Acquisition Device, or LAD, is related to reading and intellectual development in the first of five papers on cognitive and affective characteristics of exceptional children. A discussion of the intellectual processes involved in learning focuses on the developmental stages of Piaget. A report on a task force to discuss terminology…

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) is beginning a comprehensive longitudinal study of the cognitive, personal, and social development of disadvantaged children from age 3 to grade 3. ETS hopes to identify the antecedents of favorable intellectual and social development and to suggest what kinds of educational programs might help to bridge the…

A selection of six conference papers deals with aspects of research in elementary schools. Albert H. Yee traces teacher attitude toward research since the late 19th century, citing the opposition to new methods which may be encountered, and raising the question of how much real influence the school has on a child's development. The need for…

This study investigated the relationships between parental treatment of thirty-two 4-year-old girls and the girls' relative competence and dependence. The conduct of the girls and their parents was observed. The parents' child-rearing attitudes were assessed from questionnaires. The following classification scheme was created: parents who treated…

Ten normal white babies of middle class parents from the United States and 11 from Holland were observed for one 3-hour period every 2 weeks for the first 3 months of life. The observation form called for an observation about every 5 minutes, about 36 observations per visit. Although all the data on the American babies have not been completely…

A series of workshops for foster parents in Georgia was held, using the facilities of the counties' continuing education programs. Most of the attendants were foster mothers, primarily because the sessions were held during daytime hours. Films and readings were used to stimulate discussion of child care and development, and of particular problems…

Observational research was conducted in homes with a wide socioeconomic range to identify the major factors of experience that affect the development of a child's abilities. Thirty children, aged 12 to 36 months, were observed in three aspects of their environment: Human (family and peers), Static Physical (home and neighborhood), and Range of…

In a discussion of psychological development separate sections are devoted to (1) biological and cultural influences on development, (2) development in infancy, early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence, (3) physiological foundations of behavior, (4) motivation and cognitive development, (5) intellectual development, (6) imagination and…

A cross-section of language research at mid-century from the viewpoint of the psychologist, biologist, and anthropologist is offered in this book bearing on problems of (1) maturation, (2) social anthropology, (3) human biology, (4) experimental psychology, and (5) primary acquisition of speech and language. Five papers delivered at a symposium on…

After a discussion of the need for analyzing knowledge bases in the areas of psychology, Freudian concepts, child development, and the sociology of students entering a master's program in social work, this report examines concepts of simulation, straight line, and branching in computerized teaching, the diagnostic evaluation possibilities of…

The contents of this working paper comprise a series of journal articles focusing on nutrition and special groups. Papers relating to those on the aged are entitled: Nutrition and Health of Older People, and Nutrition for the Aged--A Summation. Those on the American Indian discuss nutrition intake and food patterns, contemporary dietary patterns,…

The Women's Re-entry Education Program (WREP) at De Anza Community College is an attempt to give women who are educationally deprived the opportunity to gain skills that will enable them to function in, and contribute to, the economic mainstream of America. The primary objectives of WREP are to help students: (1) believe in their ability to gain…

This paper presents suggestions and guidelines for planning creative outdoor learning environments and experiences for young children. The discussion focuses on the fact that children learn more readily and develop better physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially when their play is allowed to be creative and innovative in nature. The…