This report summarizes a 3-day symposium held to explore issues surrounding child-to-child sexual behaviors among preschool children. The participants included professionals from a range of fields--education, higher education, therapy, curriculum design, and training. The first part of the symposium involved an open exchange of issues and ideas on…

This book was written for parents or anyone who works with children and families. The entertaining stories and practical ideas were gathered from the author's 20 years' experience working as a school psychologist and teaching parenting classes to over 14,000 parents. The examples put parents at ease and empower them with specific, positive…

This study investigated toddlers' reactions to morally related events to determine whether age was a factor in emotional reaction, whether the middle of the second year was a salient time for the emergence of emotional reactions to such events, and whether heart rate change could be used as a new measure of moral responsivity. While their heart…

This study investigated preschoolers' understanding of three parental emotions: happiness, sadness, and anger. The study also examined relationships of these understandings to preschoolers' emotional competence. Subjects, 70 children with a mean age of 55 months, were presented with a dollhouse and were encouraged to imagine that the dollhouse…

This paper addresses the role of quality age-appropriate television programming in preschoolers' lives. The paper describes a developmental investigation of preschoolers' knowledge of polite behavior routines and their modeling of host-quest behaviors from a special episode to the television program "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." The…

This study investigated the differences in parental attitudes toward cross gender behavior in children. It was hypothesized that cross gender behavior would be seen as more acceptable for girls than boys, that this effect would be more prominent in fathers than in mothers, and that parental acceptance of cross gender behavior would decrease as a…

Now the theory and research behind the positive behavior support (PBS) process--an approach already proven effective in schools and community programs--has been transformed into a practical, easy-to-use guide that's perfect for sharing with parents. Developed by educators and families, this user-friendly handbook offers parents easy-to-follow…

This study on the effect of participation in field trips as a literacy intervention in play investigated how preschool children incorporated the literacy behaviors emphasized during the field trips into their play activities. Authentic literacy materials were included in two dramatic play centers before and after 15 children participated in…

This booklet provides parents, librarians, child care workers, and teachers with tools for assisting children in understanding their experiences. The books listed in the chart and described in the approximately 700-item annotated bibliography were chosen for content helpful to children in dealing with the concepts and behaviors which are part of…

This report summarizes what is known about the children of incarcerated parents in California. The report estimates the number of children in California who have parents in the state's criminal justice system (jail, prison, parole, and probation) and summarizes key findings from the research literature on the impact of parental arrest and…

Behavioral observations and sociometric ratings were assessed in separate 3- and 4-year-olds child-care classes across a 2-year period. In general, correspondence between behavioral observations and sociometric ratings increased with age, and social structure showed greater cohesion in the 4-year-olds class. Gender was an organizing principle in…

Naturalistic observations were made of children in grades one through six on school playgrounds. Observers coded interactive behaviors, affective valence, and play states. Aggressive children displayed more verbal and physical aggression, antisocial behaviors, and interaction than did nonaggressive children. Peers made similar initiations to the…

Studied how toddlers respond to interactive multimedia. Found that 2- to 3-year olds can engage in computer interactions, but that purposeful and meaningful interactions may not begin until children are about two-and-a-half years old. Prior knowledge plays a strong role in toddlers' computer experience. Human interaction is vital to help…

This study examined the relationship between classroom culture, determined by the teacher's beliefs and values about their role in working with children, and children's behavior in that environment. Fifty 3-year-olds attending child care full time were videotaped during play, and their conflicts were transcribed. Results suggest a link between…

Examined stability and behavioral correlates of peer acceptance from kindergarten through second grade. Found that social acceptance and peer competence were relatively stable. Stably rejected children showed poorer peer and teacher ratings of social behavior than others; transiently rejected children were rated moderate in social skill. Changes…