Discusses why art is important in students' lives, features of artistry that captivate the mind, and reasons why arts should be fully integrated into school curricula. Change in art education should be grounded in substantive insights about artistic content, child development, teaching methods, and curriculum as a meeting ground. (SM)

Describes research on nurturance, focusing on one study of children aged two through six and their interactions with a baby. Boys were found to be as nurturing as girls, but in different ways. Describes a parent survey indicating that girls spent more time than boys playing with and caring for babies. Notes the societal influences on children's…

Argues that early childhood experiences with processes as diverse as language, mathematics, emotion, and music determine which neurons grow and remain active in the brain. Early exposure to these processes results in receptive programming. Discusses the implications for schools, teachers, and parents. (MJP)

Five charts list toys, playground equipment, and other materials found in most child care settings that promote social, emotional, perceptual, sensory, cognitive, and physical development and that can be used, with little or no modification, by children with disabilities. (MDM)

Suggests that the current practice of teaching children about American Indians stems from a belief that Indians represent a positive role model for the "savage" aspects of childhood. Traces this belief through writings of Charles Eastman, G. Stanley Hall, Ernest Thompson Seton, and Holling C. Holling and their romanticized views of life…

Reviews a book that suggests that customary educational practices are in direct conflict with principles of human learning and development. Suggests that experiential learning can correct deficiencies of traditional schooling by promoting genuine understanding and relevance for students. (LP)

Data are considered for 152 children (ages 2 months to 6 years) who underwent brief developmental evaluation and referrals in response to parents' concerns. Members of a multidisciplinary team simultaneously observed and interacted with the children in an arena setting. Data largely confirmed parents' perceptions of their children's development.…

Reviews six books on child cognitive and emotional development. The books address the following topics: the assessment of cognitive competence; children's theories of mind; early grammatical development; the psychological consequences of parental belief systems for children; the role of culture in human development; and perspectives from…

This brief article responds to a previous article on guidelines developed by professional associations for developmentally appropriate early childhood special education practices. The importance of individualization in the application of practices is emphasized, and sample criteria are offered for evaluating the practices. (DB)

Examines singing as a tool for managing children's behaviors. Suggests that singing can be a powerful tool to soothe a baby, promote learning daily routines and cooperativeness, ease separation troubles, build trust and self-esteem, awake a love for poetry and imagery, stretch memorizing power, help develop humor, and build motor skills. Proposes…

Outlines the challenges that well-taught physical education poses during early years' education. Revises some basic notions of why such activities are deemed "good" for children's development and highlights significant difficulties that teachers encounter when faced with delivery of such material. Suggests a model of how teachers might…

Developmental assumptions that are frequently regarded as constraints on elementary school science curricula are analyzed. The argument that elementary school children cannot function as experimentalists because they have not yet attained formal operational thought is not supported by the Piagetian or non-Piagetian research reviewed. (SLD)

Identified the nature of information on early learning and education communicated by three popular Australian women's magazines, and examines the extent to which this information reflected contemporary educational and developmental issues. Found that articles had a sound basis in contemporary theory and research, but were strongly tempered by…

Joseph Chilton Pearce, a writer who lectures internationally on child development, discusses the importance of the birth environment on infant development, the negative effects resulting from doctor-assisted births, his experiences in the births of his children, the importance of bonding, and the relationship between childbirth and childhood…

Studied the evolution of knowledge of the rules of a children's game, and children's capacity for putting them into practice at ages ranging from four to seven. Results showed distinguishable evolutive levels of knowledge and practice through age, with the development of the capacity for putting the rules into practice before being able to…