Provides a general background on child-centered learning, focusing on topics such as "center time" and children's play. Offers suggestions that will enable early childhood teachers to implement child-centered music practices. Considers ideas on different music centers and activities for teachers interested in developing a child-centered music…

This discussion of the developmental underpinnings of self-determination for students with disabilities considers metacognition, self-perception, social problem solving, and autonomous decision making. It urges developing school policies contributing to self-sufficiency; ameliorating curricular, instructional, and service delivery systems…

The case is made that advances in chaos and complexity theories and self-organizing systems have important implications for the field of learning disabilities. Problems with behaviorism are discussed and the properties of self-organizing systems are explained. The concepts of continuous, nonlinear development and motivation and volition are…

Two cause indicator models were formulated to link items of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment--Short Form to the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised. These models were tested with data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (506 and 345 children), and a final model was developed. (SLD)

Assessed coping and stress of primiparous mothers between 7 months of pregnancy and 12 months postpartum; maternal behavior between 1 and 12 months postpartum; and infant development at 12 months. Found that measures of mothers' coping and cognitive appraisals of parenting showed systematic variations over time, and individual differences among…

Describes a collaborative project that allows students to explore the role of culture in child development and education through an in-depth study of mathematics education in the United States and Asia. Reports that the assignment is effective in helping students to understand cultural influences and the ecological model of child development. (DSK)

A program that combines sports and literature can improve students' reading, writing, and comprehension skills, promoting links between children's personal development and self-esteem and forging links between sports, literature, and daily life. Describes one such program, Sports PLUS After School, noting: program goals, components, and structure;…

A study assessed social skills development in children aged 8-13 with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder after they attended a residential summer camp. Questionnaires returned by parents of 12 such campers reported increases in age-appropriate behavior, independence, self-esteem, connection with peers, and participation in group activities.…

This response to an article regarding the tension between talent development and personal growth in gifted education argues that dissociation of these two aspects is conditional, not a constant state of affairs. Contingencies and processes responsible for the dissociation are identified and ways to integrated these two perspectives are discussed.…

Describes Vygotsky' view of play and its contribution to children's development. Presents developmental paths of play, focusing on the development of imaginary situations, explicit roles, and implicit rules. Describes how play leads to literacy and supports self-regulation, and ways early childhood teachers can facilitate play through promoting…

Constructed and tested for validity the Developmental Rating Scale (DRS), which uses teacher judgments about the academic development of children to evaluate student achievement. Teachers evaluated children at the pre-kindergarten, first-, and second-grade levels using the DRS and the Developmental Profile II (DPII). Found that the DRS, unlike the…

Discusses the effect early-childhood educators have on children's identity development--their stories of themselves. Examines children's abilities to produce narratives, and considers the role of nonverbal expression in the making of children's identities. Notes the social context of these stories. (JPB)

This article describes two developmental assessment instruments used by teachers working with students with autism: the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R) and the Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile. Information is provided on administrator qualifications, item administration, scoring, reliability, and validity. One teacher's use…

Examined effect, after 1 year, of parental cognitive stimulation, emotional support, and intrusiveness on verbal and nonverbal abilities of low-income children in Head Start programs. Found that children of parents who provide the highest cognitive stimulation and emotional support coupled with no intrusive behavior fared best in later perceptual…

Discusses the introduction of Cosmic Education to Montessori elementary school children, focusing on the way the curriculum is structured around five "great stories": Creation, The Coming of Life, The Coming of Humans, and the stories of the development of Language and Mathematics. (JPB)