This document evaluates a series of weekly activity guides developed for families of at-risk preschool children. The purpose of the guides was to increase communication between teachers and families, the amount of time families spent with their children on developmentally appropriate learning activities, and parental understanding of…

This study examined the assumption that all caregivers have a set of beliefs which represent their own underlying theory of child development and tested one strategy for identifying the beliefs that preschool caregivers hold. In order to classify caregivers' beliefs about children's social development, an adaptation of McGillicudy-DeLisi's (1992)…

This volume provides the latest research and theory in the area of children's play with their parents. It includes discussions of the basic processes involved in parent-child play, parent-child play in atypical populations of children, and parent-child play from a cross-cultural perspective. Fifteen chapters follow the introduction, "Parents and…

This longitudinal study examined consistency and change in human personality. Rather than studying the consistency of individual differences over time, an approach which considers only the stability of a variable at the group level and ignores differences in stability at an individual level, this study used a person-centered approach to study…

These three newsletter issues provide organizational news from the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, the organization that administers the program that awards the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential to caregivers. Each issue provides a CDA profile of an exceptional educator or caregiver and a listing of CDA training…

This book explores the extent to which the development and socialization of minority children can be seen as continuous with their ancestral cultures. Whether cultural and political conditions in the United States have modified development and socialization processes, and the extent to which ancestral cultures have changed are examined in the 19…

Two studies evaluated cross cultural perspectives of children's moral and ecological reasoning as well as values about nature. The first study was conducted in Houston, Texas, with an inner city black community. Subjects were 72 children from impoverished families. The results suggested that the serious constraints of living in an inner-city…

This paper deals with the psychological processes and emotional experiences of children whose parents are going through the process of divorce and the complications posed by divorced or divorcing parents moving to new locations. The paper begins with a discussion of the implications of divorce, claiming that divorce is a change that affects…

Noting that the physical and mental growth of children are influenced by many environmental and familial factors, this paper explores improving the well being of children. The first part of the paper discusses child rearing, emphasizing three fundamental themes: creating an environment where children are born healthy and wanted; helping children…

This report describes a project that developed and implemented a curriculum to teach young parents parenting skills through themes presented in children's literature. Parenting/child development issues were researched, comparable children's literature was located, and short brochures were written to accompany each lesson. The program was delivered…

Although public acceptance of Head Start is high, public understanding of what the program does remains limited. Studies of Head Start to date have been insufficient in quantity and scope. In November 1994, the Roundtable on Head Start Research began a series of discussions of new directions for Head Start research. The roundtable looked at…

This booklet contains information for parents whose children are enrolled in the Child Development Laboratory (CDL), a university-based preschool and child care program operated by the Department of Human and Community Development on the campus of the University of Illinois. The program provides half-day preschool for 2- to 4-year-old children and…

The multidimensional nature of self-concept was studied in early elementary school children. In addition, the accuracy of children's self-concept ratings was determined through comparisons with the following external measures of ability: (1) parent ratings; (2) teacher ratings; and (3) academic achievement. Participants in this study were 100…

The requirement that schools in England and Wales assess their students, at age seven, in English and mathematics has created a demand for an assessment of students at their entry to statutory schooling. This paper reports on the development and standardization of a test of mathematical concepts for students aged four and over (four plus) as they…

This training guide is designed to enhance the skills of Head Start staff in nurturing children by attending to them and interacting with them so they are safe as they grow and develop. Each of the guide's modules details module outcomes, key concepts, and background information. Module 1 addresses tuning in to children, focusing on building the…