A preschool director designed an outdoor playground for 115 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers attending an early childhood center operated by a graduate theological seminary. Based on a review of the relevant literature on different aspects of outdoor play, the design reflected a playground that: (1) integrated outdoor play area with indoor…

This newsletter theme issue addresses the needs of infants and young children at risk due to economic, cultural, and environmental disadvantages. Individual articles have the following titles and authors: "Understanding the Early Experience of Black Children in High Risk Environments: Culturally and Ecologically Relevant Research as a Guide to…

The first Innocenti Global Seminar, which was sponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), investigated the topic of Early Child Development (ECD). This summary report focuses on the three objectives of the seminar, which were to: (1) review critical issues in the field of child development so as to provide a rationale for investing…

For use in tandem with training videotapes illustrating key concepts and caregiving techniques, this guide discusses ways to establish and nurture the partnership between caregivers and families of infants and toddlers in child care. Special attention is given to issues which may cause tension between caregivers and parents, such as bonding and…

This report summarizes discussions from a policy options conference devoted to the needs for personnel preparation related to the implementation of Public Law 99-457, Part H, which provides services to infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions and their families. The three policy questions identified as the most significant were: (1) what…

Early personality and environmental characteristics that predict later problematic aggression and depression in children were investigated longitudinally. A developmental psychopathology approach was taken. (This approach assumes that patterns of adaptation and maladaptation in development can best be understood when explored simultaneously and…

The Infant Care Survey (ICS) was developed to measure new mothers' confidence in their knowledge and skills regarding the care of babies under one year of age. One potential use of this test would be the identification of groups at high risk for health problems or for avoiding medical care. Self-efficacy was an important construct in the…

An overview of some of the recent developments in experimental research on early infantile autism considers related issues such as language impairments, cognitive and affective deficits, nonverbal communication, social behavior, and therapeutic interventions. Research indicates that difficulty with abstract use of language and with pragmatic…

Part of a longitudinal study of women and their first-born children who have different employment and day care experiences during the children's first three years of life, this study focuses on the socioemotional development of children at 18 months of age, who had received at least nine months of continuous day care. Particular attention is given…

Taken from the book "The Language of Primary School Children," this essay is an example of the dialogue among teachers in England about language and writing. The essay gives priority to the discussion of actual material produced in primary schools and highlights the most promising ways in which language was seen to play a vital part in…

This study presents first-hand information on aspects of the developmental process during the first five years of life in rural Teyateyaneng in Lesotho, a small country surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. Implicit in the study is the assumption that a relationship exists between informal education at home and formal education at school.…

This document provides updated information on the SKI-HI program model which presently serves over 2000 young hearing impaired children in 35 states and Canada. The program focuses on training parents in the skills needed to maximize language stimulation and minimize language deprivation. Among 14 educational and philosophical underpinnings of the…

The vulnerability of children to developmental problems was studied in three groups of young children: (1) children with schizophrenic mothers (N=35); (2) children with severely depressed mothers (N=19); and children with well mothers (N=21). The children ranged in age from birth to 5 years, with 64 percent under age 2, and came from families who…

The normal, biologically adaptive development of attachment between the human infant under 3 years of age and mother/caregivers contrasts with the Anglo-Saxon cultural belief that babies should be accustomed to unpleasantness. Separation of hospitalized children from their mothers, as frequently done in the past, has resulted in psychological…

Ethical decisions are involved in life and death decisions for severely handicapped infants. Although it has become common practice for physicians not to treat severely handicapped infants, the ethical considerations involved in euthanasia are complex. A review of the literature reveals that concerns center around the quality of life of the…