Poor self-perceptions of reading performance, and the resulting negative impact on children's emotional well-being, can be attributed to school-related causes, parental reactions, and peer reactions. Positive feelings about self can develop and reading problems be reduced through provision of effective environments, appropriate classroom…

Two experiments compared effects of play initiation training on subsequent social interactions between preschool/kindergarten students with severe disabilities and their nonhandicapped peers within play contexts. Training the disabled child in social initiation and play skills was more effective than providing awareness activities and rewards to…

Reflections on the profession of admissions officer include the need for sharing of information within the profession, the admissions officer as enrollment manager, the role of intercollegiate athletics, and merit scholarships. (MSE)

Draws attention to the potentially harmful effects of evaluating children's friendships on what are often negative outcomes, rather than on the efforts that children make to effectively negotiate their friendships. Describes a study of children's friendships in a fifth-grade, culturally diverse class in a large urban elementary school, revealing…

Examined individual differences in friendship characteristics and their cross-sectional and longitudinal interrelations with adolescent problems. Assessed four salient friendship characteristics: reciprocity of relations, overt hostility, covert hostility, and self-disclosure. Suggests that adolescent problem behaviors have a more potent…

The program involved each adolescent receiving 10 weeks' consecutive training. The results suggested that individualized training was superior to standardized training. Skills important for making friendships were included in the program, and provision was made for meeting the needs of both impulsive and unassertive adolescents within group…

Describes a process used by the Downtown Alternative School, Toronto, Canada, to resolve conflicts among the students there. Offers the perspectives of the teachers, students, parents, and observers on the effectiveness of the approach. (TB)

In fall 1989, San Jose State University's educational administration program introduced a two-semester peer-coaching class as part of its Professional Administrative Services Credential requirement. All student-practitioners receive seven hours of instruction, modeling, and practice in peer coaching. Peer coaching reduced professional isolation,…

A longitudinal study examined predictive relations among sociometric status, aggression, and adolescent childbearing; the relation among peer status, aggression, and multiple births; and whether these variables are related to the timing of adolescent childbearing. Results suggest that controversial peer status and aggression predict adolescent…

Observations of interactions in a day care center serving deaf and hearing children focused on eight children (either deaf or hearing and with either deaf or hearing parents). Although deaf and hearing children interacted with those of other hearing status, there was a stronger tendency to initiate communication with same hearing status peers.…

This study investigated effects of social interactive strategies (such as, contingent imitation, natural reinforcement contingency, and time delay) in promoting early social-communicative skills of a preschool child with developmental disabilities during daily classroom activities. Results indicated that the child's eye contact, joint attention,…

Discusses characteristics of pretend play and how it can be used to help children with disabilities interact with their typically developing peers. Includes specific play activities and suggestions for teachers. Notes that available play space, number of toys available, and amount of time allowed also influence participation in pretend play. (HTH)

This study examined effects of achievement on the peer status of Mexican American elementary students (n=43) with learning disabilities (LD) in academic and play contexts. Mexican American students with LD received significantly lower sociometric scores than low-achieving nondisabled Mexican American peers even in classrooms where all students…

Examines perspectives from 20 adolescent immigrants on emigration from the former U.S.S.R. and their educational experiences in an Israeli high school. Findings include evidence that they are confident of their past educational experience and imported skills and view them as relevant in their new environment. Perspectives are also provided on…

Summarizes 16 recent ERIC documents and journal articles on children's social difficulties. Topics of the articles include social-cognitive processes of withdrawn children; genetic and environmental influences on inhibition; anxious-withdrawn preschoolers; helping children grow up in the 1990s; development of inhibition; behaviors of parents of…