Draws on discussions with child care workers to discuss important changes involved in moving from teaching preschoolers to teaching infants and toddlers. Describes differences in (1) relating to children; (2) parent/teacher relationships; (3) group dynamics; (4) curriculum; (5) routines and transitions; (6) coworker relationships; (7) director…

Examined home-school relations in five Italian cities, focusing on the continuity and sub-cultural variations associated with two national guidelines: participatory social management and the initial entry of young children into out-of-home care. Found diverse sociopolitical and theoretical interpretations of effective home-school relationships,…

Investigated stability and change in infant affective responses to still-face interaction, impact of maternal depression, and whether infant responses predicted toddler problem behaviors. Found stable individual differences in gazing away and rates of negative affect. Gazing away increased over time. Mothers' current depressive symptoms and…

Previous work by our group has shown that infant emotional vitality (EV), the lively expression of shared emotion both positive and negative, predicts cognitive and language abilities in toddlerhood. Specifically, infants who demonstrated a pattern of high emotional expression combined with high bids to their caregivers, fared significantly better…

To study the social-emotional development of triplets, 23 sets of triplets, 23 sets of twins, and 23 singleton infants (N=138) were followed from birth to 2 years. Maternal depression and social support were assessed in the postpartum period, mother-infant and father-infant interaction and the home environment were observed at 3 months, a…

"Setting" A single primary school which serves a mixed socioeconomic area in the north of Scotland. "Method" Parents gave demographic details about their family and information about whether their children had been breastfed. Twenty- three children, aged 6, took part in three focus groups which were conducted by two…

This paper describes the essential difference between two modes of sexual relating: (1) a personal, outward style of interaction that is the natural extension of affection, tenderness, and companionship between two people; and (2) an impersonal, inward, more masturbatory expression in which sex is used primarily as a narcotic. The origins of…

Thirty infants from monolingual Spanish-speaking homes were tested for discrimination of bilabial stop consonants differing in voice onset time (VOT). Discrimination was determined by the habituation and dishabituation of the orienting reflex as indexed by cardiac deceleration. (Author/GO)

Cardiac and behavioral reactions to strangers were measured in 5-, and 9-month-olds. Results indicate that: (1) behavioral differences between 5- and 9-month-olds are reflected in heart rate differences, (2) there are differences in heart rate but not behaviors when mothers are absent, and (3) heart rate response is linked to affective expression.…

This study examined the stranger reactions of 18-month-old children in three types of mother/stranger social contexts: (1) no interaction, (2) conversation only, or (3) playing cards. The results showed differential responding by condition, suggesting that 18-month-olds are sensitive to the background context of social encounters.

Two experiments, involving a total of 12 subjects, demonstrated the role of adults as releasers of infant vocal sounds, indicating that both rate and percent of bursts of vocal sounds are increased by adult stimulation. Both response-dependent and response-independent social stimulation were effective when infants could see the adult's eyes. (GO)

Designed for child caregivers, this guide to research on infants and toddlers offers references to works that provide reasons for high quality care and increase caregivers' understanding of ways to facilitate the optimal development of babies. Citations concern abuse, attachment, caregiver role, child care effects, child care quality, child…

To evaluate whether conceptional or chronologic age should be used to determine scores in developmental follow-up studies, a study was made of 236 normal and 66 neurologically abnormal infants who were similar with respect to conceptional age but different with respect to degree of prematurity. Assessments of possible differences in cognitive and…

This paper outlines a sample format for a fast-moving, enjoyable, half-hour television show designed to introduce infants to the academic areas of self-awareness, colors, letters, numbers, shapes, and reading. As envisioned, the program will also include music, information aiding parents in developing their infant's gross and fine motor abilities,…