Preschoolers (N=36) and second graders (N=41) were asked to rank preference of a white child, black and an Indian. Subjects were middle-class white southern students who ranked the sharing of small items and their companions in hypothetical social interaction situations. Influence of race of the recipient on sharing behavior is believed to vary…

Historians and social researchers have viewed social policy in America as primarily concerned with issues of equality. Argues that an equally important theme--a sense of loss--has gone largely unnoticed. Examines the role of loss in the historical development of social policy for public education. (Editor/RK)

This article examines the view of infants as passive recipients of social stimulation. It is argued that progress in the understanding of sociopersonality development will be achieved only when the competence of infants and the multidimensionality of the infant social world are acknowledged. (MS)

Asserts that dichotomous cultural templates such as independence and interdependence do not accurately reflect the complexity of social life and often result in stereotypic characterizations of social orientations of individuals and cultures. Discusses viewpoints that promote use of dichotomous labels, espouse dualities for some cultural aspects,…

Provides ways preschool teachers can help special needs children develop interpersonal skills and communication skills through interaction with their peers. (HTH)

Considers the value of multicultural literature as a means of promoting social development for the greater good of society. Multicultural literature can be used across grade levels and subject areas to promote substantive social development, and it can improve the social studies curriculum by supplementing traditional materials. (SLD)

Presents abstracts for 10 recent ERIC documents and 13 journal articles on the topic of bullying in school, focusing on the incidence of bullying and strategies to address bullying. Delineates resources available on the World Wide Web. (KB)

Describes how riddles can help children develop intellectually and interact socially. Discusses riddles for children in various works: geography, poetry, mathematics, and folklore. Presents a sampler of creative activities for children, including play-acting, interviewing parents, designing exhibits, imitating news reporters, and setting up a…

A parent of a child with multiple disabilities and profound delays comments on the quantity and quality of Individualized Education Program (IEP) objectives concerning social competence in preschoolers with disabilities. The paper stresses the critical importance of social competence and the need for schools to give it priority over achieving…

Assessed the classroom and playground behavior of children nominated as either popular or rejected by their peers. Subjects were 631 black South African children between 8 and 12 years old. Found that rejected and popular children did not differ in their initiations of contact with other children, but popular children were the recipients of more…

This paper explores the neural systems underlying social behaviors as they pertain to autism. It discusses major channels for transmission of social-emotional information, neural pathways subserving social behaviors, and social cognition in autism. A hypothesis of autism based on deviant development of the widely distributed neural system…

Discusses the challenges facing "rainbow teachers" in developing the habits of academic literacy in their "rainbow students:" teaching them how to write and speak as a member of an academic community, how and when to request information and from whom to request it. (TB)

Explains a study in which male drama students, several of whom had behavioral difficulties, engaged in creating two scenes for a community play. Concludes that the play was a catalyst for significant growth in the boys, who valued highly the opportunity to share ownership of the content. Notes certain elements of the creative process need to be…

Discusses the Defining Issues Test as an invaluable tool for research and practice in moral education. Explains that because such instruments are based upon previous developmental research, they are unsuitable for research on moral development. Argues that these measures stand in the way of generating new knowledge. (CAJ)