This guide to Williams syndrome (WS), a congenital disorder characterized by developmental/cognitive limitations but relatively high verbal and social skills, explains the strengths, difficulties and variations found among individuals with the condition and offers guidelines for intervention in the unusual properties of the WS behavioral profile.…

This book is the first volume of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Practice Resources Series. It offers a cognitive problem-solving approach to the urgent need for children to acquire competence in meeting the demands of childhood within social, school, and family parameters. Designed for children from kindergarten through middle…

Are students who attend full-day kindergarten better prepared for future academic success than their peers who attend half-day kindergarten programs? Much of the current research on full-day kindergarten programs suggests they are. Researchers cite gains such as increased academic achievement, lower grade retention rates, improved attendance, and…

Previous research has demonstrated that attending center care is associated with cognitive benefits for young children. However, little is known about the ideal age for children to enter such care or the "right" amount of time, both weekly and yearly, for children to attend center programs. Using national data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal…

This booklet compiles 30 papers selected from presentations at "Play in a Changing Society: Research, Design, and Application," the fifth triennial national conference of the American Association for the Child's Right to Play. The papers are grouped into five sections; each section contains an introduction to the papers. The sections…

Noting that linguistic intelligence is often the primary focus of teaching young children, this paper examines the relationship between children's learning and their social-emotional development. The paper first describes the preschools of Reggio Emilia and the theory of multiple intelligences. The paper then synthesizes research on children's…

Recognizing the importance of friendship and peer acceptance in children's lives, this resource book translates research findings on the development of social competence into a tool providing skills, information, and activities that teachers can use to develop the social competence of elementary school students. Activities are based on the notion…

This booklet identifies and discusses methods and procedures to facilitate appropriate social interactions between children and youth with autism and classroom teachers and other school personnel. It is designed to provide information and techniques that are useful in developing social interaction programs. An overview of four approaches commonly…

The socialization process results from development within cultural or social contexts. This study examined attitudes of 107 college students surveyed regarding the negotiation of rules in both the family and the classroom, which are regarded as socialization contexts. Three major concepts formed the framework for the study: first, the theoretical…

This fastback outlines an approach to foster social responsibility in the classroom while simultaneously handling disruptive behavior simply and easily. The strategy that is considered will aid in establishing and maintaining a non-coercive, trusting environment, the first requirement of a quality classroom. Following the introduction, the…

This paper describes the outcomes of an action research project that implemented a program for increasing social-emotional functioning and improving academic achievement in 18 high school students with social and emotional disabilities. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that these students lacked a sense of affiliation to the high school…

Education authorities and schools throughout Australia articulate a range of goals when they comment on the purposes of schooling. Those goals include development of the skills with which a young person might come to understand the world and earn a living. This report concerns a study designed to investigate systematically how Australian schools…

This brief discusses the confusion some young children feel in moving from one activity to another (e.g., bus to classroom, cubbies to book reading, art time to lunch) that often results in frustration and challenging behaviors. The paper provides practical information on a variety of strategies to help preschool children make smooth, independent…

Ancient cultures believed the heart was the crossing point of passion and intellect, and modern scientists are realizing that the brain, heart, and immune systems are connected. The heart thinks, remembers, communicates, and contains stored information. Metaphors for the heart include sensitivity, compassion, sincerity, courage, respect, and…

This study examined preschool children's concepts of relationships with imaginary companions and real people, using the notion of social provisions, or types of social support and interactions. Four-year-olds were interviewed about social provisions--power, conflict, nurturance, and instrumental help--present in relationships with parent, best…