Given the limited use of social competence assessments by teachers, this article briefly reviews three assessment strategies for preschool children, developmental and curriculum-based assessment, direct observation, and peer relations and friendship assessment. A modified performance-based assessment of peer-related social competence is…

A review of 32 studies that compared social competence of children with learning disabilities and typical children in inclusive classrooms found children with learning disabilities and low-achieving children were at a greater risk for social difficulties than were average-to-high-achieving children and did not have accurate self-perceptions of…

Explored interface between preschoolers' socio-emotional characteristics and interactions with teachers during free play. Found that children who most frequently initiated teacher interaction behaved more aggressively than peers and were so rated by teachers. Children who most frequently received teacher initiations were more shy and anxious.…

Compared teacher and observer ratings of young children's social behaviors during peer play and examined the construct validity of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale. Findings indicated that both teacher and observer ratings revealed factor structures reflecting play interaction, disruption, and disconnection. Observer ratings distinguished…

Argues that research in the context of programs designed to promote the psychosocial competence of children and adolescents is an important road to understanding the fundamental anatomy of social development. Focuses on the theoretical work, research, practice and institutional inventions of the author's professional career. (Author/SD)

Describes an empirical study that examined the impact of being carried on a parent's back on a child's visual integration pathways. Draws on a previous study (Pretorius et al.) postulating that this cultural behavior could have a negative impact as it prevents the child from crawling adequately or enough during the sensorimotor stage. (Author)

A survey of 47 graduate programs and gifted education centers found the largest contingency of those cited as influential in gifted education were noted for their influences in curriculum development, followed by those who have contributed to a better understanding of students' emotional and social needs. Cited persons are listed. (Contains 10…

Analyzes education and comparative education as intellectual disciplines, stressing learning over teaching. Traces changes in comparative education research policies, citing the influence of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Suggests African comparative education research should use alternative…

Recounts the experiences of a social worker in a typical normalization project and then at L'Arche--a community of group homes for the mentally retarded, "assistants," and their families. Emphasizes friendship in an approach to rehabilitation services based on the premises of experiential education. (SV)

Discusses the importance of the development of trust in peer relationships and friendships among young children. Also suggests strategies that teachers can use to help children develop trusting friendships. (BB)

The process and impact of a self-responsibility model for delinquency-prone youth, 10 fourth-grade boys, was investigated using a variation of the case study method. Students participated in a 6-week special physical education program. Results suggest the model caused some affective, behavioral and knowledge changes in the boys. (IAH)

Investigates the development of a perception of values in childhood. Perception of values is defined as being different than those of morality and conventions. Responses to seven scenarios are analyzed. Concludes that there is a distinct concept of values among children and that the instinct for this increases with age. (KO)

Research with young Caucasian children found that, in response to unfamiliar situations, about 15 percent were consistently shy or inhibited, while another 15 percent were consistently sociable or uninhibited, and that these traits persisted through age eight. Both physiological and environmental factors were found to influence these temperamental…

Children (n=118) with severe/profound hearing loss were assessed on language and social skills when aged three-five years and again three-four years later. The study failed to obtain evidence of lasting gains associated with intervention during infancy, intensified programing, or direct instruction by parents. (Author/JDD)

An oral deaf adult presents his views on speechreading as they relate to his personal history, focusing on his relationship with his family; impact of his deafness on his education, social development, and employment; the limitations of speechreading; and the recent development of assistive technological devices. (JDD)