Notes the resurgence of fathering over the last decade and reviews existing literature on the direct and indirect impact of fathers on children's cognitive and psychosocial development during four growth stages: infancy, preschool, middle childhood, and adolescence. (SJL)

Observation of infants and toddlers in a day care setting revealed that frequency of teacher-child interaction decreased and peer interaction increased with age. The increase in peer interaction appeared to be related to the toddlers' greater capacity for reciprocating social behaviors and increased use of vocal behavior in interactions. (JMB)

The maternal linguistic environments of 12 normal and Down's syndrome (DS) children (ages 1-4 years) were studied and compared, with an eye toward isolating factors that might retard the acquisition of verbal communication in the DS children. (DLS)

Summarizes rationale for early childhood educational intervention efforts and describes the Carolina Abcedarian Project: a longitudinal, early educational program providing supplemental preschool experiences designed to prevent the cumulative and progressive decline in intellectual and socially adaptive behavior shown by children from extreme…

Examined continuity in 94 children's vocalization and language development. Acquired data from parent reports of children's vocal and lexical development from 14 to 18 months, and from language development scales administered at 18 months. Found that early vocalizers comprehended and produced more words and suffixes than late vocalizers, and that…

Four tenets of dynamic systems theory related to motor development in infants are identified: coupling of perception and action; development of adaptable and functional movement synergies; phase shifts in which new movement patterns are explored and selected; and identification of the constraining and facilitating forces of motor development. Four…

Case studies examined impact of early intervention on the rate of acquisition of communicative and linguistic behaviors for a small group of severely and profoundly deaf infants. Found that infants who were diagnosed and used amplification by six months of age acquired vocal and linguistic skills at an age more comparable to hearing peers than did…

Examined theoretical model of early environmental action of 282 Caucasian and African American infants, using structural equation modeling. Model included socioeconomic status, early cognitive status, stimulation with home environment, parental use of negative control, and later cognitive status. Models for males and females showed similar…

Examines the timing of partners' talk in mother-infant engagements over infant age to determine whether variations occur in the incidence of the alternating mode. Findings reflect the facilitative effects of covocalization in preverbal infants and the need for the alternating mode with older infants. (31 references) (Author/CK)

This article describes early intervention services provided to families with infants and young children with disabilities in Sweden. The "habilitation model" is based on medical, educational, psychological, and social perspectives placed in a family context. Government legislation stresses intervention focused on the handicapping…

Offers practical information in chart and list format for presenting literature to infants and toddlers in group settings. Highlights include developmental characteristics; sample book titles to match to age characteristics; strategies for planning and presenting storytimes; related resources; and a bibliography. (Author/LRW)

Two financing plans are proposed to address needs for an allowance for poor households to fund child-care: financing from redirected existing funds; and a program of voluntary parental leave to ensure the adequacy of infant care, financed through a payroll tax increase. These proposals would help parents balance work and family obligations. (SLD)

The first of two articles on play reviews the development of play in typically developing infants, toddlers, and young children, including Piaget's observations on the development of play; developmental play research following Piaget (research by Lunzer, Sinclair, Lezine, Lowe, Rosenblatt, Uzgiris and Hunt, Fenson and others, Watson and Fischer,…

Notes that many researchers have asserted maternal "sensitivity" as the key feature of interactions promoting "secure" attachment relationships. Reviews literature addressing the construct of sensitivity, highlighting the problem of definition and identifying the range of behaviors typically used as indicators of sensitivity.…