Discusses the role of language development in educational achievement and the implications of this role for curriculum development. Children's preschool knowledge of language and its development in early school years is discussed. How their language experiences in school might enhance their language development also is outlined. Highlighted are…

Assessed coping and stress of primiparous mothers between 7 months of pregnancy and 12 months postpartum; maternal behavior between 1 and 12 months postpartum; and infant development at 12 months. Found that measures of mothers' coping and cognitive appraisals of parenting showed systematic variations over time, and individual differences among…

Provides annotations of recent international documents and journal articles from the ERIC database. Topics include early literacy learning, infant and toddler care, policy developments in England and Wales, play in early childhood settings, ethical conflicts in early childhood education, teacher education in African nations, educational…

This article describes how a disability culture perspective has informed research and early intervention serving parents with physical disabilities and their infants and an approach to research, resource development, and early intervention that has evolved in a community-based organization in response to the unmet needs of parents with…

In this article, the mother of a son with autism shares her struggle to get a diagnosis, choose the right treatment, and face an unknown future for her son Luke, now age 5. Her worries about discrimination, neighborhood acceptance, and the effects of Luke's autism on his siblings are discussed. (CR)

In this interview, psychologist Andrew Meltzoff dispels some popular myths and discusses insights from cognitive developmental psychology to enlighten educators. Studying infants and listening to young children has led experts to revise their ideas about the thought/language relationship. Play activities are profound learning experiences. (MLH)

Analyzed sleep-wake schedules and nap times in multiage infant-toddler groups through three case studies in Finnish day care centers. Found complex interactions among family daily patterns, day care patterns, and young children's sleep disturbances. Identified major differences in day care practices regarding sleep quality related to timing,…

Interviews with 15 Kentucky professionals providing assistive technology (AT) services for young children with disabilities found contradictions, including frequent espousal of teaming as important in service delivery but less frequent implementation; family members not seen as important members of teams, but client goals rated as extremely…

A survey of 84 families of children with visual impairments aged 4 months to 4 years found the children demonstrated delays in all gross motor milestones but that the greatest delays were in mobility milestones such as cruises around furniture, walks independently, and walks up and down stairs. (Contains 6 references.) (CR)

This commentary identifies contributing influences and current issues that may be common across countries and defines potential elements of a universal manifesto on early intervention, including: recognition of individual differences, personalized interventions, involvement of families, support of families, comprehensive assessment, and provision…

This article discusses ways service providers can enhance their working relationships with families of children with special needs. It offers practical guidelines to service providers when selecting materials they plan to use and share with children and their families, such as curriculum packages, information packets, brochures, CD-ROMS,…

Suggests that children construe the world as they develop relationships with other individuals. Offers considerations regarding developmental changes marking the first year of life and argues that cognition is framed in public social exchanges and private dialogical thinking. (DLH)

Examined relationship of security of attachment to development of fear, anger, and joy over child's first 3 years. Found that attachment groups differed in trajectories of emotional development, with differences apparent at 14 months. Resistant children were most fearful and least joyful. Over the second and third years, secure children became…

Reviews evolution and cultural context of early childhood education services and policies in Italy since late 19th century. Describes several features of Italian programs. Suggests that United States early childhood education programs and policies could benefit from many aspects of the Italian experience. (Contains 25 references.) (PKP)

Fifty families participated in mother-infant and father-infant still-face interaction at infant ages 3 and 6 months as part of a study of affect in early parent-infant relationships. Infants' positive and negative affect and parents' positive affect and physical play were coded from videotapes. Consistent with previous research, during the normal…