The predictive power of age and IQ at time of admission to an intensive behavioral treatment program for young children with autism were examined in a 4- to 6-year follow-up of educational placement. Results with 27 children showed that having a higher IQ at intake and being younger were both predictive of later placement in a regular education…

Presents evidence that early and primary school learning exhibits features that previously were thought typical of adult learners only. Reconceptualizes child-centered primary education in light of theories on expertise, conceptual change, and epistemological development. Explores a theoretical approach to learning called progressive inquiry…

Examined impact of a 5-week parent education course on parent-reported behavior of children whose parents were randomly assigned to parent education group or control group. Found that parent education did not affect boys' behavior change; younger boys showed more improvement than older. Parent education was associated with improved girls'…

Examines the rise and demise of schools devoted to the instruction of young children in the British Colony of South Australia from 1836-1901 particularly focusing on the age-graded school system. Discusses the development of the "junior scholar" and the problems encountered with the transition to senior grades in elementary schools. (CMK)

A study investigated the relationship between speech production and several demographic and developmental factors in 147 children (ages 14-60 months) with hearing impairments. Significant predictors of speech intelligibility and phonetic inventory included the child's age, expressive language ability, degree of hearing loss, mode of communication,…

Uses a national sample of 27,811 undergraduate students who had completed the American College Testing College Outcomes Survey to evaluate the effects of the college environment on academic and intellectual development and to compare the outcomes for adult learners with those for younger students. Comparisons revealed that adults reported slightly…

This study investigated early clinical differences between 27 children (ages 0-4) with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified and 27 children with attention deficit disorder. Results revealed almost no differences between both groups with respect to pregnancy or birth complications and suggest that differences become more…

Examines the development of thematic and observational drawings among third and seventh graders, with some receiving formal instructions whereas others did not. Finds that formal instruction did not significantly affect students' drawing achievement, but does find a trend toward decreasing female achievement with age. Makes observations for art…

Used cases of democratic and non-democratic governmental systems and freedom of speech to investigate 6- to 11-year-olds' notions of political fairness and democracy. Found that political fairness concepts were applied at all ages to evaluate governmental systems and reject non-democratic alternatives. Older children were more likely than younger…

Four studies examined developmental differences in the representation of basic-subordinate inclusion relationships in three-, five-, and seven-year olds and undergraduates. Found that even three-year olds showed rudimentary knowledge of the asymmetry of inclusion. There was a marked developmental gap between producing subordinate category names…

Used written narratives to examine gender and age patterns in body image, emotional expression, and self-esteem for 209 students in grades 5, 8, and 12. Results indicate that boys restrict emotional expression in adolescence, whereas girls increase emotional expression in the same period. Girls also are more influenced by body image. (SLD)

Compared kindergartners', third graders', and undergraduates' understanding and attribution of randomness. Found that kindergartners' interpretations were deterministic or outside the determinancy-indeterminancy frame. Most third graders had some grasp of randomness; their interpretations were less dominated by false attribution of determinism…

Before playing a video game, 47 gifted second graders and 47 gifted fifth graders were instructed to adopt an evaluative, process, outcome, or no specific goal focus while playing. Older children showed better performance overall and their best performance when instructed to adopt an evaluative goal. Younger children showed their worst performance…

This study examined early childhood characteristics of 82 11-year- old boys with either reading disabilities (RD) only, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) only, or both conditions. At ages 3 and 5 the RD only boys had performed poorly on measures of receptive and expressive language, whereas the RD/ADHD groups performed poorly on…

Data gathered over 17 years was used to assess 36 childhood risk factors for personality disorder in young adults (original sample of 776 children). Prediction was shown to be better for girls than boys, and for girls, better over a younger age span. Effects of individual risks are explored. (SLD)