It was hypothesized that the relation between early anxious solitude and subsequent peer relations would be moderated by early relational (maternal sensitivity) and individual factors (child school readiness). Participants were 1364 children from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth…

Fitting in and being liked by peers is important to children of all ages. It is unrealistic to expect such a young child to be satisfied with national or ethnic pride, at the price of having close friends. In the best school situations, children achieve a realistic balance between feeling they belong with their peer group and retaining pride and…

Children with visible pediatric conditions may be at risk for low peer acceptance. More knowledge is needed about how different types of information influence children's acceptance. For this study, we examined the influence of scripts emphasizing either positive information and/or medical information on young children's acceptance of a line…

This study examined the effects of classroom in degree for ability (the degree to which peer nominations as academically capable show high consensus and focus on a relatively few number of children in a classroom) on first grade children's peer acceptance, teacher-rated classroom engagement, and self-perceived cognitive competence. Participants…

This contribution offers an overview of two studies testing two attachment theoretical correspondence hypotheses in the prediction of individual differences in young children's God concepts. The correspondence hypothesis supposes that people's view on God parallels their images of their early caregiver-child relationship. The revised…

This study investigated the entry behavior and temperamental characteristics of aggressive/rejected and nonaggressive/popular kindergarten and first-grade children. An analog entry situation was used to assess children's entry skills. Aggressive/rejected children had more difficulty than nonaggressive/popular children delivering their entry bids…

Little is known concerning how subtypes of aggression (relational and physical) might be differentially related to preschool-age children's classification in peer sociometric status groups (popular, average, rejected, neglected, and controversial). Furthermore, associations between aggression and sociometric status might vary according to the…

Children who are consistently ignored or disliked, especially those who make no friends at all, often have trouble succeeding in school. This article illustrates the scenario of a child who is just learning to play with others, but continues to face rejection from her classmates. The author provides tips for both teachers and parents that can…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between sex, social status and social behavior in a sample of Australian preschool-aged children. Social behavior has emerged as an important predictor of social status for children in middle childhood however, although early childhood may be an optimum period for implementation of…

Developing kindness and compassion for others is a critical part of young children's development. The ability to accept others--even if they are different--and feel compassion for them is an essential component of social competency which is just as important as any academic training. Teaching acceptance and compassion through play can be great…

Research tells us that children with developmental disabilities and delays have reduced social interaction and reduced social acceptance by other children in comparison with their same-aged peers within early childhood settings. The consequence of this is that these children have limited access to the possible developmental opportunities within…