This study used longitudinal data from five Irish American families and nine Chinese families in Taiwan, in conjunction with cultural psychology research evidence, to propose universal, culturally variable, and developmental dimensions of children's pretend play. Findings raise the theoretical issue of how universal and variable dimensions of…

This study surveyed 160 preschool teachers in 4 countries regarding views of moral and social conflict resolution, autonomy and a group sense, and general aims of preschools. Findings revealed that all hold similar beliefs regarding intervention in children's conflicts and importance of autonomy in the classroom. Additionally, all viewed the…

Reading specialists, as well as members of the general public, have long sought to understand why so many children in the United States read below grade level and why so many of its adult citizens are illiterate. While problems associated with reading are not unique to the United States, it is noteworthy that some nations do not experience major…

This study, which focused on the social behavior of 4-year-old children toward peers and adults, investigated relationships of 54 children in California and Japan who were observed for 20 minutes while they were playing in preschool or day care. All their behaviors during the first 30 seconds were observed and written down during the second 30…

Reviews epidemiological studies on the prevalence of maternal depression in the general population and the social etiology of behavioral and psychiatric disorders in early childhood. Also reports an original study conducted in Martha's Vineyard and points out avenues for much-needed further research in this area. (BB)

The conservation of childhood and youth is a problem that is occupying the attention of educators, publicists, and welfare workers in this and other countries. Conservation of child life is not separable from the problem of conservation of womanhood. During the past two years, greater service was demanded from the women throughout the country.…

Japanese and U.S. mothers of three- to six-year-old children answered questionnaires about child-rearing practices. U.S. mothers expected their children to follow more rules than did Japanese mothers. Japanese mothers were more likely than U.S. mothers to use physical punishment when their children showed disrespect for authority. (BC)

Three studies examined how children of different ages and cultural backgrounds represent depth relations of near and far, and front and behind, on a two-dimensional surface. A lateral bias to place near objects on the left side appeared in English and Hebrew readers of all ages and in older Arabic readers. (MM)

The early childhood educational field has garnered attention with initiatives to foster skill acquisition in young children prior to kindergarten entry. These initiatives, in conjunction with the rigorous demands of curricular reform and a burgeoning accountability movement, invoke questions regarding the adequacy of the instruments used to assess…

We examined the relationship between parents' behaviour and children's use of simple arithmetic strategies while playing a board game in contrast to solving arithmetic problems. In a microgenetic study spanning 3 weeks, 5-year-old children who were just beginning kindergarten played a modified game of "Chutes and Ladders" with one of…

This book presents a review and synthesis of the early care and education system in the United States -- a system that now faces increasing enrollment, an underpaid workforce, and limited budgets. A substantial number of trained early care and education professionals are projected to leave the field over the next 10 years due to noncompetitive…

This paper reports on an exploratory cross-cultural study of the attitudes of first and second grade students toward the use of microcomputers in instruction. Questionnaire responses were compared among three groups: Japanese students in Tokyo, Japan; American students in Sanger, Texas; and Japanese students attending a special school for Japanese…

American and German children were asked to judge and talk about different mass media--television, radio, and picture books--and their use of each media. Analyses of the data indicated that five- and six-year-olds have qualitatively different concepts of media characteristics and functions than three- and four-year-olds, i.e., the younger children…

The aesthetic preferences of 224 Jamaican children and 558 previously-studied American children are reported in this paper. Both samples of subjects included male and female children from advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds. The age groups studied were 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds and a combined group of children 7-years-old and older. Each…

Provides information on the topics of: (1) physical education and fitness programs in the schools; (2) vital statistics on live births, marriage, divorce, and death rates in the United States; (3) AIDS in children; (4) American family trends; (5) maternal and child health care in Europe and United States; (6) early childhood prevention programs.…