This book relates several case studies of language acquisition--for example, chimpanzees "learning" to speak at a higher level than so-called 'wolf' children and a father and mother who, against the advice of professionals, force their way into the closed world of an autistic son--to examine the threshold of language, that point…

Summarized in this volume are concepts, presented and developed at a roundtable discussion by scientists and child health professionals, focusing on aspects of children's play behavior. Participants sought to answer three questions: (1) What is play behavior and what is known about it? (2) How does play contribute to infant and child development?…

This interpretive book explores some of the contexts in modern American society within which toys seem to be very important and discusses some of the conflicting interpretations regarding those contexts. Part I, which concerns the toy in the family, discusses the toy as bond and obligation, as solitariness, and as consolation. Part II discusses…

Learning through the arts has the potential to stimulate open ended activity that encourages discovery, exploration, experimentation and invention, thus contributing to children's development in all areas of learning and helping to make the curriculum meaningful to them. In this book, the author draws on her extensive experience of promoting young…

The articles in this engaging volume, mostly from Young Children, address the purposes of and uses for assessment. Expert commentary from Marian Marion, Gayle Mindes, Richard Clifford, Diane Trister Dodge and others offers an overview of the topic and specific examples to show how assessment informs and improves practice in early childhood…

Even though current wisdom holds that adoptive parents should talk with their child about adoption as early as possible, no guidelines exist to prepare parents for the various ways their children might respond when these conversations take place. This book discusses how young children make sense of the fact that they are adopted, how their…

An account by a mother--who was also a children's librarian--of how she explored her young daughter's responses to books, this book describes the effect of books upon the development of children in their early years. Beginning shortly after the child's second birthday, the book relates the mother's and daughter's views about the picture books they…

Not long ago, both city and country children grew up mostly outdoors, with direct experience of plants and animals and of the ways in which the necessities of daily life were grown, made, and used. When they weren't helping with household work, children spent much of their time exploring and puttering around in the outdoor environment, relatively…

This accessible text provides guidance on the inclusion of young children with special educational needs or disabilities in a variety of early education settings. The author highlights the complexity of early identification and assessment of children described as having special educational needs. Practitioners are encouraged to consider make…

This book is designed to provide practical advice to parents and educators on the language acquisition process. Citing numerous case studies and anecdotal examples, it explains how children learn to talk and acquire language. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to language acquisition, explaining the components, forms, and structure of language.…

There are few bodies of research that can inform thinking about the education of young children with respect to gay-headed families. This 3-year ethnographic study used interviews with lesbian and gay parents of 3 to 7 year-olds, their children's teacher and the school administrator, and observations of the children to examine the relationship…

In many developing countries, girls have a lower quality of life than boys. Gender disparities exist before birth and become wider through the school-age and adolescents years. Discussion held at the Sixth International Forum of the Association for Women in Development (AWID) and the findings derived from them served as a catalyst for further…

Noting evidence of continuity and progression in young children' thinking, this book explores the promotion of high-quality thinking and action in children ages 3 to 5 years. Some thoughts about children from birth to 3 years and from 5 to 8 years of age are also included as part of the discussion of continuity in teaching and learning. Throughout…

Providing suggestions for parents and teachers, this anecdotal collection of an early childhood educator's experiences and insights emphasizes the importance of developing the decision-making capabilities of young children. Fundamentally, the discussion asserts that one of the major responsibilities of adults is to give children freedom to learn…

Based on the view that personal and social development are essential to children's early learning and that personal and social development must be supported by sensitive interventions from adults who understand children's needs, this book presents the theory and practice of personal and social development among young children. Using everyday…