Some experts were asked to summarize what they knew about career development in five short messages. What resulted is the "High Five" of career development: 1) Change is constant; 2) Follow your heart; 3) Focus on the journey; 4) Stay learning; and 5) Be an ally. Each of these messages is briefly described in this digest. Change, in the…

Illustrated with examples drawn from the experience of one teacher educator, ways of providing prospective teachers at the college level with active learning experiences based on developmental principles are discussed. The discussion draws parallels between three approaches in early childhood education and these same approaches to teacher…

The advance of science and technology, the rise of mass consumerism, the deterioration of families, and other factors have enormous implications for career counseling. This digest outlines a constructivist career counseling perspective. This perspective is based on the following concepts: there are multiple realities and no single "God's…

Summarizes 10 recent ERIC documents concerning the development and education of young adolescents. Issues covered in these documents include the definition of adolescence and adolescence in relation to sexual, physical, cognitive, and social development, family life, after-school needs, risk-taking behavior, educational needs, and teacher…

A constructivist framework can often appear vague and abstract to the novice counselor. The abstract and nebulous realm of meaning-making, which is central to constructivist approaches, can be frustrating for a linear, task-oriented counselor. This digest explains the approaches used in constructivist counseling. The need to use constructivist…

Peer relations contribute substantially to both social and cognitive development. The essentials of friendship are reciprocity and commitment between individuals who see themselves more or less as equals. Affiliation and common interests, the main themes in friendship relations, are first understood in early childhood. Friends serve as emotional…

This digest provides basic information and resources on visual impairments. Legal and educational definitions are given for "legally blind,""partially sighted,""visually handicapped,""blind," and "low vision". Typical characteristics of individuals with visual impairments in the areas of cognitive…

The digest addresses ways that parents and educators can nurture giftedness in young children. Problems in appropriate school placement for young gifted children with uneven development are discussed and illustrated with examples. In selecting a program, parents need to look for a highly individualized program in which children are encouraged to…

Rapid and escalating changes in labor market and post-secondary educational opportunities challenge adolescents to meet their personal and career needs. A recent study found that young people left high school unprepared for current career realities and that both the career and personal areas of the lives were in a state of change and uncertainty.…

Historically, the place of career education in the educational agenda has not been clear. No shared belief exists as to how schools ought to prepare students for adult life. This digest outlines a new model of career education. Schools need to have clear and specific outcomes for each aspect of personal growth and development for students. Goals,…

This ERIC/EECE report summarizes recent documents and journal articles, and highlights some World Wide Web resources that focus on educational and classroom environments that can support children's social, emotional, and psychological development. Annotations are provided for seven ERIC documents, four ERIC journal articles, and two web resources.…

This brief information sheet summarizes the types of social-emotional problems common among gifted children and suggests preventive actions schools can take. A table lists problems associated with characteristic strengths of gifted children. Specific problems briefly addressed include: uneven development, peer relations, excessive self-criticism,…

This book presents five papers that address a variety of issues confronting those who work directly with young children and their teachers. The first three articles present ways of thinking about what constitutes professionalism in working with children and parents. Specifically, "Contemporary Perspectives on the Roles of Mothers and…

This literature review examines patterns of parent-child involvement that foster high academic achievement and describes effective parent involvement programs. Parents affect their children's academic achievement through cognitive socialization, the development of basic intelligence; and academic socialization, the development of attitudes and…

Generations of rural people have relied on resource industries for their livelihoods. This digest examines how modern technologies allow career counselors to serve this population. In distance career counseling, four factors must be considered: (1) community characteristics, such as the informal hiring practices seen in many rural communities; (2)…