The portrayal of reading, writing, and other selected behaviors on prime-time network television was examined in this two-part study. First, an interest inventory was administered to a sample of 301 elementary students (i.e., grades 1-5) in South Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania to determine their favorite television shows, books, and school…

Adults from the pre- and posttelevision eras were surveyed to determine whether the superhero that today's preschoolers dramatize in their play is qualitatively different from those of past childhoods. Results revealed significant changes in early childhood in heroes or play themes since the advent of television, but no significant change in…

Presents a study of the use of serious subject matter in plays for youth by (1) tracing the trends of increasing advocacy and acceptance of such subject matter and (2) outlining patterns in the ways in which such subject matter is presented, focusing on original, contemporary plays, written by American playwrights. (JC)

The document presents a report on the role and status of arts education in a national sample of 13 elementary schools. It focuses on how conditions of elementary schooling affect arts programs, whether arts education is an important part of the total educational experience, and the degree to which arts education furthers creativity and…

Reports on research with preschool caregivers, primary grade teachers, and home caregivers of 605 young children on the role the visual arts play in early childhood education. Finds that parents and personnel at day care centers and nursery schools were sensitive to, and positive about, the role and significance of visual arts. (CFR)

Issues of daily life experience from a child's perspective were examined in the Spring 1976 as the Children's Time Study interviewed 764 preadolescents (aged 11-12) from Oakland, California and their mothers. The interviewers explored children's use of time outside the school by focusing on five domains of time use: (1) parent-child interactions;…