Over the second half of the twentieth century, changes occurred in parent reports of their engagement in cognitive activities with their young children in the United States. This article argues that the growing trend of "parenting for cognitive development" in young children in the latter half of the twentieth century is associated with the…

Notes that the concept of children's needs is central to rationales for education and attempts to unravel the basis on which children's needs are stipulated. Identifies the bases for stating children's needs as (1) basic qualities of human nature, (2) prerequisites for mental health, (3) processes of cultural adaptation, and (4) conformity with…