Children up to school age have been reported to perform poorly when interpreting sentences containing restrictive and additive focus particles by treating sentences with a focus particle in the same way as sentences without it. Careful comparisons between results of previous studies indicate that this phenomenon is less pronounced for restrictive…

Impairments in social communication are the core diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In the past two decades findings from important clinical research studies have translated into improvements in understanding and practice, for example leading to a reduction in the age at which autism is commonly first recognised and diagnosed…

Reviews the different models of early intervention, including educational, sociological, family-focused, and ecological models, and discusses their differing outcomes. Asserts that, as Australia moves toward economic rationalism, it is important for those in the field of early intervention to be clear about what they want to achieve to justify to…

Two studies examined how children use talk to learn interaction patterns critical for the use of mental state terms. Qualitative analysis of mother-child talk revealed that criteria were presented in temporal, cause and effect sequences. Children who failed false belief tasks were less competent at recognizing and commenting on important aspects…

Explores the similarities between paintings of the abstract expressionists and those of young children. Similarities include total surface coverage, disregard for details, direct application of pigment, disregard for visual perspective, and use of the painting surface as a frontal plane. (CB)

Presents a view of developmentally appropriate practice that differs from that of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). A program that incorporates this view is described in terms of its theoretical perspectives and classroom practices and compared to the NAEYC description of appropriate and inappropriate practice.…

Although there are many ways in which the roles of parents and teachers overlap during the very early years, there are important distinctions in their roles that often become a source of stress, especially to teachers. Seven distinctions in these roles are described: (1) scope of functions; (2) intensity of feelings; (3) intensity of attachment;…

Developmentalists are convinced that within each young child a process of unfolding occurs to regulate learning in ways that make worksheets and the "force-feeding" of isolated skills inappropriate. Still, worksheets are enormously popular in early education, and math education assumes that number is learned through internalization. Why…

Compares Danish reading instruction methods to U.S. methods within a cultural context and suggests that U.S. children might benefit from the more relaxed attitude of the Danish approach. (JC)

The findings of nine studies comparing the symbolic play of middle-class and lower-class children are summarized and examined in detail. Related research problems are discussed and directions for future research are indicated. Examination of the studies indicated that few general conclusions can be drawn from them about the relative quality of…

Presents information about gay and lesbian parenting and its effects on the child, and suggests how educators can address the needs of lesbian and gay parents and their children. (BB)

Examines arguments commonly used to support the practice of young children coloring-in drawings. Justifications are examined and found to be seriously deficient. Describes three alternatives that involve teaching-learning strategies to facilitate the production of spontaneous drawings: verbal, conversational, and perceptual, each concerned with…

Discusses the artistic characteristics of children ages two through six years and the culturally endorsed shift of emphasis from symbolic play to technical mastery during the course of their artistic development. Reviews teaching practices, educational resources, and teacher training in schools in Australia and the People's Republic of China in…

Clarifies details of research design and procedures in response to critiques of six longitudinal comparative studies from the Early Intervention Research Institute. The institute's investigations examined the effects and costs of early intervention for children with disabilities. (BB)