Although Mandarin is a discourse topic oriented language rather than a subject and sentence oriented one, Chinese children acquiring Mandarin attempt in their early speech to exactly mark the same referential grammatical relationships as subject, object, location, and instrument by using case or ergative markers. Only after marking a closed set of…

Four developmental outcomes of children's play were identified as acquaintance with the environment and the development of cognitive activity, verification of incidental learning, the development through sensory and motoric activities of relationships with objects and persons, and experience with roles and rules. A child developing atypically may…

This paper examines the relation between literacy and children's understanding of a set of concepts referred to as the "say/mean distinction," which is the notion that what a text says contrasts with subjective interpretations a reader or listener brings. (Author/MT)

Discusses common foot problems of young children and ways parents, child caregivers, and physicians should deal with them. Particular attention is given to care and medical treatment for flat feet, peeling feet, and "w"-sitting in young children. (Author/BB)

Discusses ways in which teachers and parents respond to children's artwork. Presents six traditional approaches to responding to children's art and analyzes these approaches in terms of each one's impact on the child artist. Suggests alternate and more appropriate ways to respond to children about their art. (BB)

Presents an overview of recent projects concerned with the written language of children from preschool age to approximately seven years. Specifically discussed are difficulties of the writing process, the beginnings of children's writing, and developmental aspects of writing. (Author/RH)

The authors question the assumption that parent participation is critical to the success of early intervention programs and cite the lack of research support for this notion in programs for young children with cerebral palsy. They note that financial considerations may still dictate the need for parent participation. (CL)

The relevance of the new National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities definition of learning disabilities is discussed in relation to the infant population. (Author/CL)

While school art programs receive support from classroom teachers and school administrators, rationales for such support are frequently based on misconceptions of art and art learning processes. Through critical examination of two recent articles (Pierce, 1981; Klein, 1982), the author establishes a more accurate representation of current thinking…

Argues that although Feitelson, Tehori, and Levinberg-Green raise important questions about early education in general and early reading instruction in particular, one major question remains to be answered: What sort of programs should group settings for young children provide? (MP)

Argues that although Lane and Pearson ("Merrill-Palmer Quarterly," v28, n3, p317-37, 1982) provide an important review, critique, and attempt at integration across paradigms used to study the development of attention, a number of genuine problems still remain to be addressed in this area. (MP)

Discusses spontaneous conversational situation in which a child recognizes the difference between his/her output and the adult model and his/her ensuing struggle in arriving at a new phonological rule to correct his/her utterances. (EKN)

Explores the broad meaning of the term "privacy" and focuses on ways teachers and parents can help create social and physical settings whereby young children can live and work as free-functioning individuals. (CT)

The pediatrician has a primary responsibility for guiding parents through the early diagnostic phase and helping them cope with the multiplicity of ongoing and emerging medical problems that tend to arise. In addition, pediatricians can assist parents to become more confident and competent in relating to their handicapped children (Author)