Coupled with justifications of nondescriptive and intuitive levels, research from Piaget's developmental theory is used to support play as a viable part of a day care curriculum. Within the context of Piaget's theory of play, three developmental stages or classifications of play are distinguished: (1) sensorimotor practice play (infants); (2)…

This is the first of a two volume report on a Day Care Inventory designed to assess the day care child's understanding of his physical, social, and personal world. Theoretical and research literature on the development of the child, the available assessment techniques, and the results of an initial survey regarding day care objectives were the…

Examined children's developmental trajectories in five domains. Children were assigned to same- or mixed-age child care groups and assessed at 6-month intervals between approximately 32 and 49 months. Children in the two groups differed in their trajectories for communication, cognitive, and motor development but showed similar trajectories for…

Noting that recent advances in neuroscience and psychology make it possible to understand more clearly how parents help to shape their children's brain development, this book discusses what is becoming known about how young children acquire language, develop emotional ties, gain control of their own emotions, become able to experience the joy and…

A study was conducted of 55 preschool children attending Title XX day care centers in Amarillo, Texas, to investigate the cognitive, language, fine motor, and socioemotional development of the children. Results indicated that the students were below the 50th percentile for their age group norms on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised, the…

This paper reports on the development and use of several tools designed to sensitize caregivers to the fact that infants are very different from one another and that caregiving needs to be tailored to the styles and needs of each child. Four approaches were used: (1) having caregivers rate the infants regularly on a small number of rating scales…

This study examined 236 8-year olds from a state with minimal child care standards in an effort to discover possible differences associated with child care histories. Children with more extensive child care experiences were associated with negative ratings by parents, teachers, and peers. (SH)

Surveyed 50 experienced child care center directors about what training experiences most influenced their skill development. Found that directors often had to learn on the job; life experience strongly shapes performance; training opportunities were often outside the field; management training helps acting directors most; conferences are most…

Studies French children who had diverse day care experiences to determine whether day care is a risk factor in socio-emotional development. Finds that early day care is associated with increased social competence and not associated with behavioral problems; contradicts a similar U.S. study. Suggests difference may be due to poorer quality U.S. day…

This report describes and evaluates a system of day care for 659 children in seven southern states (75 percent of the children were preschoolers and infants in center programs, 12 percent were preschoolers in family day care homes, and 13 percent were school-age children, primarily in center programs). Most of the families served were low-income.…

With recent legislation placing a strong emphasis on the transition of welfare mothers into the workforce, it becomes increasingly important to understand whether and how participation in child care has implications for the development of children from welfare families. This study focused on a sample of 182 African-American families, all of whom…

This report concerns the field procedures and data analysis being used in the New York City Infant Day Care Study, a large-scale longitudinal study examining publicly-funded, community-controlled group and family day care programs in New York and comparing the effects of these programs and of home rearing on children and their families. Children's…

This study looked at New Chance, a voluntary randomized trial of an intensive program for teenage mothers and their children that operated nationally between 1989 and 1992. The study examined the effects of maternal psychosocial well being, intensity of work and educational pursuits, home environment, and use of childcare on combined experimental…

Examines the effect of day care environments on the social and emotional development of young children in India, particularly considering the cultural context. Considers evidence from a study of families using day care in India, and compares maternal behavioral profiles in mother-infant interaction between India and the United States, Kenya,…

This paper investigates the evidence for adult-infant ratios in day care centers, finding that current evidence is based largely on the premise that a low number of infants per adult should result in greater interaction between the adults and the infants, and, thereby, better infant care. Support for this premise is derived from three main…