This document consists of four papers on the acquisition of writing skills by young children. The first paper provides a historical and developmental perspective on early writing. Children's development of manual dexterity is briefly overviewed and aspects of the educational approaches of Pestalozzi, Montessori, Chomsky, Rogers and Ashton-Warner…

This study examines the incidence and character of conditional statements ("if...then") in the spontaneous speech of young children. Twenty-four pairs of siblings, ranging in age from 2.1 years to 7.3 years, were observed and recorded while interacting in their homes for a period of 1 hour. Sixty-nine statements including "if"…

Data on 36 autistic, 30 mentally retarded (MR), and 22 normal children (23-65 months old) was collected to develop a method of objective behavioral assessment for diagnosing autism and documenting symptom changes over time. Ss were observed and rated on the Behavior Observation Scale, an instrument which contains 67 objectively defined behaviors…

This collection of conference abstracts focuses on new directions for research on mental representation and early language development. One page summaries are provided on the following topics: Mental Representation and Initial Language Learning, by Lorraine M. Nicolich; Critical Issues in Language and Cognitive Development, by Roberta Corrigan;…

In order to explore relationships among social cognitive ability, peer status and interpersonal behavior, the frequency of 11 different social actions was recorded with the target child being the agent of the recipient of the behavior. Twenty-three children from 3 to 8 years of age enrolled in an 8-week university summer school program were…

This study explored what children talk about when they watch television as a means of learning more about how and why children verbally encode information. Preschool and third-grade children watched four animated television programs that varied in amount of dialog (one high-dialog, two moderate, and one no-dialog). Their comments while viewing…

This paper is based on a 2-year research and development project undertaken at the School of Education, University of Leeds (England). The aims of the project were to work with 25 early years practitioners from both education and care traditions using an action research model to identify what activities in their settings were defined as literacy…

This study used descriptive data from the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Child Outcome Study to identify predictors of involvement among nonresident fathers of young children who receive welfare, and the relationship of father involvement to child outcomes. Participating were 693 mothers and children ages 3 to 5 in Fulton County,…

This article discusses the nature of resilience in children, means to measure and verify it, and attempts to promote it through education; it also describes a study of parental, teacher and caregiver efforts to promote resilience in children. The International Resilience Project examined resilience factors children and their parents use in…

This paper describes a classroom exercise for college human development or developmental psychology classes that allows students to observe developmental differences in several children simultaneously and to teach others about the application of developmental concepts. In the exercises, the class is divided into subgroups, representing different…

This study employed a multi-cohort multi-occasion (MCMO) design to measure self-concept and academic achievement among 5- and 6-year-olds. Preliminary findings from the first two waves of data were used to examine: (1) the structure and development of a multidimensional self-concept; (2) the stability of self-concept responses over time; (3) the…

The need for intergenerational programming, involving the purposeful bringing together of different generations in ongoing mutually beneficial planned activities designed to achieve specified program goals, is growing in the United States. This paper discusses issues involved in early educational and intergenerational care, focusing on potential…

This study examined the role of contextual factors in providing quality early care and education services, focusing on program models from Aboriginal/First Nation settings in four countries. Methods included a search of published literature from mainstream and Aboriginal sources, an electronic search of unique Royal Commission on Aboriginal…

Social service programs for children and families have often distanced themselves from issues of religion and spirituality. However, in recent years, children's services and family therapy have gradually moved toward stronger emphases on ecosystemic influences, including those from organized religions. The overlapping and interacting roles of…

Weaves into the adolescent concept of community those Montessori ideas related to laws of human personality, nature, and society. Examines components of Montessori practice and theory, including the importance of work, the prepared environment, social cohesion, the imagination, and the absorbent mind by linking early childhood and adolescence.…