The impact of music activity on children's motor and cognitive skills has been investigated with music learning, instrument lessons and classroom music. While none have employed natural utterances, singing games or playground/street songs, these musical experiences of childhood are acknowledged as a major platform for child development. The…

The research investigated the hypothesis that teachers' ratings of kindergarten children's receptive and expressive language ability would be related to children's social competence. Teachers' ratings of social competence were obtained for a sample of 116 kindergarten children. Social competence was measured using the California Preschool Social…

Of all the developmental difficulties that may be present in childhood, language impairment is probably the most common. It is of vast importance to prevent cumulative negative consequences of these impairments. The present study evaluates the effects of a language and activity-based intervention programme on verbal and non-verbal performance and…

Examined effects of social interactions experienced by newborns on later speech ability. Subjects were 20 5-year olds and 20 6-year olds. Children were observed conducting a telephone communication task and also given the British Picture Vocabulary Test. Found that first-borns had larger vocabularies but less-developed conversation skills than…

Using play-material scales, SES, age, and sex as predictor variables, this study employed regression against the subvariables of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities of verbal, perceptual-performance, quantitative, memory, and motor abilities. Findings suggest that SES is predictive of verbal, quantitative, memory, and motor, while age is…

Mothers and caregivers of 28 preschoolers were trained to facilitate children's play. Play training of adults was shown to be an effective mechanism for enhancing preschoolers' verbal cognition. Training of mothers and caregivers was more effective than training of caregivers only. (CB)