There is growing acknowledgement that optimal early childhood development is crucial not only for health, well-being, and competence but also for society at large. This second paper in a series focuses on the period from birth to age 6 and draws on research from Canada and other countries to address several questions of children's development,…

This essay examines some shortcomings of traditional methods of studying and helping children and concludes that teachers need to recognize that the child is able to inform and enlighten the teacher. (JMF)

Dance has the potential to create a free and open environment for both personal growth and skill acquisition; it serves to develop kinesthetic acuity, teach competencies with direct transfer to sport, and enhance the self-concepts of the children in the program. (JMF)

Analyzed two sets of Japanese children's artworks, one in the graphic narrative style, the other, school art in the "high" art tradition. Argues that art derived from popular models provides children with important ways to investigate meaningful dimensions of the world and to experiment with life's major themes, dimensions of meaning…

Discusses study of the development of children's drawing as infused with Western cultural values. Suggests that changes are needed in the images used to describe development, especially the use of developmentally ordered stages. Maintains that the light spectrum is the most promising reconceptualization of artistic development because it captures…

Clarifies a reconceptualization of constructs of individualism, collectivism, independence, and interdependence which represents a departure from traditional conceptualization and a move away from understanding these constructs in dichotomous, stereotypical, and unidimensional terms. Discusses implications of this perspective for stereotyping…

A six-year study investigated relationships between individual development and: (1) changes in aggressive expression; (2) continuities of aggressive behavior in girls and boys; and (3) convergence between self-concepts and social attributions of others in ontogeny. Participants were 220 fourth grade students who were followed from childhood…

Examined developmental changes and individual variations in the ways children use expressive information from others. Concluded that processing deficits are more probable for younger children or for children with low perceived control than for other children. (BB)

Posits that an evolutionary perspective can unite the study of the typical development for and individual variation within a species and that environments within the normal range for a species are required for species-normal development. Individual differences in children reared in normal environments arise primarily from genetic variation and…

Studies the currently influential theories about the nature and development of the child. Questions whether these theories usefully inform educational work with specific children in particular locations. Considers how these theories affect writing instruction for children and criticizes their effects on real children. (HB)

Three hypotheses were tested about how children and adults construct intuitive models when encountering a new property. Causal models showed that 10-, 13-, and 19-year-olds transferred principles from familiar property to novel property. None used default model. Younger children's models were affected by domain. Findings suggest that the transfer…

Presents two charts designed by Maria Montessori to illustrate the four planes of development. Claims that Montessori's meticulously researched commentary signals an emerging organic vision of the developmental continuum from birth to adulthood that is relevant to the educational needs of our time. (MOK)

Examined consistency in prosocial dispositions, using longitudinal data from preschool through early adulthood. Found that spontaneous prosocial behavior observed in preschools predicted actual prosocial behavior, other- and self-reported prosocial behavior, self-reported sympathy, and perspective taking in childhood to early adulthood. Prosocial…

Describes the conceptualization, development, and implementation procedures for a performance-monitoring system, "Changing, Learning, and Growing (CLG)," designed to evaluate the progress of young children with and without disabilities, in an inclusive early childhood education program. Provides an overview and rationale for performance monitoring…

Once considered virtually nonexistent, bipolar disorder in children has recently received a great deal of attention from mental health professionals and the general public. This paper provides a current review of literature pertaining to the psychosocial treatment of children with early-onset bipolar spectrum disorder (EOBPSD). Commencing with…