This book is to be used with a multimedia presentation that is available on compact disc. The book and multimedia presentation are designed to help parents and childcare providers understand the concept of early exposure and exploration that is followed by increased development of synaptic connections and ultimately prepares children to handle…

This study examined the effectiveness of 11 strategies designed to ease separation anxiety in preschool children. Subjects were 10 preschool children enrolled in a public school early childhood classroom for their first school experience. Each child was delayed in at least two of six developmental areas (social, emotional, cognitive,…

Studies on the effects of early day care can be characterized according to two distinct research trends. In the first, which occurred during the 1960s and 1970s, the principal issue was whether day care had any inevitable and negative consequences for the child and, particularly, the mother-child attachment. The second, more recent, trend has been…

Describes a program developed to help parents become effective playmates. Suggests that interactive play between infants and adults has numerous benefits, although these benefits will not occur automatically; they require parents to develop the appropriate skills. Proposes methods to facilitate play and make an important contribution to the…

Presents a model--consistent with formulations in developmental psychology and psychopathology--that extends attachment theory to late adolescence. Discusses attachment in the context of life-span development, stress, coping, and adjustment. Favors addressing methodological challenges in order to validate attachment-based developmental and…

School readiness and functioning in children diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) are important issues due to the dramatic impact RAD has on multiple areas of development. The negative impact of impaired or disrupted early relationships, characterized by extreme neglect, abuse, parental mental illness, domestic violence, and repeated…

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report reviews the research about early childhood brain development, examines the…

Examined potential differences in psychological correlates between mothers with high and low levels of separation anxiety when their children were 8 months, 3.5 years, and 6 years of age. Mothers with extremely high levels of anxiety about short-term separation from their six year olds tended to have higher levels of depressive symptomatology.…

Discusses the attachment principles in relation to infant/toddler care programs. Emphasizes a secure base for exploration of physical and social worlds, physical comfort, and child-teacher relationships. Concludes by describing the five major benefits of attention to attachment concepts for the infant care field in general. (MOK)

This study compared the development of 38 infants from separated or divorced families with that of 38 infants from married families in Britain to determine whether parental divorce or separation precipitates cognitive, social, or emotional difficulties in infants. Infants were 11 to 45 months old. Infant-mother attachment was measured using the…

Most of the seven articles in this collection present research on the social development of young children. Specifically, "Issues in Socio-Emotional Development " (Kazuo Mikyake, Joseph Campos, and Jerome Kagan) and "Japanese vs. United States Comparison of Mother-Infant Interaction and Infant Development: A Review" (Shing-jen…

Examined relationships among child-mother attachment when children were age 3; family stress when children were 3, 4, and 5; and social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten. Found that less secure kindergartners were more aggressive and less socially competent than secure peers, and kindergartners who had experienced more family stress in preschool…

Explored within-group effects of mother-infant attachment and day care on children's social and emotional development in a high-risk, low income sample of mothers and infants who entered day care early, and a home-reared, middle-class sample of infants and their mothers. Found that the effects of early day care are influenced by security of…

Explores the impact of sensitive caregiver relationships on a child's emotional, social, and cognitive development. Includes suggestions for emphasizing such relationships in early childhood programs, including planning routines and activities that focus on relationships. (HTH)

Parents of babies have many tasks to master. Beyond basic physical skills needed to care for children, such as diapering or preparing formula, parents need emotional wisdom to relate to their child. Parents with limited resources should know that as long as they provide the emotional nourishment that babies need, their baby will flourish. The…