The present study compared the behavioral correlates of sociometric popularity status and consensual popularity status among a large group of children (N = 778) in their first year of secondary school. By means of self-report and classmates' nomination procedures, the relative contribution of the two types of popularity to peer role strain and…

This article considers common dilemmas faced by schools undergoing change. The dilemmas are related to three areas: autonomy, focus, and acceptance. How teachers and administrators resolve these dilemmas is fundamental to the way change in schools is implemented. This study examines the way curriculum leaders in a regional Australian government…

Participants included 165 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 130 boys, 35 girls) and their 1,298 same-sex classmates (1,026 boys, 272 girls) who served as raters. For each child with ADHD, a child of the same sex was randomly selected from the same classroom to serve as a comparison child, which yielded 165 dyads.…

The author contends that the topical content of ESL lesson materials in schools and universities is of ethical significance. Based on an established model for ethical judgment in social services, five guidelines for ethical selection of lesson topics are proposed and illustrated. Lesson topics must help ESL students: (a) adjust to local…

Several studies suggest that children who chronically underachieve are, like children with learning disorders, at risk for negative outcomes and are more likely to experience adjustment problems than are their typically developing peers. This study compares children's self-esteem, perceived competence, negative perfectionism and beliefs of peer…

This article provides a conceptual account and empirical analyses of the development of "boundary-crossing competence"--the ability to function competently in multiple contexts--using representative cases from two after-school programs with immigrant and low-socioeconomic status students. Our findings suggest that organizational designs…

This study examined social communication behavior during play time among eight kindergarten (5- to 7-year-old) children with profound hearing loss in integrational situations (with normal children ages between 4-6) in Ankara, Turkey. Observations were made of children's preferences for different play centers, types of social play, social…

This unit of study aims to help students understand that persons with disabilities are more alike than different from persons without disabilities, to help students appreciate that all people regardless of differences are valuable and worthwhile, to offer students hands-on activities to help them become sensitive to the differences in the lives of…

This paper discusses some considerations and recommendations regarding the selection of children to serve as peer models in early childhood special education classrooms. The problem of having too many potential children to consider and choose from, or not enough children to consider and choose from, is discussed and the importance of establishing…

Since the groundwork for social development is laid during a child's early years, early childhood programs should include regular, periodic, formal and informal assessments of children's progress in the acquisition of social competence. One assessment tool that can be used is the Social Attributes Checklist, which lists attributes of a child's…

This handbook was developed for teachers who have a visually handicapped child in their regular classroom. Classroom activities designed to prepare students to receive a visually handicapped classmate are described. Recommendations are made on the use of special resources available to the teacher, and descriptions are given of successful…

This research indicates that a peer group can decrease reinforcement of a disruptive behavior and thereby decelerate it in a singled-out child (Pinpointing Effect) or a behavior emitted by any child in class (Diffusion Effect) with equal effectiveness. (Author)

This study concerns the use of the Friendship Rating Scale, a noncompetitive instrument in which the raters establish hierarchical preferences but without forcing subjects into subordinate positions following higher rating. The FRS is an assessment device for determining the correlation between peer status and academic achievement. (Author/HMV)

Utilizing specialized classroom strategies to foster greater social acceptance of mainstreamed learning disabled students may be more efficient than having school personnel constantly involved in resolving student-to-student conflicts and assuaging hurt student feelings. Learning disabled students assigned to mainstream classes often present…