Academically competent third-graders and their parents were studied to (1) determine whether the illusion of incompetence documented in fifth graders appears in younger children; and (2) examine the influence that parents exert on their children's development of self-perceptions of academic competence. (PCB)

Spatial matching--the ability to distribute search effort in accord with the distribution of hidden resources--was studied in 18- to 54-month-old children. The principal development was the appropriate use of win-shift response. (Author/RWB)

In the development of a child's worldview, advises looking toward a preservation of some old with the new. Cites children's books by Virginia Lee Burton, especially her classic THE LITTLE HOUSE which won the 1943 Caldecott Medal. (Author/RWB)

Longitudinal study of two cohorts of children selected in the second or third year of life as being extremely cautious and shy (inhibited) or fearless and outgoing (uninhibited) in regards to unfamiliar events revealed preservation of these two behavioral qualities through their sixth year. (PCB)

Tested the hypothesis that understanding of the pretend-real distinction develops earlier than understanding of the theoretically related apparent-real distinction. Found 3-year-old children consistently performed better on pretend-real tasks than on apparent-real tasks, even when the tasks were identical except for the distinction tested. (SKC)

Structural play-language relationships and diversity of symbolic play skills were compared with five language impaired and five nonimpaired children (ages 27-39 months). Findings indicated differences in mean length of utterance, mean length of sequence, and quantitative and qualitative aspects of symbolic play. (Author/DB)

Use of logographic symbol systems with severely communication-disordered children led to a comparison of the relative ease of learning logographs from the Bliss and Rebus symbol systems with 32 normal preschoolers. Results indicated that Rebus symbols were recalled with significantly greater accuracy than Bliss symbols. (Author/DB)

The conversational responsiveness and assertiveness of 10 language-disordered children (4:1 to 5:9 years old) was compared to that of 10 non-impaired younger children matched for language ability. Results indicated that the handicapped children responded to questions less often but were as assertive in conversation as normal children. (DB)

The paper focuses on the modal auxiliary system in English as it pertains to language development in language-impaired and normal children. The syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic functions of modals are described. Assessment and intervention guidelines are offered. (Author/DB)

Presents an annotated bibliography which is especially valuable for parents, teachers, and others who want to learn more about how young children grow and learn. This sampling of recent and classic books, brochures, and periodicals represents the burgeoning knowledge about early childhood education and child development. (Author/BB)

A study compared the laryngeal behavior associated with the perceptually fluent speech of 3-to-7-year-old stutterers (N=8) to that of normally fluent peers (N=8). Analysis of electroglottograph readings indicated that normally fluent children exhibited significantly more typical patterns during consonant-vowel and vowel-consonant transitions than…

Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R), a developmental test for children two to six years old, was modified minimally and translated for use in Taiwan. The test meets the standard of a technically adequate screening test for that culture, giving it criterion-referenced meaning. (Author/LHW)

When interviewed to elicit responses to sexually anatomically correct dolls, sexually abused two- to six-year-olds (N=25) demonstrated more sexually related behaviors, while nonabused children (N=25) revealed few behaviors indicative of sexual abuse. Three-year-olds were the most responsive to the dolls, while older children either revealed their…

Discusses common foot problems of young children and ways parents, child caregivers, and physicians should deal with them. Particular attention is given to care and medical treatment for flat feet, peeling feet, and "w"-sitting in young children. (Author/BB)

The article examines recent developments in seizure mechanisms and management in young children. Emphasis is directed toward neurodevelopmental sequelae and important genetic/environmental influences. (Author)