High and low SES mothers of one- and three-year-old children (N=104) were interviewed. Results showed that low SES mothers believed that infants acquire basic cognitive skills later and that the introduction of cognitively stimulating activities should occur later than did high SES mothers. (JMB)

Two studies examined middle- and lower-class Brazilian children's concepts of personal choice and social regulation. Found that subjects maintained a heterogeneous orientation to rules and authority which includes personal choice. Class differences indicated that hierarchical social structures affect children's sense of autonomy. However,…

Examined factors that influence children's competence in mathematics when they begin first grade. Results indicated that parent education, family economic resources, and parent expectations influenced children's competence. Race and family structure, when considered apart from other variables, were not significant influences. (PCB)

The relationship between preschoolers' motivation and performance and observed paternal behavior is explored. (JMB)

Effects of country of origin and social class on sex differences in body articulation were also analyzed. (Authors)

Results of this study were interpreted in terms of the social control function served by the public schools. (Author/RY)

Working class and upper-middle class mothers were videotaped interacting with their toddlers in four settings. Samples of the mothers' adult-directed speech were also collected. Observed were social class differences in the mothers' child-directed speech and some parallel differences in the mothers' adult-directed speech. This may reflect more…

The data indicated that disadvantaged children required more time to process visual information than did middle-class children, but the processing speed for the 2 groups tended to become more similar as grade level was increased. (Author)

It was suggested that working-class mothers less frequently believed that their infants were capable of communicating with other people, and hence felt it was futile to attempt to interact with them verbally. (Authors)

Evaluates fourth-to seventh-grade children on two aspects of social cognition: interpersonal understanding and means-ends problem-solving ability. Relates the two variables to sex, age, IQ, social class, and multiple dimensions of competence. Both variables significantly correlated with I.Q. while interpersonal understanding also correlated with…

Investigates vocabulary acquisition in the context of joint picture-book reading in mother-infant dyads. Infants aged 17 to 22 months and their mothers, 20 middle-class and 20 lower-class dyads, were observed. In both groups interaction foucused on the eliciting or the provision of information. Results indicate several social class differences in…

Examined predictive properties of early language-learning experiences, parent socioeconomic status, and parenting skills on later academic performance in 29 toddlers from varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Variables predicted language and academic performance up to 10 years later in elementary school. Children whose early experiences led to…

This study examined the exposure to multiple physical and psychosocial stressors among low-income, rural, white 8- to 10- year-olds. Findings indicated that low-income children confronted a wider array of multiple physical and psychosocial stressors than did middle-income counterparts. Children showed evidence of higher levels of self- and…

Examined the contribution of biological and environmental variables to 11-year-olds' phonological development. Found that temporal lobe (planar) asymmetry, hand preference, family history of reading disability, and SES explained over half the variance in phonological and verbal performance, demonstrating a linear association between cerebral…

A powerful means to understand young children's normative development in context is to examine their everyday activities. The daily activities of 79 children (3 years old) were observed, for 20 hr each, in their usual settings. Children were selected from 4 cultural groups: European American and African American (Greensboro, United States), Luo…