This article comments on two studies (EC 629 875) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities. It argues that without additional efforts focusing on the nature of GGOs, the ultimate utility of the outcome measures will be limited. (Contains references.) (CR)

In this article, Kieran Egan contests the scientific foundations of Piaget's developmental theories and the scientific basis of much educational research. In so doing, he pushes researchers and practitioners alike to rethink the centrality of Piaget's tenets to teaching and learning. Egan traces the history of the developmental literature that…

The Comprehensive Services Program of Palm Beach County, Florida, was an ambitious and innovative effort to improve the school readiness of low-income children in Palm Beach County by identifying needs early and providing early intervention services to support physical, cognitive, and emotional health and development. Services were delivered to…

This book reports some of the results of an extensive study of the physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development of Malaysian children. Chapter 1 of the book describes the demographics of the sample. Subjects were 3,099 preschool children in the state of Selangor and the federal district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data is…

This guide for teenage mothers discusses the needs of the mother and her child during the first year of the child's life. Information on the child's and the mother's behavior and emotions just after the child's birth is presented. Also presented is information on the following: procuring items needed for tending the baby; playing; crying; breast…

The Observational Study of Early Childhood Programs, which examined 119 preschool programs in 5 states, was designed to describe the classroom experiences of economically or educationally disadvantaged 4-year-olds and to examine linkages between characteristics of early childhood programs and activities of children and teachers in the classroom.…

It is an undeniable fact that storytelling makes a remarkable contribution to the domains of child development at an early age since it is stated that storytelling is the original form of teaching. Firstly, the contributions and effects of storytelling techniques to the cultural, cognitive, linguistic, socio-emotional and psychological domains of…

Israel's Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters, a nationally administered home-based program of early childhood education, is discussed in this book. In addition to presenting information regarding the social conditions that necessitated development of the program, this book describes the theory and planning behind the program, its…

The value and function of play behavior in young children, and the process and conditions by which play contributes to learning, cognition and problem solving, are explored in this literature review. The first section examines early theories of play, the psychoanalytic theory of play, and the developmental stages of play. Common elements of play…

This study investigated the relationship between children's ability to conserve on Piagetian tasks and six measures of the openness of classrooms which comprise the Dimensions of Schooling Questionnaire (DISC): (1) individualization of instruction; (2) student independence; (3) environmental flexibility; (4) nongradedness; (5) flexibility of…

A discussion of word acquisition rates and strategies is based upon a 6-month case study of an Estonian-speaking child who gradually and systematically relaxed phonotactic constraints to allow greater complexity in word production. In addition to the cognitive tools of assimilation and accomodation as described by Piaget, the child used a further…

The application of a scientific attitude to the field of education is reviewed, with particular regard to the varying perspective concerning the cognitive development and learning processes of children. Flaws in the "top-down" system of research and information dissemination, in which universities are viewed as "producers" and…

The report examines, from a cognitive developmental view, research on the teachable moment or critical learning period in handicapped infants. The author explains that developmental gaps are produced by a mismatch between the infant's readiness and opportunity to learn. Characteristics and educational implications of specific handicapping…

This publication, third in a biennial series of reports, focuses on the status of children, youth and families in 1979. Chapter I discusses historical and current demographic and economic trends that have occurred in the characteristics and circumstances of the United States population. Chapter II attempts to capture the factor of time in human…

THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED AND RESOLVED BEFORE A LARGE-SCALE INTRODUCTION OF PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN--(1) THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHOOL-RELATED ABILITIES. NUMEROUS STUDIES ATTEST TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRESCHOOL YEARS IN ESTABLISHING THE BASIC SKILLS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS IN…