Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM), like all adolescents, have the right to be able to develop emotionally and cognitively to their fullest potential in host countries (Article 6, Convention of the Rights of the Child, 1991). URM make up a very special and vulnerable population of young people under the age of 18 who have been separated from their…

The EZ-Yale Personality Motivation Questionnaire (EZPQ) was used to measure motivation as a facet of school readiness in a sample of 133 children during the spring of their final year of Head Start. Three motivational constructs assessed by the EZPQ, academic mastery motivation, negative reaction tendency, and outerdirectedness, were associated…

Interest in emotional, social, and moral (ESM) concerns in K-12 education in North America has grown considerably during the past decade. This increased concern is considered a response to the increased prevalence of social problems experienced by children and youth, such as bullying, substance abuse, and depression, and to research indicating…

This article critically reviews the literature about adolescent males' sexuality in order to describe the state of the science and to identify promising concepts and research designs that have the potential to guide the next generation of research. A critique was conducted on 94 peer-reviewed studies of sexual behaviors that included a sample of…

Lawrence Kohlberg, a psychologist, coined the term "Just Community" to describe a community built on trust and resolution, in which each member participates democratically in the development of the rules and regulations that govern their community life (Kohlberg, 1985). In a school, this means that students and teachers alike actively participate…

It is the belief of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child that better public understanding of the rapidly growing science of early childhood and early brain development can provide a powerful impetus for the design and implementation of policies and programs that could make a significant difference in the lives of all children.…

In the late 1990s, a National Educational Goal was set in the United States that by the year 2000 all children should start school with the skills necessary for learning (Meisels, 1995 ) and assessment measures should be put in place to provide the screenings. Thus, readiness testing became widespread and kindergarten curricula shifted to more…

Best practice is based on knowledge--not on beliefs or guesses--about how children learn and develop. This volume contains 20 overviews of research on aspects of young children's social, emotional, cognitive, or physical development, as well as how the findings can be applied in the classroom. Originally "Research in Review" articles in NAEYC's…

Combining a scientific and a humanistic approach in a series of essays that draw on both clinical and literary data, this book examines how imaginative play begins and how it develops. From the infant's first smiles and peekaboo games to the toddler's exploration of objects and participation in symbolic and social pretend play, the book traces the…

The prevailing view of secrets as undesirable or unhealthy is challenged in this exploration of the meaning and significance of secrecy. As a crucial dimension of human development, secrets lead to a child's awareness of inner space and external worlds. This in turn leads to the development of a sense of self, personal responsibility, autonomy,…

Most people, including children, have preferences for how they learn about the world. When these preferences are clearly noticeable, they may be thought of as sensory strengths. For some children, sensory strengths develop because of a weakness in another sensory area. For these children, multisensory instruction can be very helpful. Multisensory…

This informational document is intended to help answer questions commonly asked by families, professionals, and the general public concerning Down Syndrome. Medical problems associated with Down Syndrome include heart conditions, upper respiratory disorders, ear infections and hearing loss, vision/eye problems, cervical problems, and…

Designed as a guide for adults who wish to lead a group of 10- to 13-year-olds through a series of discoveries about preschoolers and how they grow, activity materials are presented concerning physical, intellectual, and social development (Section 1); and children's feelings (Section 2). Specifically, Section 1 discuss children's developing…

This paper reports on a 14-year follow-up study of two developmentally retarded Japanese children, a brother and sister, who had been kept shut up in a small shack before being rescued (at ages 5 and 6 respectively). Following birth they consistently suffered malnutrition, maternal deprivation, social isolation from adults, language deprivation,…

Input language may have an effect on child development that goes far beyond language development alone. Language is the medium by which children acquire at least a portion of their sex role and social class or group characteristics, world view, and emotional and psychological well-being. Existing theories of psychological development ignore…