Early learning guidelines (ELGs)--documents that describe the skills, characteristics, and dispositions adults seek to foster in young children--are increasingly common. Although less prevalent than ELGs for 3- and 4-year-old children, ELGs for infants and toddlers have been developed in more than half of the 50 states. Given this momentum, a…

Background: Trials in developing countries suggest that improving young children's diet may benefit cognitive development. Whether dietary composition influences young children's cognition in developed countries is unclear. Although many studies have examined the relation between type of milk received in infancy and subsequent cognition, there has…

One of a series intended for parents and other caregivers, this handbook on child development focuses on the first 2 years of life. Contents include discussions on (1) basic developmental principles; (2) physical development; (3) cognitive development and language acquisition; (4) personality development, temperament, attachment, and bonding; (5)…

This manual presents guidelines for users of the Child Development Assessment Form (CDAF) -- a 90 item checklist of behaviors characteristic of children from birth to 3 years of age. The CDAF is designed to help parents and teachers identify skills and behaviors that the child has developed and plan learning experiences that facilitate growth. The…

This digest explores the knowledge base underpinning the present understanding of the preschool child. This knowledge base involves stages of mental and physical development, physical and psychological needs, conditions that tend to favor or retard the child's learning and development, and so on. The eight chapters of this digest focus on: (1)…

Providing guidelines on day care for children under 3 years of age in developing countries, this digest has been written out of a firm conviction that it is entirely possible for developing countries to provide a system of early childhood care and education that is affordable, humane, culturally appropriate, and supportive of child development.…

This guidebook rejects a simplistic view of children's development of self-esteem in favor of a perspective that locates the concept in the larger contexts of children's social, cognitive, moral, and personality development. Part I concerns ways in which young children develop a sense of value. A general introduction to the concept of self-esteem…

Designed for caregivers who work with infants in day care centers, family day care programs, Home Start infant programs, and programs for the developmentally disabled, this book provides guidelines for establishing a respectful, responsive, and reciprocal relationship between the caregiver and the infant. Ten principles for promoting this kind of…

The 12 chapters of this book provide a synthesis of what is currently known about otitis media and its sequelae on aspects of child development. Chapters are grouped into four sections: definition, prevalence, and diagnosis; auditory, language, and learning sequelae; medical and surgical management; and international perspectives and future…