The Early Learning Accomplishment Profile (Early LAP) provides a systematic method for observing children's functioning in the birth to 36-month age range in order to assist teachers, clinicians, and parents in assessing individual skills development in six developmental domains: gross motor, fine motor, cognition, language, self-help, and social…

Noting that during the first 2 years of life, children form attachments with caregivers that profoundly affect their emotional lives, this book presents a relationship-based reflective approach to help professionals who work with families of young children to nurture those crucial bonds, giving parents the support and guidance they need. The book…

This text on the social and emotional development of gifted children includes the following 24 papers: (1) "Effects of Acceleration on Gifted Learners" (Karen Rogers); (2) "Peer Pressures and Social Acceptance of Gifted Students" (Sylvia Rimm); (3) "Social and Emotional Issues for Exceptional Intellectually Gifted Students" (Miraca Gross); (4)…

This booklet invites reflection on ways in which childhood resilience can be promoted, thereby helping children to adapt effectively in the face of adversity. The attributes of resilient children are described, as is the importance of protective factors in building or promoting resilience. The booklet discusses the complex interplay between risk…

Parents and policymakers are turning to preschools to better advance the school readiness and broader development of young children. Much remains unknown, including how preschool programs of varying quality affect diverse groups of children. This is particularly important as several California counties embark on ambitious and costly efforts to…

Educators today have a renewed perspective: when schools attend systematically to students' social and emotional skills, the academic achievement of children increases, the incidence of problem behaviors decreases, the quality of the relationships surrounding each child improves. The challenge of raising knowledgeable, responsible, and caring…

Forty-one papers on young gifted children are grouped in sections on identification, special populations, parenting, social/emotional needs, and education. The papers are: "The Beginnings of Giftedness: Optimizing Early Learning" (Clark); "Identifying the Gifted Infant" (Gelbrich); "Seeking Advanced Potentials: Developmentally Appropriate…

Based on the view that emotional competence is an important contributor to an individual's success, this report focuses on the critical importance of early relationships with important adults, especially parents, on an individual's level of emotional competence. The report maintains that early interactions between parent and infant affect the…

Homelessness influences every facet of children's lives, inhibiting their physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and behavioral development. Homeless women face such obstacles to healthy pregnancies as chemical abuse, chronic health problems, and lack of prenatal care. Homeless infants are more likely to have low birth weights and are at greater…

This paper discusses infant attachment, which it defines as a long-lasting emotional bond revealed when a child under stress seeks out and tries to stay close to a specific figure. The paper addresses: (1) What is attachment? Who are the pioneers in attachment theory?; (2) How do we notice attachment in action?; (3) Is attachment the only…

Research has indicated a strong relationship between low peer status in childhood of children with and without and later problems in adolescence and adulthood and children with social deficits often show similar patterns of behavior. They may be withdrawn and hesitant to interact with peers, socially aloof and "unaware" of their peers, or they may…

Despite the best efforts of parents and educators, teasing continues to be a common stressor for many elementary school children. This guide provides information for parents, caregivers, and educators to teach children useful strategies to deal with teasing. It describes the types of teasing, what children are teased about, why children tease,…

This document is comprised of the four issues in the second volume of a quarterly journal for parents of children in Montessori infant and toddler programs. The May 1998 issue contains an article on Treasure Baskets which are designed for non-mobile babies who can sit up, an article discussing the personal growth of a Montessori teacher who became…

This book discusses the poor self-image of children with learning disabilities, reviews the history of identifying and serving children with learning disabilities, and addresses the need to serve children who are failing in school but do not qualify as having a learning disability. The book emphasizes the role and responsibility of the school for…

This study investigated effects of gender, emotion, and family expressiveness on preschool children's reactions to narrative characters' emotion expressions. Forty-five preschool children rank-ordered playmate preferences for male and female story characters who expressed happiness, anger, sadness, fear, and neutrality and indicated how much they…