Assessed factors influencing the developmental trajectories of young children at risk for harm to themselves and others. Information from offender profiles, research review, school data, and interviews with or surveys of parents, offenders, social service providers, and probation officers indicated that young offenders and their families received…

Studies the development of phonological processing abilities in dyslexic, weak, and normal readers. Among other abilities, phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming were assessed in kindergarten, in 1st grade, and in 6th grade. Concludes that various manifestations of a phonological deficit follow distinct developmental pathways.…

Summarizes research that shows the benefits of avoiding corporal punishment, putting recent defenses of corporal punishment in perspective, explaining a paradox concerning trends in corporal punishment, and concluding with an estimate of the benefits to children, parents, and society as a whole that could occur if corporal punishment were to…

Describes characteristics of the normalized child, the ultimate goal of Montessori education. First outlines children's basic needs, then describes traits of the normalized child, including love of order, work, silence and working alone; mutual aid and cooperation; profound spontaneous concentration; obedience; independence and initiative;…

Based on the construct of classical IQ, a model of the proportions of the population at various stages of cognitive development as a function of age is proposed. The model compares well with other theoretical models and provides evidence of the salience of the construct of general cognitive capacity. (SLD)

Examined children's ability to distinguish between reality and misleading appearance. Used a standard appearance-reality task and either a trick task or a reduced information processing task. Found that subjects could grasp the distinction when their goal was to trick someone or when they did not need to hold conflicting object identities at the…

Studied drawing strategies used by children ages 2 to 4 in Singapore nurseries and kindergartens using experiments and naturalistic observation. Found that during period when children are supposedly "scribbling," they make systematic investigations of visual structure and develop a cluster of representational strategies involving patches…

Reviews literature on biophilia hypothesis that children have fundamental, genetically based propensity to affiliate with other living organisms. Identifies three concerns: (1) genetic basis of biophilia; (2) existence of seemingly negative affiliations with nature; and (3) quality of supporting evidence. Presents structural-developmental approach…

Investigated the relationship between sex hormones and spatial performance among adolescents treated with sex steroids for delayed puberty. Found that spatial performance varied according to gender but did not vary with levels of actively circulating sex steroids. Reviewed physiological mechanisms, developmental periods, and past empirical work…

Offers psychologist Baldwin's theory as an approach to the development of social understanding emphasizing gradual differentiation of self and other and rooting this process in embodied activity within a social context. Argues that Baldwin's account provides a stronger starting point for conceptualizing the infant's discovery of other, self, and…

Studied the links between secrecy and psychosocial well-being and emotional autonomy among 227 younger (12-13 years) and older (16-18 years) adolescents. Results show that keeping secrets from parents is associated with physical and psychological disadvantages in adolescence. Secrecy, however, was also related to adolescents' emotional autonomy.…

A review of preschool standards promulgated by states, education agencies, and other countries reveals problems similar to those that appeared during the early stages of K-12 standards development. Those who write ineffective standards mix content with performance standards, combine expectations for students with general curriculum guidelines…

The purpose of this article is to analyze current theories about childhood sexual behavior, differentiate between normal and problem childhood sexual behavior, and propose some alternatives for sex education in the schools. (IAH)

Discusses important recent strides in the documentation and understanding of the infant's learning and memory capacity. Focuses on the psychobiology of learning, hedonic mediation of approach-avoidance and learned behavior, infant memory, and critical conditions of infancy and behavioral misadventures. (RJC)

Child care and early childhood education should be fully integrated. The roots and consequences of the current separation are examined. A description is provided of the Kramer Project, a day care school. Obstacles to fully integrated day care and educational services are discussed. (IAH)