This memoir describes the author's childhood reading, its variety, and its importance in childhood and later life. The narrative clearly shows the role of reading in building the adult mind and the importance of libraries in a child's life. (SLD)

Addresses the multivariate nature of research on minority children and families in Israel; offers an alternative framework for investigation. Applies ecological approach toward study of child development in an attempt to identify variables that influence the child and family at various levels of the ecological context. Discusses research methods…

Argues that for children to develop autonomy they must be socialized into the values of the adult community but then exposed to those of other communities. Proposes that school choice plays a role in the first, but that other actions must be taken to ensure the second. (DSK)

Studies the relationships among children's aural perception of tonal pattern and children's symbol use in drawing and selection tasks based on tonal information. Shows that ability to use musical symbols in reading and writing tasks is related to aural perception of musical sound, and that these abilities follow a developmental progression. (DSK)

Tests the reliability of Rutkowski's Singing Voice Development Measure for use in general music classrooms, grades one through six. Indicates that the rating scale, although originally designed for young children, is reliable for use when children in grades one through five perform a short, major song in solo. Reports on ancillary problems. (DSK)

Presents information from neuroscience which suggests that intelligence has a biological basis and may be physiologically identifiable in the future, noting that the critical time frame for intervening with gifted children may be even earlier than age 1-3 years, and adjustments may be needed to accommodate the precocious developmental time line…

Explores ways of designing playgrounds that afford maximum safety with minimal risk of injury to children, as well as how to conduct a safety audit and the types of playground equipment not recommended for 2- to 5-year olds. Details ways of designing a playground that enhances creative-play experiences. Provides resource information for safety…

Using an events-history approach with 40 child-mother dyads, researchers examined prediction from three indexes of children's language, starting at 0;9, and mothers' verbal responsiveness at 0;9 and 1;1, investigating development of language milestones in year 2. Together, children's initial propensities to speak and mothers' responsiveness at the…

To investigate the apparent delay in color naming by young children, this study compared natural-kind and color naming (and corresponding comprehension) by 48 young English children who completed testing four times over six weeks. Results indicated that, as opposed to the salience view, the apparent delay in color naming may be explained solely on…

Reviews research indicating linguistic knowledge is not innate, that the infant brain is highly differentiated at birth, that processing biases that lead to the "standard brain plan" are innate and localized but not specific to language, and that the infant brain is highly plastic, permitting alternative "brain plans." (Author/CR)

Offers a rationale for and overview of contextual factors that influence the play and developmental outcomes of preschool children with disabilities. Research on play is discussed relative to child, program, family, and measurement characteristics that can influence play/developmental outcomes. (DB)

Argues that scientific results about immigration of adolescents into Germany are incomplete. Suggests that theories of adolescence under conditions of migration and immigration ought to be developed within an intercultural comparative perspective, include the concept of cultural space, consider interplay between gender and ethnicity, and…

Describes the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program, a parent-education program that includes home visiting and reports the results of evaluations of two randomized trials of PAT. Results from one of the studies suggested that home visits produced about a one-month developmental advantage per 10 visits for participating children. (SLD)

Evaluation of programs at 21 sites, involving 4,410 families participating in the Comprehensive Child Development Program, a two-generation program using case management and home visiting, found no statistically significant impact on program families compared with control families for any assessed domain. Results do not support the effectiveness…

One of a series of letters to parents of children with developmental apraxia of speech, this letter discusses the characteristics of the disorder including having been a "quiet" baby, slow and late development of speech skills, problems sequencing sounds and syllables correctly, and problems in correct "voicing". An appended…