Discusses current threats to childhood and their effects on education. Emphasizes children's own strengths as a basis for their education and the power of collective thought, cooperative action, and human warmth and affection for developing the strength and potential of their humanness. (Author/LHW)

Discusses both the advantages and difficulties of using nonlinear modeling in the context of a model used to study the relations between parental warmth and control and preschool children's competence. (HOD)

Investigates whether 6- to 12-month-old infants' exposure to the successful search behavior of a sibling in two object-concept tasks would enhance infants' subsequent performance on these tasks. (HOD)

Make-believe play is an important part of growing that can help young children develop physically, emotionally, socially, creatively and intellectually. Suggestions are offered to help parents know when play may be leading to abnormal behavior and to know how they can respond to fantasy. (DF)

Considers the role of the Committee on Child Development, the organizational nature and function of the Society, and the influence of publications and individuals during the first 25 years' of the Society for Research in Child Development in light of the Depression, World War II, and financial problems. (BB)

Examines reasons children find superhero play so attractive and discusses how it relates to children's development. Also makes a case for allowing superhero play and suggests strategies to make such play a constructive experience for children. (KS)

Three studies of children's verb meanings examined the development of action categories and evaluated a model which posits that categories specific to self-action or observed action are extended to encompass both kinds of instances as children develop the ability to note parallels between themselves and others as initiators of action. (Author/BW)

Examines benefits to individuals and society of cooperative--as opposed to competitive--interpersonal relationships. Discusses children's sports, games, and play as means to promote cooperation and reviews research showing positive effects of children's cooperative play. Provides standards for a cooperative philosophy that would promote positive…

This study that examined the economic reasoning of preschool and elementary school children concluded that (1) the nature of children's economic reasoning is supportive of cognitive development theory; (2) children's economic reasoning varies somewhat by personal experiences, and (3) the intermediate grades are an appropriate level to emphasize…

Describes a study designed to compare color-name with shape-name learning by three-year-old children in an experimentally controlled format. Results show that children learned color-label associates significantly more slowly than matched shape-label associates, and they committed more errors with colors than with shapes during learning. Provides a…

Research on object exploration by infants addresses milestones in the process by normally developing infants, including spontaneous manipulation strategies. Implications for developmentalists working with high-risk preterm infants are noted, including the need for direct assistance in manipulation and for selection of materials. (CL)

The relationship of maternal behavioral style to cognitive development states of 60, 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old organically impaired, mentally retarded children was investigated. Factor analysis of maternal behavioral items revealed three major parameters of behavior. Child-Oriented/Maternal Pleasure was related positively, whereas Quantity of…

Describes a study which explored developmental changes in preschoolers' knowledge of the writing system. The children were asked to write four utterances without knowing the purpose of the request and without additional explanations. The purpose was to determine how early children's graphic responses in decontextualized situations have features of…

The family can provide learning experiences and become the center of a child's education, rather than leaving all responsibility to the school. Home experiences should include activities that foster curiosity, exploration, inquiry, and discovery. Suggested in-home experiences are offered for family use. (DF)

Handicapped preschool children who participate in special education programs gain more in mental age and skill development than similiar children not engaged in special programs. This article lists current federal programs and advises how parent-teacher associations can help develop special intervention programs. (DF)