The purpose of this paper is to dispel some of the fantasies surrounding school readiness and to look at some of the realities presented to parents and schools by children. Section I provides developmental guidelines for assessing the school readiness of 3-year-old preschoolers, examines behavior patterns normally exhibited by children on entering…

Rapid population growth in rural areas has confronted rural communities and particularly rural educational systems with a number of problems. Sudden, large increases in students crowd school facilities and strain budgets. The different values, attitudes, and orientations toward education of the newcomers act as a catalyst for changes and can cause…

Based on longitudinal study of adolescents (ages 12 to 16), investigated the input of school experiences on central aspects of personality formation. Results show a weak relationship between the school's evaluative system and the pupils' self-evaluation: an isomorphism did not exist. Influences on self-concept formation considered. (Author/BB)

Noting that families are increasingly spending time apart from one another due to work or other commitments and the ease of travel, this booklet discusses how parents can learn to cope with being away from their children and how they can feel comfortable integrating back into family life. The booklet also includes useful tips on how to help…

Students with or without disabilities often experience difficulties with abstract math concepts. This paper is intended to help solve the mystery of math concepts through origami construction, a hands-on activity. Students are involved in constructing and deconstructing concepts by folding and unfolding a piece of paper which eventually leads to a…

This booklet provides an overview of autism and discusses strategies for living and working with children with autism. The first section of the guide, "Understanding the Problem," addresses the characteristics of autism, including social symptoms, language difficulties, repetitive behaviors and obsessions, sensory symptoms, and unusual…

Resilience is defined as "the human capacity to face, overcome, and be strengthened by experiences of adversity." This study used an Eriksonian developmental model to examine parents', caregivers', and children's resilience-promotion in children up to 12 years of age. Age and gender differences and cultural/ethnic similarities and…

This book tells the stories of eight people with above average to highly gifted levels of intellect, who also have significant, previously unrecognized and undiagnosed, learning disabilities. Their discovery of their true abilities and gifts after years of humiliation within the educational system and the trials of daily life is detailed. The…

This book looks at how teachers and young children talk to each other in the classroom, describing how a good teacher will use these conversations to build an encouraging classroom--a community where mutual acceptance is the priority and where children can learn the skills they will need in larger communities in the future. The skills include…

Because of geographic isolation, many Australian families find it necessary to send their children to boarding schools for an appropriate secondary education. To determine the impact that leaving home has on young adolescents, and how they cope with the change, 38 year-8 boarding-school students from remote areas of Western Australia were…

In this paper, an overview of children's psychological processes is presented within the context of adoption, foster care, or other type of placement which requires the child to develop the coping skills necessary to continue toward optimal growth psychologically, cognitively, and socially. Findings from a research review indicate that children…

In six articles presents research reflective of the diversity and commonalities of the Black female experience. Deals with educational, career, and psychological issues surrounding Black adolescents, working and professional women, college students, and employed mothers. Discusses militancy, fear of success, coping, nontraditional careers, and…

Today's leaders face a world dramatically different from that of the previous generation. Thus, they cannot rely on experience from the past, but need to anticipate future needs and circumstances and to develop more flexible organizations to achieve the transformation from an industrial to a communication era. (WD)

Discusses why the school must respond to changing family structures, and how some principals, teachers, and counselors are going about it. (Author)

Maintains that the standard Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) does not include many common events that act as stressors for college students and includes many events that have little or no meaning for them. Introduces an instrument intended for classroom demonstrations: the College Undergraduate Stress Scale (CUSS). (MJP)