School change is not the rational deliberate process that some people might believe it is. One of the realities of schooling is that teachers possess their own theories about what they do, and about what is reasonable, feasible, and possible in classroom teaching. This is invariably knowledge based upon 'lived experiences,' rather than on the…

A resource and activity guide for the developmentally disabled that focuses on functional and constructive play is presented. Some basic ideas for fostering dramatic play among the severely developmentally disabled are also introduced. In following a developmental approach, this guide identifies goals and objectives, and explains the relevance of…

The primary purpose of this study was to examine uneven early development in premature infants. A multiple regression analysis was performed in which birth weight, length of gestation, length of assisted feeding, and length of ventilation were used to predict the descrepancy between a child's Psychomotor and Mental Scale scores on the Bayley…

Self-study course materials for parents who wish to learn more about 6- to 12-year-old children are provided. Lessons focus on (1) growth and development; (2) relations between chronological ages and developmental stages; (3) self-concept; and (4) communication. Lesson 1 discusses physical, emotional, social, and mental development. Lesson 2 lists…

This compilation of information for teachers and parents translates important aspects of research regarding children's social development and peer relationships into strategies that can be used by parents and teachers to understand and help children who need to develop more effective ways to deal with peers. The publication includes three topical…

This study examined the recent research dealing with humor, praise, and criticism in the classroom and evaluated the results with respect to the early adolescent. It is posited that the use of humor, praise, and criticism can both positively and negatively affect the academic achievement and social growth of students at the middle level of…

This informational document is intended to help answer questions commonly asked by families, professionals, and the general public concerning Down Syndrome. Medical problems associated with Down Syndrome include heart conditions, upper respiratory disorders, ear infections and hearing loss, vision/eye problems, cervical problems, and…

A study examined developmental differences in students' recognition of the types of explanations that help most in mathematics peer-group interactions. Scripted interactions of eight male and eight female dyads working on math problems were videotaped. In each interaction one actor in the dyad would request non-specific assistance and the other…

A study examined both the structure and the content of picture book interactions of 30 mothers with their 12-, 15-, or 18-month-old children. Interactions were videotaped in a laboratory playroom. Among the factors observed were the nature of the two partners' contributions as a function of the child's age, and the extent to which the mother gave…

Fifteen boys and 15 girls were interviewed during their seventh, ninth, and twelfth years about a friendship dilemma in which the protagonist had to decide whether to keep a promise given to a friend or to accept an invitation from a third child. Interviews assessed descriptive and prescriptive aspects of the differentiation and coordination of…

Spelling practices, processes, and implications can be analyzed in terms of three conceptual models: the bottom up, the top down, and the interactive compensatory model. Spelling instruction from post-colonial America into the 20th century reveals a preoccupation with the bottom up philosophy, which emphasized rules, word lists, and rote…

A study explored the relationship between print awareness and subsequent reading achievement in children. Specifically it measured changes in the development of print awareness across age and grade levels and across time, and compared the levels of lower-ability, educationally disadvantaged children in second and third grades to that of their…

The investigators in this qualitative study at Towson State University, Maryland, continue to examine various materials gathered from the experience of four preservice elementary teachers. Student records and journal entries, and structured interviews of students, cooperating teachers and college supervisors revealed recurring patterns in the…

Home movies of eight normal children and eight children later diagnosed as autistic were analyzed based on: (1) Piagetian criteria of sensorimotor development and semiotic functioning, and (2) developmental levels of action competencies. The age range covered was 4 to 42 months of age. The analysis showed that, from the second year of life, timing…

Numerous models have been developed to analyze the relationship between adult education, adult learning, and adult development. Squires' contingency model postulates that the how of teaching is determined by the nature and characteristics of the participants (the who), the content (the what), and the setting (the where) in which teaching takes…