The factor structure of an inventory of attitudes toward teaching before actual classroom experience and the changes in those attitudes following a semester of student teaching were investigated. A questionnaire designed to sample opinion about teaching and children was administered to 33 elementary education majors before and after student…

In a sample of 100 children, aged 8-14, there was a clear association between consolidated concrete operational thinking and Kohlberg's Stage 2 moral reasoning, and some evidence that, in order of development, logical thinking precedes role-taking, which precedes moral reasoning, at corresponding levels of conceptual complexity. (Author/SJL)

Describes an attempt to study and map the development of children's conceptions of materials. Interviews with preschool, first-grade, fourth-grade, and seventh-grade students revealed a dramatic improvement during the years studied in children's abilities to talk and think about materials. (ML)

Describes the reading development of a child of average mental ability but with visual memory, auditory memory, and auditory discrimination problems. Concludes that instruction should be tailored to the child's level of development in order to maintain the child's positive attitudes and to progress in reading and writing achievement. (SRT)

The study evaluated developmental progress in three groups of infants (9-30 months) presenting Down syndrome (n=28), mild disability (n=16), or moderate/severe disabilities (n=16). To evaluate intervention impact, formulas that measure rate of development and change in rate of development were computed. Findings indicated rate change formulas were…

The developmental model of communication growth is often the most appropriate framework for determining intervention goals with handicapped children. An integration of published literature describing the developmental progression of sensory, motor, and social abilities is provided as an intervention framework for developing communicative abilities…

The literature on the moral judgment and moral development of mentally retarded individuals is reviewed. The relative contribution of mental age, chronological age, cognitive functioning, social experience, and environmental factors to the moral characteristics of this population is discussed. (Author/RM)

Improvements in English-language skills made by hearing-impaired students can be assessed using the taxonomy of semantic development phases from L. Bloom and M. Lahey. Teachers are encouraged to transcribe, code, and analyze bimodal language samples and to write both form and content language objectives for hearing-impaired students. (JDD)

Surveyed unemployed people to determine whether the interpretation of a life event such as job loss, is a function of life stage. No significant differences were found for sources of informal support, blame and worry, and physical and mental health. Age and gender proved significant in consideration of factors affecting success in finding a job.…

A systematic examination of the desired outcome of discipline is important before developing a discipline structure. Discipline goals should be based on: (1) appropriate developmental expectation; (2) societal expectations of the individual; and (3) a mechanism for helping youngsters formulate goals for their own behavior management. (JDD)

Examined multivariate model of effect of life events and transitions, intrafamily strain, marital adjustment, and appraisal on family well being. Showed that life events and transitions had no effect on family well being, but they intensified intrafamily strain, which in turn negatively affected marital adjustment and perceived well being, yet…

Investigated relationship between levels of participation and levels of interest in leisure activities via analysis of comprehensive 77-item questionnaire administered to 247 adolescents. Found adolescents engaged in and were interested in activities characterized by their sex-stereotyped nature, although popular pursuits were neither physically…

Synthesizes literature on social comparison in young children. Findings center on (1) children's motivations to engage in social comparison; (2) peer targets; (3) age when social comparison appears; (4) developmental sequences; (5) effects upon subsequent behavior; and (6) sex-related differences. Suggests pratical implications for teaching.…

Filmed 30 infants monthly between one and seven months of age where mothers or unfamiliar women responded to their cries by picking up or talking to the infants. Results suggest that infants develop conditioned associations among distress-relief patterns by one month, and cognitive expectations by four or five months. (Author/BB)

Reviews the neural modeling principles of learning, perception, cognition, and motor control, discusses their applications to sensory-motor problem solving, and explores possible relationships between that pattern of problem solving and aspects of higher order formal operational problem solving. Cites implications for science education. (ML)