The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) poses constructivist ideas in its "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (2000). NCTM supports mathematics instruction that takes a developmental perspective; starts and builds on what children know; and leads children to construct relational understanding, problem-solving…

Objectives: The authors examined whether the relationship between alcohol expectancies and sexual experiences while drinking differed between Latino and white college students. Participants: The authors considered students if they were white or Latino, unmarried, aged 18-25 years, reported any drinking, and had at least 1 sexual partner in the…

Joint attention, a foundational nonverbal social-communicative milestone that fails to develop naturally in autism, was promoted for three toddlers with early-identified autism through a parent-mediated, developmentally grounded, researcher-guided intervention model. A multiple baseline design compared child performance across four phases of…

In this article I argue that by connecting assessment to learning and instruction and by enacting assessment as a collective practice we can see new opportunities for learning. The concept of mediated action and the notion of a collective zone of proximal development are used to theorize assessment. Two cases are included to support and make…

This article describes a case study in the use of the Family Check-Up (FCU), a family-based and ecological preventive intervention for children at risk for problem behavior. The FCU is an assessment-driven intervention that utilizes a health maintenance model; emphasizes motivation for change; and offers an adaptive, tailored approach to…

Information about "family matters" is vital to developing targeted interventions, reducing placement disruption, and enhancing outcome in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The quality of the caregiving environment and family function are associated with long-term outcome in natural history study of individuals with FASD. This article…

The 1994 second-year evaluation of the state of Georgia's prekindergarten program had two objectives: (1) to describe all components of the comprehensive program--children, families, educational activities, social services, and coordinating councils; and (2) to begin assessing long-term outcomes by comparing kindergarten children formerly in the…

This expanded edition of a 1982 book by Erik Erikson summarizes his work on the stages of the human life cycle, including chapters on psychosexuality and the cycle of generations, major stages in psychosocial development, and ego and ethos. An additional chapter on the ninth stage sets forth his philosophy on old age--i.e. the 80s and 90s--and how…

This book examines the important role of learning in maintaining the health, quality of life, and longevity of older adults. It includes results of the first comprehensive survey of adult learning in men and women over age 55. Chapter 1 focuses on aging, ageism, and issues raised by the graying of the population in what it calls the "Age" Age.…

This book contains a collection of current research in the development of speech perception and perceptual learning. The collection integrates research involving infants, young children, and adults, and explores systematically how adult perceptual abilities develop from early infant capabilities, focusing particularly on the nature of transitional…

A study examined youth expectations from their counterparts of the same age and sex, regarded as friends. Three different levels of friendship prevalent among 974 Polish adolescents (between 11 and 19 years of age) were compared: best friend, close friend, good friend. The research made use of "Friendship Scales" constructed by LaGaipa,…

Educators contribute to children's anxiety and pain when they fail to provide children with information about loss and death and ways of coping with loss and death. Children who are denied factual information about experiences of loss and death develop fantasies and misconceptions regarding the experiences and suffer more anxiety and pain than…

This paper helps to clarify the role of empirical evidence in psychological and epistemological theories. Following Galileo's idealization, epistemological theories do not describe the behavior of individuals in the real world. It is only when the "impediments" of the real subjects are gradually removed by experimental manipulation that…

This study tested 148 preschoolers between the ages of 48 and 72 months on a Piagetian number conservation task. Children's judgment accuracy, estimation, and response latency were measured. Children were also questioned about the number conservation principle. A four-step developmental sequence was hypothesized: (1) nonconservation; (2) correct…

Many human behaviors (e.g., cognitive, moral, and psychosocial) follow predictable developmental patterns or stages. The study reported examined the interpersonal development of 9- through 13-year-old children. A total of 282 children were administered the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation - Behavior Children (FIRO-BC) test to…