Directors, teachers, parents, and mental health professionals in child care centers were interviewed about aggressive behavior of preverbal children to determine the caregivers' level of understanding about children's emotional development. The definition of aggressive behavior included hitting, biting, pushing, scratching, pinching, grabbing,…

A study conducted in two types of laboratory settings and one school setting tested a model of the development of emotional expression. The model included: (1) societal, peer, and family influences; (2) self-factors, such as physiological, affective, motivation, cognitive, and personality variables; and (3) self-mediators, which act as filters…

Assessments of social competence have played a major role in the identification and treatment of youth with emotional disorders. This study examined the construct validity of the social skills subtest of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) when used with youth with emotional disorders. Comparisons were made to examine the convergent and…

A study investigated the relationship among four possible mechanisms for children's socialization of emotion: (1) mothers are essentially modeling the expression of emotion; (2) mothers' emotions serve a coaching function; (3) the affective environment to which a child is exposed may impact general social-emotional competence; and (4) mothers'…

An instrument used to measure depression indicated that 35 percent of grade 7 and 8 students had significant levels of depression. The author suggests that programs regarding student mental health be instituted toward preventive guidance through the school system. (Author/DEP)

A workshop leader and consultant makes an impassioned plea for more and better movement education. Provides ideas for focused movement explorations and discusses the overall goals and advantages of this new breed of physical education. (ED)

A course in Family Life Education entitled "Home and Family Living" is offered to male and female junior and senior students in the Houston Independent School District. The student explores his self-awareness, stages of maturity, sexuality, handling emotions, marriage roles, money management, and later life. (BP)

Reports recent research which illustrates the educational value of play in preschool education. Play theory, the relationship between cognitive development and play, implications from research on preschool program models, the use of play equipment, dramatic play and teacher participation in play activities are discussed. (SDH)

Although it has been estimated that 28,000,000 Americans may be children of alcoholics, these individuals have only recently been given serious attention by researchers and clinicians. Empirical studies pertaining to the effects of having alcoholic parents were reviewed and several clusters of characteristics were derived from the findings: (1)…

This paper provides curriculum makers with an overview of developmental theory and relates the theory to instructional strategies. The section on socioemotional development addresses Erikson's eight ages of man, Kohlberg's stages of moral development, motivation and Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Taylor's stage model of creative development, and…

This digest offers guidelines in providing challenging reading opportunities for gifted students. Research findings concerning the characteristics of the gifted child as reader (e.g., they read earlier, better and more) are noted. Specific needs of gifted learners can be met by: using literature as a supplement to the readings in basal texts;…

Maternal and infant interactional characteristics in early infancy were investigated in order to examine their causal relationship with later attachment as assessed in the Strange Situation. Although the results of rating for maternal variables at four months of age exhibited significant differences between the set (S1) composed of attachment type…

Believing that an individual's development is strongly influenced by the way the person perceives his or her environment, Kurt Lewin had a strong influence on the theoretical foundations of social-emotional climate research. Lewin's theories may be compared with the following basic theoretical foundations of social climate research: symbolic…

Reviewed are studies of attachment, separation anxiety, and caregiver intervention techniques and strategies. Discussion of attachment centers on patterns of attachment and children's behavior in the "strange situation." Discussion of separation anxiety indicates that the phenomenon occurs in many different cultures. Topics covered include: (1)…

Intended for counselors, parents, and teachers, the handbook covers academic, affective, and career/life planning counseling needs at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. An introductory section addresses goals of gifted and talented education and program elements. A section is provided for each educational level with subsections…