Sure Start Scotland is part of a broader action program for children from birth to age three and their families with the objectives of improving children's social and emotional development, health, and ability to learn, as well as strengthening families and communities. This summary report details a "mapping" project to identify services…

Written by a 2000 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, this paper explores the assumptions and foundations of current policies toward skill formation. The paper examines the conventional wisdom articulated by political leaders and draws on a body of recent scholarship that challenges many of the premises that govern popular policy…

The complexities of child and youth violence suggest that the solution requires a concerted approach. This paper draws upon research studies that seek to isolate the root causes of violence and the effect of exposure to violence on children. Factors from the home, school, and community environments may provide both the cause and the cure. There is…

Parents and schools working together to build students' social, emotional, and academic skills can accomplish far more than either group working alone. Both schools and parents can contribute in unique ways to make the partnership fruitful. Handouts included with this packet offer small things that all parents can consider doing. When done on a…

This paper argues that an individualist view of teaching and learning, based on a Cartesian world-view leads to the abdication of responsibility as educators of the emotions. A sociogenic perspective is proposed that urges that schools teach learners how to feel as well as how to learn. The classroom is a setting rich in opportunities for…

Although classroom group games have been used to effectively teach mathematics in Korean kindergarten, ethnographic research has revealed some unexpected negative effects of such games on young children due to children's over-competitiveness and the teacher's unskilled group management. This paper proposes some activity plans for group games to…

This digest examines the positive effects on emotional well-being of several types of outdoor education programs. Although many outdoor education and experiential programs enhance emotional growth, such "therapeutic" outcomes may be considered incidental to program goals. In contrast, programs aimed primarily at "therapy"…

Research reveals the importance of early experiences for the development of young children's brains. This guide suggests ways to make the most of children's brain potential at different ages. The activities described can be used to enhance all children's learning and brain development. Following an introduction, the guide's sections are: (1)…

This paper reports on the development of a scale to identify a child's emotional and behavioral skills, competencies, and characteristics, the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale: A Strength-Based Approach to Assessment (BERS). The BERS is a 52-item scale that identifies strengths in five areas: interpersonal strengths, family involvement,…

This article discusses the school's role in motivating students to understand themselves and in stressing how important such understanding is to the achievement and maintenance of high quality health. (Author/LA)

Study of student-teacher relationships revealed that affective oriented'' teachers may be most successful with retarded pupils. (SP)

Describes a program designed to help children identify expresssions of love and to explore how one feels when one is loved or not loved. (Author)

Accumulating evidence suggested that during the first 3 years a child needs a certain amount and quality of experience for an optimal rate of intellectual development. (Author)