Reviews research on the effect of stress hormones, particularly glucocorticoids, on the brain and early development. It describes the psychological and social processes that reduce stress hormone responses to threatening and painful procedures. Research on the cognitive and emotional effects of synthetic glucocorticoids is also discussed.…

Children living with abuse/neglect experience skill and learning deficits that can be remedied when teachers and counselors create learning environments that build confidence and encourage accomplishment. Developmental interventions that help children to view behavior as a choice, to view learning as a process, and to empower themselves with…

Defines the "peaceable classroom" concept, in which children are taught to deal more appropriately with feelings, to solve problems, and to make good decisions. Supplies instructions for classroom lessons to be used with five 12-year-old students. Claims that these lessons can help develop a peaceable classroom environment. (MKA)

Discusses recent brain-research findings relevant for educators: the brain changes physiologically as a result of experience; IQ is not fixed at birth; some abilities are acquired more easily during certain windows of opportunity; and learning is strongly influenced by emotion. Environmental enrichment unmistakably influences the brain's growth…

Considers alternative ways of conceptualizing patterns of attachment, arguing that danger prompts organization of protective strategies in children. Discusses issues of what is normal versus atypical; complex organization versus disorganization; neurological disorders and temperament; assessment of patterns of attachment and analysis of attachment…

Examined social, emotional, and cognitive characteristics of American and Chinese 6-year-olds' narratives. Found that, compared to American children, Chinese children showed greater orientation toward social engagement, greater concern with moral correctness, greater concern with authority, a less autonomous orientation, more expressions of…

The authors of a book on parenting maintain their book is about the state of being while raising children, which they feel is a spiritual experience. Allowing children their sovereignty; learning from pain and chaos; not projecting expectations onto children; and the importance of paying attention to the present moment, a concept borrowed from…

Presents a review of the empirical literature examining the initial effects of witnessing domestic violence on children's functioning. Although results are somewhat inconclusive regarding children's social, cognitive, and physical development, findings of recently conducted investigations, when combined and compared with the previously reviewed…

This article describes the creation of the "Breakfast Bunch," a multi-age program for gifted students that met on a bi-weekly basis before school for 30 minutes. The group gave students a risk-free forum for expressing their feelings and provided an opportunity for students to realize that others shared their feelings. (CR)

A study compared 13 children (ages 5-7) with autism and 13 typical children on their ability to match videotaped still, dynamic, and strobe emotional and non-emotional facial expressions with photographs. The children with autism did not perform significantly worse than controls on any experimental conditions. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A study involving eight high-functioning children with autism found they could define words, identify multiple meanings for ambiguous words, and make inferences from mental state verbs to given or presupposed knowledge. However, they failed to infer what mental state verbs implied in context and to make inferences about social scripts. (Contains…

A study examined the socioemotional experiences of adolescents with and without learning disabilities (LD) in an Israeli kibbutz environment during school transition periods. Seventh- and ninth-graders with LD received more social peer rejection and were judged by teachers to exhibit lower social skills and higher behavioral problems. (Contains…

This case study recorded and analyzed, during a primary prevention program in an urban day care center, the process of emotional socialization in two 4-year-old children considered at risk for academic failure. It isolated and described influential factors in emotional socialization, described changes in social skills and emotional expression, and…

Analysis of 400 dreams reported by medical students and house staff at a major academic medical center examined development of the two components of humanistic medicine: empathy and humanistic attitudes. Suggests that "critical episodes" of medical education produce emotional and psychological defenses in young physicians that affect their ability…

Presents a series of observations of infant/toddler-caregiver interaction in the child care setting to illustrate infants' social competence and its potential link to emotional literacy. Concludes that caregivers need to appreciate infants' communicative competence, listen to preverbal behaviors, and reflect on their images of children and the…