In a speech before the American Educational Research Association, the author asserts that childhood education theory is going through one of its periodic over-reactions to new findings. The result is the present overemphasis on environmentally caused cognitive development. Yet a very basic biological law is the law of human variability. The…

Affective teaching is particularly important at the secondary level when the student is facing the problems of adolescence (physical change, sex, social development, identity, values, and alienation). One of the most commonly accepted strategies at the secondary level is that of improving self-concept through the study of literature. Since an…

This paper presents the theory that altruistic motives develop out of the synthesis of empathic distress and the child's increasingly sophisticated cognitive development, especially his level of self-other differentiation. An examination of empathy and the sense of other is included, followed by a discussion of empathic distress, various forms of…

This report is a summary statement about a broad-based longitudinal study being conducted by Head Start. It concerns the effects of early school experiences on over 1800 disadvantaged children, ages 4 to 8, and their families who live in four poverty areas. The report (1) raises basic questions about the nature of education, learning, and…

The first stage of self-concept development concerns the parents' treatment of the child. Parents are advised to be accepting and supportive of children, particularly toddlers. Punishment and repression of toddlers' curiosity has deleterious effects on their emotional development. The second critical variable in establishing a sense of self…

This research focuses on a major characteristic of mass-education: the requirement that each child in the classroom perform the same learning tasks at the same time. Little is known about consequences of such instructional uniformity on learning, emotional growth and interpersonal relations. Three basic experiments were conducted. The first study…

Because of the sparcity of research on infants' response to social events, especially different categories of people, infants between 8 and 18 months of age were introduced to five different social events: strange adult male and female, strange 4-year-old female, mother, and self. The infants' responses indicated that approach affects stimulus…

The study was undertaken to determine the possibility of a relationship between the selected traits of cognitive ability, conceptual development, emotional maturity, and perceptual-motor development in disadvantaged kindergarten children, since the knowledge of the relationship between traits might make it possible to strengthen a child's…

This paper is a plea for humanizing and personalizing education to enhance understanding of self and others, as opposed to focusing exclusively on intellectual gains. The author addresses himself to the contextual approach towards education which allows the individual to become intrinsically involved with the curriculum, through involvement of the…

Personal growth and professional growth are the main areas of concern dealt with in this workbook. Developed from teacher identified "components of growth," the text is organized around the concepts of awareness/reflection, trust, risk, conflict, working plans, and opportunities for growth. The document is designed to encourage reflection of…

This chapter reviews selected materials in psychology that are related to the nature of man and his development and that are relevant to a humanistic system of education. Humanistic is used to indicate a concern with the learner as a whole person rather than simply as a disembodied intellect or repository of cognitive processes. In reviewing the…

Describes a three-pronged program on teaching human relations in the classroom. (Author/RK)

A critical analysis of the current knowlege concerning the development of the concept of death in childhood is the purpose of this paper. Theoretical models and methodological limitations of the literature are addressed. Many factors have been implicated as contributing to the development of the concept of death. (Author/BN)

Reviews research on day care in terms of family influences, day care influences and child outcomes, addressing implications for policy. Critiques resources including books, reports and other documents, organizations, and audiovisual materials, available for parents and professionals. (Author/KS)

The social development of 59 kibbutz-reared five-year-olds, whose attachments to mothers, fathers, and metaplott were assessed when they were 11 to 14 months old, was investigated. Findings raise questions regarding the developmental significance of attachment relationships with various significant adults. (RH)