This article notes that children with developmental difficulties may exhibit qualitatively different behaviors in addition to or instead of developmental delay. It offers a rationale for neurobehavioral assessment and describes a new instrument, Neurobehavioral Indicators of Atypical Development, that is designed to assist in early screening and…

Discusses a study exploring whether field-independent (FI) students would rank FI teachers' characteristics as more important than would field-dependent (FD) students and whether FD students would rank as more important. Describes tests and criterion used. Concludes that individual differences in field dependence-independence characteristics…

The Rostock Longitudinal Study, which has followed 247 at-risk children from birth to age 14, seeks to identify factors contributing to interindividual developmental differences. Results reported underscore the limited prognostic value of single risk factors, the diminishing impact of organic perinatal risk factors over time, and the increasing…

Research suggests children have seven distinct intelligences (linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal). The article presents ideas to help elementary teachers develop intelligences in their students. It describes the project approach to providing multiple opportunities for using…

Examined middle and lower class Anglo-American and Puerto Rican mothers' sociocultural values and perceptions of attachment behavior. Anglo mothers focused on self-confidence, independence, and autonomy, whereas Puerto Rican mothers focused on obedience, relatedness, and demeanor. Findings indicate the need for culturally sensitive models of the…

Time sampling data from 392 fifth to ninth graders from working-class and middle-class suburbs of Chicago (Illinois) show high rates of boredom within and outside of school. High boredom correlates with high ability and with oppositional behavior (when ability is controlled), but not with onset of adolescence. (SLD)

Studied whether individual differences in print exposure and exposure to other media can account for individual differences in acquired declarative knowledge, controlling for confounds between experience and ability. Results with 268 undergraduates (90 males and 178 females) suggest that exposure is a significant contributor to knowledge…

Sixteen expert, beginning, and novice teachers, who simultaneously viewed three videotapes showing junior high school science work groups, expressed their thoughts and answered questions about classroom management and instruction. Differences among the groups in terms of perceptions, monitoring, and understanding of classroom events illustrate the…

Argues that current educational practices underestimate the magnitude of diversity in educational achievement and that disregarding diversity widens the range of differences. Reducing concern with grade-level achievement and increasing concern with academic mastery would have long-term educational benefits. Changes are proposed for elementary…

Presents a solution-focused treatment model that incorporates macro and micro views of ethnic differences and similarities. It is argued that not all clients from the same ethnic group experience life in similar ways. Use of the model is explored through a discussion of the treatment of Asian-American clients. (SLD)

Examined how child and family factors influence individual differences in the language development of African-American children between 18 and 30 months of age. Found that vocabulary and utterance length increased linearly. Children from more stimulating and responsive homes had larger vocabularies, used more irregular nouns and verbs, and had…

Summarizes the results of a study of 245 university undergraduates and describes the range of individual differences in cognitive style within that sample. Identifies four broad categories: (1) cognitive personality elements, (2) information processing style, (3) approaches to studying, and (4) instructional preferences. Discusses the differences…

Study of students (n=546) from two colleges found selective college students procrastinated more. Academic procrastination was motivated by task aversion at selective college, by fear of task failure at nonselective college. Nonselective college procrastinators more often used both legitimate and nonlegitimate excuses. Excuses were self-generated…

Homework is a battleground for many families. Increasingly, parents are asking their school boards to reconsider the amounts of homework assigned, and administrators are questioning homework quality. A New Jersey district has imposed strict limitations, allowing students more downtime and reading/informal learning opportunities. (MLH)

Examines the social environments, staff behavior and social interaction of 72 elderly clients in adult day care centers, using qualitative research techniques. When the staff and environment were more infantilizing, provided less autonomy and fewer opportunities for privacy regulation, clients had lower social interaction with peers. In contrast,…