This first year report of a life span analysis of rural Kansas children's mental and social development focuses on the children's cognitive development and the effect of family attitudes and child caring patterns on the children's development. The subjects, 62 rural children aged 3, 6, and 9 years, are to be interviewed annually. Initial analysis of data from standardized assessment tests at the end of the first year indicated a varying pattern of relationships between the three age cohorts. Socioeconomic status was an important correlate of the children's cognitive development at 3, 6, and 9 years. The home environment was a strong factor for the 3-year-olds. Parental variables including the mother's anomie (feeling of alienation) and her level of community involvement, as well as lack of paternal satisfaction, were important correlates of the 9-year-olds' cognitive development. The pattern of the 6-year-olds is less clear. (Author/CM)