Provides activities for the study of light as a theme for December, which encompasses Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Includes science activities and suggested books for children and teachers. (HTH)

Describes the use of small sandboxes with toy figures as an activity that helps children cope with the emotional upheaval in their lives. (HTH)

Speech delivered at NAEYC's National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development explores changing perspectives on social needs, and suggests building a sense of community and improving teacher education as ways to support children and families in need. (HTH)

Parents of a national sample of 4,423 preschool children were asked about specific accomplishments and difficulties of their children. Family risk factors were also documented. Results indicated the need for innovated approaches in providing early education services for children from low-socioeconomic circumstances, and emphasized the value of a…

Explores the role of NAEYC' accreditation in improving the quality of early childhood programs. Highlights the importance of the self-study process during accreditation procedures. (HTH)

Suggests way for directors, principals, and NAEYC affiliate groups to promote the association's Code of Ethical Conduct. Also suggests ways for early childhood care and education professionals working in state government to incorporate the Code into the training and technical assistance they provide. (HTH)

Review identifies concerns and criticisms as well as research findings about young children's use of computers. Review is organized in terms of the child's needs in all developmental areas--physical, social-emotional, cognitive, and language--and implications of these needs for planning. Findings include support for enhanced cognitive development,…

Forty Australian fathers met in discussion groups to explore issues they identified as meaningful and significant to them in their roles as fathers. Topics included role perception and expectations, participation in child rearing, work and family issues, and father-child relationships, all having implications for family educators, teachers, and…

Surveys the literature on the importance of social skills acquisition. Cites factors that influence social competence formation, including parental characteristics and quality of preschool care or interventions. Suggests that students lacking social competence risk peer rejection, academic failure, and later social and emotional problems. Includes…

Sixty Australian second grade students were interviewed about computers and their uses, and about their own experiences with them. Results showed positive attitudes toward computers and computing at home and school. Students were able to describe and discuss the range of functions they could perform. Boys thought their gender better at computer…

Details types and causes of accidental injury to young children. Notes that of the average 5,000 accidents per day nationwide, falls account for the greatest number. Concludes with four cautions: check for hazards in child's environs; think safety at home; lobby and advocate for safer toys, furniture, and equipment; and report defects and…

Home safety survey of 1050 Australian households investigated home injury risk profile and knowledge, beliefs and attitudes regarding home safety. Found the United Kingdom's "Six Es" for preventing child accidents useful as a planning strategy: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Environment, Evaluation, Enthusiasm. Found home-by-home safety…

Observed behaviors of 37 female and 23 male Australian preschoolers. Found that only 20% engaged in thematic pretend play (linked to perspective taking, language development, impulse control, divergent problem solving) whereas 24% used cooperative social play (linked to divergent problem solving). Results suggest need for assistance in the…

Elaborates the view that phonological recoding, or print-to-sound translation, is a self-teaching mechanism enabling learners to acquire the orthographic representations necessary for visual word recognition. Discusses developmental properties of phonological recoding, reviews evidence on the importance of cognitive abilities underlying the…

Comments on a study by Frazier and others on Dutch-language lexical processing. Claims that the control condition in the experiment was inadequate and that an assumption made by Frazier about closed class verbal items is inaccurate, and proposes an alternative account of a subset of the data from the experiment. (BC)