Examined the beliefs about knowing and learning among six toddler caregivers as well as their conceptions of good caregiving. Found that two caregivers held relativistic epistemological beliefs and four held multiplistic and mixed epistemological beliefs. The latter group lacked the same degree of reflectivity as the former group. Caregivers with…

This study examined immigrant parents' role in young children's language learning in various linguistic contexts, focusing on how parents helped their children learn English while maintaining their mother tongue. Findings of questionnaires, observations, and interviews indicated factors supporting children's learning, including parents' interest…

Examines the physical demands and ergonomic concerns within child care settings. Discusses problem areas and ergonomic recommendations for room design and staff training. Presents important implications for writing job descriptions, determining essential job functions, orienting and training staff, and committing to improving the child care work…

Interviewed depressed and non-depressed mothers on their breastfeeding practices and perceptions of their infants' feeding behavior. Found that, compared to non-depressed mothers, depressed mothers breast fed less often, stopped breastfeeding earlier, and scored lower on a breastfeeding confidence scale. Mothers who breastfed rather than bottle…

Observations of spontaneous behaviors and comments of one child pertinent to emergent literacy are reported. The following areas are addressed: letter/numeral naming; the meaning of print; the communicative function of print; conception of meaning-units or words; language games; awareness of the sound of language; and the relationship between…

Describes an empirical study that examined the impact of being carried on a parent's back on a child's visual integration pathways. Draws on a previous study (Pretorius et al.) postulating that this cultural behavior could have a negative impact as it prevents the child from crawling adequately or enough during the sensorimotor stage. (Author)

This article explores drama's potential for fostering metacognition, arguing that for effective learning, children need to be given access to activities in which they gain deeper understanding about their own thinking processes. To this end, and with reference to practice in primary education, a case is offered for the increased status of drama,…

This article recounts observations of the use of texts in the preschool, to document the interaction between the child, the teacher, and the environment, and the emergent literacy in the daily practices. Presentation of the findings is a description of two different textual environments: the narrative and the passive. (Author)

Studied teachers' perceived control over child behavior among Swedish preschool teachers working in school preparatory classrooms. Found that a high proportion of children with externalizing problems and a high proportion of boys in the classroom were the most salient aspects for teachers' perceived control. The importance of teachers' perceived…

Compared parental knowledge of structural and procedural characteristics of their daycare facilities with data provided by center directors. Found that parents answered only 45% of questions correctly and reported a lack of knowledge regarding both general center characteristics and specific group characteristics. Found that parental knowledge…

Describes the symptoms associated with Gerstmann's syndrome, a disorder of cognition, as well as the resulting challenges for educators in planning an education program based on the child's information-processing strengths, taking into account disabilities. Discusses educational implications as well as specific recommendations for children with…

Examined the marked delay in language acquisition suffered by babies with Down Syndrome and how early treatment affects the subsequent observed development among 36 subjects in Spain. Found statistically significant differences in language acquisitions in favor of newborns, compared with 90-day-old through 18-month-old infants who experienced…

Compared parenting attitudes of Asian Indian mothers living in the United States with those of mothers living in India. Found that the Asian Indian mothers in the United States had lower inappropriate expectations and tended not to reverse roles with their children. Asian Indian mothers living in India favored the use of corporal punishment more…

Investigated whether experiencing 25 minutes of unstructured play in a preceding task influenced the creativity of 6- and 7-year-olds in a subsequent activity. Found that there was a positive effect of a preceding salt-dough play activity upon the creativity and range of colors used in creating a collage with a controlled range of materials.…

This longitudinal study examined Singapore children's transition from preschool to primary school. The study identified the nature of parental support for numeracy development. Findings indicated that parents invest much time and effort in preparing children for primary school and see it as essential for accessing entry to a meritocratic…