Discusses research on home literacy experiences indicating that family literacy experiences are more embedded in family social events than in reading or writing activities. Notes that parent-child interaction, literacy events outside the family, and family values and attitudes about literacy are mainly responsible for children's later academic…

Explored philosophical bases of care and education among 41 British early childhood professionals. Found that child care staff's guiding principles tended to be specifically child-centered, while early childhood teachers and managers generated a broader range of principles incorporating aspects of curriculum and partnership. Found that…

Presents a new authorship method of child therapy based on visualization through motion. Maintains that this method stimulates motor development and musical receptiveness, and promotes personality development. Suggests that improvised movement to music facilitates the projection mechanism and that directed movement starts the channeling phase.…

Examined relationships between childhood workaholism and Type A behavior among fourth and fifth graders. Found no relationships between parent-rated Type A behaviors and children's self-perceived workaholism, self esteem, anxiety, or locus of control. Found no relationship between parental workaholism and child scores. Teachers' ratings related to…

Explores fears and phobias of childhood from a behavioral perspective. Maintains that many childhood fears are mild, age-specific, and transitory, whereas others persist beyond normal developmental limits. Maintains that severe school phobia is difficult to manage. Notes that reports of successful behavioral treatments of fears/phobias are rare in…

Traces developments within educational reforms relevant to drug prevention and education in the United Kingdom and elsewhere over the past 30 years; suggests how the best elements can be reconciled within a more effective whole. Offers an example of a sound educational process that matches this reconciliation and onto which other packages can be…

Outlines the development of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (DARE), particularly in the United Kingdom, and explores the added value of DARE for children, schools, teachers, and the community. Considers the development of DARE in terms of curriculum review to optimize DARE in accordance with current best practice guidance. (Author/KB)

Examines the efforts to find effective ameliorative measures for literacy difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, focusing on noneducational techniques found in holistic medicine, complementary therapies, and nutritional supplements. Maintains that dyslexia has become big business for drug companies and that the appropriate research regarding…

Uses narrative inquiry techniques to construct an Australian male's account of formative experiences as an early childhood educator and the difficulties encountered in a traditionally "female" profession. Notes that fear of unwarranted accusations of child sexual abuse and their impact highlight potential vulnerability of men in this profession.…

A questionnaire study elicited views of 14,328 Hong Kong parents on kindergarten education. Responses indicated positive attitudes toward kindergarten. Parents thought that kindergarten was important for their children and that well qualified teachers were necessary for kindergarten. Very few believed that attending kindergarten eased parental…

Compared caregiver-child discourse surrounding information and narrative picture books with twelve 4-year-olds. Found that discourse surrounding the informational book was greater in quantity than for the picture book, and contained more cognitively demanding questions, more conditional clauses, and more interactions involving reasoning and…

Examined impact of a 5-week music/movement program involving relaxation, kinesics, singing, visual contact, and tactile stimulation on first-time mothers' use of music and movement with their infants. Found that the program extended mothers' use of relaxation to music and rhythmical movement with their infants but not the use of song and massage…

Examined effect of toddler temperament on caregiver-toddler interaction in child care. Found that children classified as difficult attracted significantly more attention, not necessarily positive, from caregivers. Children rated as easy were overlooked more often than others. Children's sociability/withdrawal made little difference to caregiver…

Evaluated alternative assessment strategies for preschoolers which use movement behavior as the focus and which involve teachers, parent/caregivers, and children in the process. Incorporated adult/child observation coding system with physical, social, cognitive, and task dimensions supplemented by regular structured interviews and a motor…

Explored nature and extent of track and field injuries of 8- and 9-year-olds and their injury prevention methods. Found that about one-third had at least one injury. About one-fourth considered their injuries serious. Most serious injuries occurred during track and field events. There were no age or gender differences in injury rates. Injury…