Evaluated five intelligence test instruments for use with Malaysian children: Raven's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), WISC-R, School Failure Tolerance (SFT), Scale for Rating Behavior Characteristics of Superior Students (SRBCSS), and Parent Checklists. Found that Raven's SPM was an effective screening test, and the WISC-R the best measure to…

Discusses the role confusion early intervention counselors in South Africa are likely to face, urging a distinction between disciplinary counseling and developmental counseling. Addresses particularly the black counselor's role in South Africa's caregiving system, highlighting the importance of issues of cultural diversity and sensitivity. (EV)

Used questionnaires to investigate quality of and satisfaction with parent-child relationships among gifted and average adolescents in Yugoslavia. Found no significant differences in relations, but pupils in special programs and gifted males were less satisfied than pupils in regular programs and gifted females. Also found that older adolescents…

Examined whether students' prereading and prearithmetic test results varied as a result of the teaching strategy used. Subjects were 446 teachers and 5,490 children, 4-6 years old, from Dutch infant classes 1 and 2 of primary education. Socioethnic background was found to be more significant in explaining test results than teaching method. (JPB)

Examined the family backgrounds, health and developmental characteristics of 127 children from disadvantaged and deprived environments adopted after age 4. Found that parental psychosocial antecedents, medical and health problems and difficulties in infancy were more prevalent in this group than in the general population. Late age of placement,…

This study examined the relationship between classroom culture, determined by the teacher's beliefs and values about their role in working with children, and children's behavior in that environment. Fifty 3-year-olds attending child care full time were videotaped during play, and their conflicts were transcribed. Results suggest a link between…

Examined factors affecting teachers' perception of risk to a child's welfare in situations of abuse and neglect, their willingness to report situations to authorities, and their approach to such cases. Subjects were 161 Israeli elementary school teachers. Found several areas in identifying and reporting child maltreatment-related to the nature or…

Investigated the social interactions of 18 Taiwanese infants and toddlers with a baby in a group setting. Compared videotaped responses and other mediating issues with those of American children in a similar scenario. Found that Taiwanese toddlers demonstrated significantly more interactions toward the baby than did American toddlers. Children…

Considers the definition and assessment of creativity, a framework for understanding what occurs during the creative thinking process, and how the caregiver, educator, or helping professional can develop creativity to find solutions to caregiving or managerial problems. Discusses the attributes of creative individuals, and is the importance of…

Examined effects on 74 adopters of participation in a court contest of adoption orders. Also explored effects of the nature of the hearings on availability of information and well-being of adopters. Found that the adversarial process did not lead to minimal levels of postadoption contact between biological and adoptive parents but was still…

Reviews the literature on implications of caregiver-parent relationships for children in daycare and at home. Finds that choices in day care are not randomly distributed across families; family and daycare characteristics tend to covary. Longitudinal studies, studies in noncenter settings, and studies of the child's influence on parent caregiver…

Examined relationships of child care provider education, presence of children from economically strained homes, and program structure to providers' self-perception, nurturance, and caregiving conditions in 36 licensed family day care homes. Found that when provider self-perceptions were high, but day care clients experienced economic strain, the…

Used Smilansky and Parten/Piaget play measures to assess social class and sex differences in Singapore preschoolers' play at home and preschool centers. Found that parallel and functional play were higher at home than in centers and associative/cooperative play was higher in centers than homes. Smilansky scores were higher at centers than homes,…

Reviews studies comparing short- and long-term effects of language-based socially and cognitively interactive play enrichment in day care and the home during infancy. Found that both day care and home children experiencing intervention advanced to high levels of language and cognitive functioning compared to control children. Advantages of home…

Discusses issues related to dual attendance of school and before- or after-school programs, including structural differences between school and child care, transitions between two programs, recognition of children with adjustment difficulties, easing of the adjustment process, the importance of communication, and implications for the curricula and…