Describes the history of early childhood education in Indonesia. Also discusses (1) the extent of the nation's present formal preschool education system; (2) the cooperative private and government early childhood education effort; and (3) the goals set by the private and government coalition for preschool education in the 1990s. (RJC)

Reports a study of 559 children of 5-6 years to determine language interaction differences in males and females in day care centers and part-time preschools in Sweden. A significant correlation was found between sex and form of preschool in regards to language interaction between the child and the personnel. (RJC)

Investigated effects of variation of personal cost to the helper and perceived neediness of the person helped upon the helping behavior of 96 children of 43-67 months. Data indicated that the helping stimulus, the absence of behavior by the person helped, and cost contributed to the prediction of helping response type. (RJC)

Investigates the sensorimotor exploration of novel stimuli of 18 Aboriginal and 18 Caucasian Australian children of 4-6 years. Findings indicate that Aboriginal and Caucasian children displayed similar levels and patterns of visual and tactile exploration of a novel object, with Aboriginal children manipulating at a higher rate. (RJC)

Describes a therapy session with a father and son which began with a game of war and ended with a tea party. Discusses the session in terms of a transformation of angry behavior to responsible and sharing behavior. (RJC)

A projective picture instrument was used to determine ethnic stereotypes of 90 children of 4-5 years. Findings indicate that although 4-year-olds were ambivalent about their ethnic preferences, by age 5 children had developed clear ethnic preferences. (RJC)

Discusses the contribution of language-based activities to training for thinking skills in a cognitively oriented curriculum. Focuses on the thinking and language dyad, which serves as the framework for a teaching model and the criterion for selection of content. (RJC)

Reviews research on social integration of special needs children into regular preschool programs. Techniques used to facilitate integration are reassessed. Suggestions for teacher promotion of social integration are provided. (RJC)

Examines AIDS in terms of its causes, prevalence, prognoses, and modes of transmission. Discusses the importance of educating the public about AIDS and techniques for preventing AIDS. (RJC)

Investigated the association between day care and parental factors and children's adjustment in 632 children of 6-7 years. Findings indicated that children with several years of day care did not display attachment problems when they entered elementary school. (RJC)

Criticizes systems theory for providing an inappropriate model of the family. Proposes that the family should be conceived of as a matrix of interlocking experiences. (RJC)

Examines relationships between self-concept and teacher competency among 22 female college students in an early childhood teacher training program. Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that subjects' self-concept scores were significantly and positively related to their scores on the Preschool Teacher Competency Rating Scale and its…

Discusses racism and ways in which children learn racism. Describes five techniques teachers can use to discourage racism. (RJC)

Discusses various theories concerning the purpose of children's humor, especially in the classroom. Describes ways in which children use humor to deal with stress. (RJC)

Reviews the literature concerning play theories. Classifies play theories into three categories: classical theories, early twentieth century theories, and recent theories. Theories discussed include psychoanalytic, cognitive development, arousal, communication, and adaptive plasticity. (RJC)