Examined the cross-racial validity of friendship qualities and the value of reciprocity in friendship with 40 white and black fifth graders in a multiracial elementary school. Found that reliable alliance was considered significantly more important as a friendship quality by black than by white students, with 10 qualities, including reciprocity,…

Used multiple case studies to examine the writing of eight second graders in a dual curriculum school with Hebrew as an additional language. Findings revealed some letter and directional reversals, mostly conventional word boundaries, and invented spellings in both languages. Evidence suggests that learning to write in an additional language is an…

Used participant observation to investigate the beliefs and practices of two teachers with contrasting programs. Findings suggested that the teachers' practices were contrasting when interpreted from the points of view of philosophical constructivism and positivism but not from the teachers' own philosophical humanism. Findings implied that…

Presents reactions of provinces to position paper issued by the Canadian Psychological Association advocating a balanced approach to teaching reading. Reiterates position that whole-language programs be supplemented with phonological awareness exercises beyond those using initial word sounds to recognize words. Describes a booklet produced with…

Assessed classroom strategies using literature-based lesson models to facilitate empathy development in kindergarten and second grade. Concluded that commitment to core values such as justice, honesty, tolerance, and concern and respect for others should not be decontextualized but should be developed through direct personal experience. (Author/KB)

Reviews "The Benefits and Costs of Good Child Care" by Gordon Cleveland and Michael Krashinsky. Maintains that their study represents an important breakthrough in the understanding by economists of child care and its multidimensional role in promoting child welfare, equal opportunity for women, a more egalitarian society, and a more productive…

Reviews "Culture and the Child" by Daphne Keats. Maintains that the book's strengths include the empirical literature on cultural identity and its use of hypothetical incidents with alternative interpretations. Identifies areas that would have enhanced the book, including more in-depth discussion of alternate family structures, gender differences…

Reviews "Transforming Nursery Education" by Peter Moss and Helen Penn. Maintains that the book clarifies issues and options in child care policy in Great Britain, is highly applicable to the situation in Canada, articulates the importance of values as central to developing early childhood policy and programs, highlights the importance of learning…

Describes the development of the University of Guelph Child Care and Learning Centre, a collaborative program for integrating child care services with undergraduate learning opportunities and research. Summarizes the history, contextual factors, and guiding principles for the model, and the first-year evaluation results. Illustrates how contextual…

Uses alienation as the conceptual framework for analyzing dynamics of preschool children's failed play interactions. Maintains that this perspective centralizes the sociocultural context out of which failed play interactions arise rather than identifying alienation as a problematic behavior. Discusses play episodes in a nursery school setting to…

Compared family stimulation related to literacy provided to five- to seven-year-olds with intellectual deficits and without intellectual deficits. Found that, compared to children without intellectual deficits, children with intellectual deficits had fewer books available, parents began reading to them later in life, and read to them less…

Examined psychological effects of Tai Chi class for fourth to sixth graders. After pretesting, randomly assigned students to experimental group of 12-week Tai Chi program or comparison group following usual school routines. Found that experimental group did not demonstrate improved perceived self-competence, visual-motor integration, or reduced…

Examined playground use of six- to 12-year-olds with behavior problems. Found that play structures encouraged solitary motor activity and that social play concentrated in areas without equipment. Children with better social skills played in more playground areas than aggressive or withdrawn children. Negative moods were related to playing in…

Reviews the textbook "The Emerging Educator: Working in Early Childhood Settings" by Diane Nyistor and Eva Stelzer Rudick. Maintains that it serves as an introduction to the field, but also suggest that the work would benefit from including Canadian foundations, expanded presentation of personnel policies, employment climate, budget management,…

Reviews "Teaching with Technology: Creating Student Centered Classrooms" by J. Haymore Sandholtz, C. Ringstaff, and D.C. Dwyer, a report on the Apple Classrooms Of Tomorrow Project. Notes that strengths of the book include its accessibility for teachers and administrators, use of quotations from teachers to illustrate the change processes involved…