Examined the effectiveness of pre-bedtime massages for infants and toddlers with sleep onset problems. Found that, compared to bedtime stories, massages produced fewer sleep delays and a shortened latency to sleep onset. (Author/DLH)

Examined: (1) what is the self-concept of a 6-year-old child; (2) what is the picture of a child (real and ideal) in parents' minds; and (3) the relation between self-concept of a child and the picture in parents' minds. Found that perceptions of the child were positive, and clear conformity between parents' image of their child and children's…

Argues that little research has been directed toward exploring cognitive variables that characterize students with poor school attendance. Presents the findings of a pilot study that compared a small sample of truants and non-truants on locus of control and attributional style. Finds that attributional style is a significant factor in explaining…

Studied how early childhood teachers think about and use child observation in Australian and U.S. classrooms. Uses in U.S. settings included assessing academic progress and adjusting curriculum/teaching strategies. Uses in Australian settings included identifying individual strengths and weaknesses, and informing work with parents and other…

This study sought to descriptively evaluate the performance of fundamental gross motor skills among Head Start children. Levels of performance were compared and contrasted with performance profiles of the Test of Gross Motor Development. Findings suggest that Head Start curriculum should focus on the importance of developing fundamental gross…

Presents a selective review of child abuse and emphasizes the need for standard procedures for referral, medical provisions, and legal reporting. Based on review of issues of establishing the dimensions of child maltreatment, offers recommendations for integrating critical issues for the present and future development of child abuse into practica…

Examines the demands made on the beginning reader. Considers implications for classroom practice to promote reading development, and examines the resources used by teachers to introduce children to reading. Argues that the use of Big Books in the teaching of reading is a means to make the reading process visible and accessible to all children.…

Reflects on purposes of education, emphasizing that motivation, locus of control, self-esteem, and causal attribution are vital components of a sensitive curriculum. Discusses the role of formal education and the state, ambiguities underlying formal education, and the need for a person-centered approach to curriculum. Concludes with assertions…

Interviewed 311 four- to 9-year-olds of various cultures to explore how they perceived and experienced activities, roles, responsibilities, and relationships with peers and teachers in school. Found that school created conflict in terms of competing demands of pleasing teachers versus pleasing oneself. Liking school was associated with enjoying…

Recounts two stories told about life in early childhood centers/schools that reflect the drama played out in the lives of children and teachers to explore the relationship between research and researcher. The stories illustrate three themes: children's agency and power relationships, identity and multiple identities, and the role of early…

Describes the Support at Home for Early Language and Literacies (SHELLS) project, an early literacy intervention for families of children between birth and age 3 in rural Australia. Findings from monitoring suggest that this collaborative, flexible model has the potential to assist families from a range of social, cultural, economic, and…

Examined views of preservice early childhood teachers and supervisory teachers and university lecturers who had taught male preservice teachers regarding male early childhood education (ECE) majors. Found that male preservice teachers reported few institutional barriers to participation and completion of their studies. Only 48 percent of female…

Argues that research into the power relations between young children has the potential to provide new insight into children's relations with their peers. Maintains that without such insight, understanding of peer relations can be only partial. Discusses seven themes for the analysis of interpersonal power in children's peer relations. Offers…

Examined competence motivation of 77 children at 12 and 30 months in relation to the quality of parental support received at various age intervals. Although quality of parental support was moderately stable across time, found only weak relationships between quality of support received earlier and children's later competence motivation. Found…

Analyzes key assumptions behind Vygotsky's writing on children's play. Argues that Vygotsky's writings about play do not constitute a psychological theory, and would be better acknowledged as part of the historical evolution of ideas about children's play. Maintains that theoretical significance of Vygotsky's opinion about play can be questioned…