Identified strategies mothers use while engaged in an animal categorization activity with their preschool children. Examined the children's verbal behavior. Found that mothers' strategy use varied according to the type of information being taught. Determined the relationship between maternal strategies and verbalizations. (JPB)

Examined 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers' responses to hypothetical scenarios in which their mothers and preschool teachers issued opposing commands. Found that children's responses were affected by different factors depending on where the questioning took place: at home or at their child care centers. (JPB)

Examined preschool educators' perceptions of learning and behavioral problems of children who were prenatally exposed to drugs, as well as intervention strategies and other issues in educating these children. Found that respondents had generally positive attitudes about working with these at-risk children. (JPB)

Investigated the characteristics of early childhood education teachers who both state a belief in developmentally appropriate practices and engage in these practices in their classrooms. Found that beliefs were strongly correlated with practice, and were related to high personal teaching efficacy and internal locus of control, academic background,…

This longitudinal interpretive case study documents the role and significance of one preschooler's name in deepening her understanding of written language. Findings highlight the importance of an authentic, purposeful, literacy-rich, supportive environment for children, that provides them time to invent, predict, and guess how written language…

Examined four times throughout the school year kindergartners' writing of four word pairs. Found that children generally began writing more letters unconventionally for longer words than for shorter before they began writing the same letters unconventionally for the same sounds. Concluded that the word pairs could identify children who have become…

Examined developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and effects of teachers' DAP beliefs/practices on first graders' social skills and academic achievement. Found that students taught by teachers with developmentally inappropriate beliefs had higher language achievement than others. Students whose teachers' practices were neither appropriate nor…

Examined the relationship between more and less developmentally appropriate learning activities (MDAP, LDAP) and stress and nonstress behaviors of first graders during a computer-based literacy laboratory. Found that children exhibited more stress behaviors during LDAP learning activities than did children during MDAP learning activities. No…

Describes the rule structure within which 3- to 5-year-olds operate as they develop social pretend skills. Identifies implicit and explicit rules supported with narrative excerpts. Explicit rules include having a leader who suggests the plot, asking to play, taking a role in the pretend sequence, and playing fairly. Implicit rules include…

Describes a study exploring the social dynamics within a typical preschool classroom that included a 3-year-old with severe visual impairments. Notes findings that this child was an active participant in shared social experiences with his peers, which contributed to his membership and acceptance. Discusses adult mediation and interpretation of the…

Used social behavior ratings from observers, teachers, and parents to predict kindergartners' perceptions of peer acceptance. Found that friendship skill predicted parent- and child-reported peer acceptance. Shyness/withdrawal inversely predicted teacher-reported peer acceptance. Aggression did not predict peer acceptance. Girls were rated as more…

Explored differences in the social and cognitive development of 4-year-olds in junior kindergarten taught by differentially educated instructors. Found that children taught by early childhood educators with 2-year college degrees in early childhood education and those taught by teachers with a university teaching certificate did not differ in…

Examined impact of Chinese family socialization practices on children's socialization over 4 years. Found that parental reasoning, intellectual stimulation, and encouragement of independence were significant indicators of overall family socialization practices. Children's self-control, and positive attitudes toward others and toward work were…

Examined whether the mastery-oriented and helpless motivational patterns would be identified in Korean American kindergartners, and whether these patterns would be associated with general beliefs about goodness/badness. Found that Korean American children revealed more vulnerabilities in the face of negative feedback and they had more global,…

A study compared efforts by two rural schools and two urban schools to implement state instructional reforms in South Carolina. Obstacles to rural schools' reform efforts included insufficient human resources to undertake comprehensive reforms and too much familiarity between school and community members, possibly resulting in limited involvement…