Aside from being fun to do, singing songs, saying poems and rhymes, and doing finger plays with children helps them develop early literacy skills. The 700 selections in this compilation of songs and rhymes will help children ages 3 to 6 build a strong foundation in skills and concepts such as listening; colors, shapes, and counting; vocabulary;…

This booklet compiles 30 papers selected from presentations at "Play in a Changing Society: Research, Design, and Application," the fifth triennial national conference of the American Association for the Child's Right to Play. The papers are grouped into five sections; each section contains an introduction to the papers. The sections…

Distributed by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, and Health and Human Services, this pamphlet provides parents with information and advice about their infants in the seventh month of life. Following a brief description of developmental characteristics at this age, the pamphlet offers advice on a variety of topics, including: your…

The philosophy of Charles H. McCloy, a noted physical educator, is examined using a structuring model devised by William Frankena. From this perspective, McCloy's views appear holistic, focusing on social, character, and aesthetic concerns, as well as on the physical. (PP)

Advanced special education students rated 23 of the domains of the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS). Results indicated that the most important considerations for determining method of measurement for ABS were: time necessary to obtain behavioral sample and severity of behavior. Suggests the domains of ABS be rearranged and redefined. (RC)

Presents skills for teaching the elderly subculture. Three specific problem areas are explored: (1) motivational strategies; (2) suggestions for dealing with the physical problems one may encounter in the learning situation; and (3) the practical factors involved in planning for and carrying out instruction. (Author/RC)

Eighty adolescents, grades 7-9, were assessed on empathy development and perceived competencies. Females proved more empathic than males, but no developmental trends in empathy development were observed. Social competence was positively associated with empathic skills, but cognitive and physical competencies showed a negative association,…

Describes physical and motor development characteristics of children from early childhood to adolescence, and discusses theories of motor skill development with practical applications for parents and teachers. The final section discusses declining fitness levels in children and ways to improve fitness in school-age children. (SLD)

Tested the reliability and validity of a teacher-completed checklist to identify movement difficulties in a sample of 3- to 5-year-olds. Analysis showed that the checklist identified movement difficulties and found significant differences between children who displayed movement difficulties and those who did not. Interrater reliability and…

Interviewed family members about family relationships and observed family members' interactions. Found that, compared to other girls, early maturing girls experienced higher levels of psychological distress; experienced greater psychological distress in grade 10 when they had a mixed-sex friendship network in grades 7 through 9; and were more…

Investigated the role of mothers' expectancies in shaping their child's perceived physical competence. Structural equation modeling revealed that mothers' perceptions of their child's physical competence predicted their child's own perceived physical competence 1 year later, independent of the child's previously demonstrated physical ability and…

This paper describes a project researching the management of menstruation for women who have severe/profound intellectual disability. It outlines the importance of acceptance of menstruation, the possibility of partial participation in menstrual care, key factors to consider in developing skill development activities (such as attitudes of care…

Reviews the research on (1) developmental stages of play among young children; (2) solitary play as a separate continuum with its own developmental stages; and (3) benefits of solitary play on the child's whole development. (BB)

This study compared the body mass index (BMI) of 118 children with infantile autism with corresponding BMI percentiles in age-and sex-matched reference populations. The BMI distribution of the male children was significantly lower than that of the age-matched reference population. BMI was not associated with intelligence or socioeconomic status.…

Three key publications from September 2000 point to rapid changes in the educational and arts environment in Hong Kong that will impact on the development of dance education. This paper provides some contextual details on the current state of dance education in Hong Kong and also examines the influence and possible ramifications implicit within…