In a study comparing executive functions among US Spanish-English bilinguals from low socio-economic (SES) backgrounds to monolinguals of each language, Grote et al. find that bilingual advantages already manifest themselves in pre-school children. This commentary recommends building on this finding, and further investigate the causes underlying…

This letter to the editor responds to an article by Nicola Brandaro and Biza Stenfert Kroese (2018) entitled "Can adults with Asperger's syndrome learn about positive attachment behaviors between parents and young babies through the use of a skill-training DVD." One of the authors of this letter is an autistic parent who has successfully…

This article reexamines Bley-Vroman's original (1990) and evolved fundamental difference hypothesis that argues that differences in path and endstate of first language acquisition and adult foreign language learning result from differences in the acquisition procedure (i.e., language faculty and cognitive strategies, respectively). The evolved…

Children's early word learning is not usually considered creative in the same sense as artistic productions of later life. Yet early word learning is a creative response to the intrinsic instability of word meaning. As the child acts to participate in her community, she strives for intersubjectivity, manifest in neologisms and under- and…

This article takes an intergenerational lens to the study of fathers. It draws on evidence from two economic and social research council-funded intergenerational studies of fathers, one of which focused on four-generation British families and the other which included new migrant (Polish) fathers. The article suggests both patterns of change and…

Effective advocacy is built on relationships, so communication must be ongoing and begin long before there are any problems. Waiting for a crisis to arise is an ineffective way to ensure that the best decisions will be made. When parents need to talk about their child's needs or they want to influence a pending decision, it will be easier if they…

This paper begins with an introduction which covers viewing time; television as a significant developmental experience; Piagetian stages of cognitive development; and changing developmental tastes in television viewing. The paper then focuses on television in relation to learning; television and violence; advertising; and parents' ability to…

Explores feminist heroines in Julia Cunningham's "Tuppenny," who elude patriarchal entrapment and revitalize a community. (HOD)

Family support and parenting programs exist for parents who need help in acquiring the support, resources, and skills that encourage positive child development. Noting increasing demands for program accountability, this paper identifies 12 recommendations for the future of family support and parenting programs, based on the field's history of…

Provides an account of the deep structures of children's literature. Examines theorizing about these texts that deals with earliest affective experiences, including Julia Kristeva and Erik Erikson. Analyzes two texts from these perspectives: "Wind in the Willows" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." (HB)

Describes a case in which a contrast in schooling success between parent and child related to a miscommunication regarding bilingual instruction in the classroom. Illustrates the need for effective communication between home and school in promoting positive parent involvement in children's learning. (BB)

Noting that successful social policies for children are critical to our nation's future, this book discusses the status of children in America and suggests that the nation's current policies may not be serving them well. Proposals for seven new social policies are discussed that deal with the following domains affecting children from birth through…

This paper uses the work of some of the acknowledged geniuses of the 19th and 20th centuries to reflect upon the practices of educarers to encourage young children's creativity and exploratory thinking and to raise questions about philosophies of educare with infants and toddlers. Beginning and ending with Albert Einstein, the paper considers how…

This paper explores the impact of limiting one's theoretical views of early childhood to deficit-based models on research designs in two areas: instrumental music-making and talking on telephones. Both research projects are described as involving populations of children in nursery school classes attached to primary schools. Both involved…

For a number of years, studies of places focused on their economic efficiency, though more recently, attention has shifted to questions about social justice with an emphasis on the experienced actualities of place. The places of children's everyday lives have limited their opportunities for nurturance, growth, and learning. In this article, the…