The organization of day-care environments: required versus optional activities

Measures of group participation were used in an experimental analysis of the effects of two preschool activity schedules. Children's participation in preschool activities remained as high when children were allowed no options but were required to follow a schedule of activities in sequence, as when they were free to choose between several optional activities. However, this was only true: (1) when a child was not forced to wait until all other children had finished, but could start the next required activity individually as soon as he had finished the preceding one, and (2) when there was an abundance of materials in each required activity. When there were not adequate materials in each activity, children's participation was disrupted unless they were free to choose among several optional activities. Thus, in order to maintain high levels of participation in preschool play activities, it is not necessary to allow children to choose among several alternative activities. High participation may be more efficiently maintained by providing a supply of materials that is adequate to occupy all children in each of a sequence of required activities and staffing by at least two teachers, so that while one teacher is supervising children still finishing one activity another teacher can supervise children who are ready to start the next.     

Rites of passage: understanding participation of children with developmental coordination disorder

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) experience difficulty participating in the typical activities of childhood and are known to have a more sedentary pattern of activities than their peers. Little research has been done to investigate the impact of these deficits on the lives of children with DCD and the importance of their participation in the typical activities of childhood. This qualitative study explored the impact of the disorder and the importance of participation for children with DCD from the perspective of the parent. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children with DCD who attended a university clinic specializing in using the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach, a cognitive-based intervention. Findings revealed that incompetence in everyday activities had serious negative effects for the children. Conversely, intervention that was focused on enablement at the activity and participation level had a significant positive impact on the children's quality of life. Emerging themes highlighted the notion that performance competency played an important role in being accepted by peers and being able "to be part of the group". As well, parents reported that successful participation built confidence in their children and allowed them to try other new activities. The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health provides a unique framework for analyzing and understanding the impact of the physical disability on the lives of families with children with DCD. Results illustrate how intervention that focuses on enabling children to choose their own functional goals in the area of physical activity has important implications for enabling participation and building the social networks of children with DCD.     

EVALUATION OF A SOCIAL INTERACTION COACHING PROGRAM IN AN INTEGRATED DAY-CARE SETTING

We used a multiple baseline design across teachers (with a reversal phase for 1 teacher) to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of a structured coaching procedure on the teaching behaviors of 3 day-care teachers. Structured coaching preceding daily caregiver routines resulted in (a) substantial increases in adult delivery of behavioral support of social interaction during group activities with 2- and 4-year-old children and (b) marked collateral increases in positive interactions of socially withdrawn children. Long-term maintenance effects were demonstrated by both the teachers and target children, and social validity measures indicated that the teachers rated coaching very positively on several dimensions. The results are discussed in relation to in-service training of day-care staff, the concept of coaching as a setting event, and the dissemination of teaching technology related to social interaction of young children.     

The effects of sports participation on young adolescents' emotional well-being

This study examined the relationship between children's sports participation and emotional well-being including self-reported emotional and behavioral problems and multidimensional aspects of self-concept. Data were collected from 203 young adolescents using a multitrait-multimethod assessment methodology. Information was obtained using a sports questionnaire concerning participation in and perceptions of sporting activities. Emotional well-being was assessed by the Youth Self-Report (Achenbach, 1991) and the Self-Perception Profile for Children (Harter, 1985). The study found that increased levels of sports participation had a positive relationship with aspects of emotional and behavioral well-being, particularly self-concepts. Results also showed that children with increased perceptions of sport-related competencies reported significantly fewer emotional and behavioral problems than did children who were, by external standards (e.g., teacher rating, number of sporting achievements), actually competent at sport. The study also found particular areas of sports participation to be positively associated with self-concept. Evidence suggests a similar beneficial association with some aspects of behavior problems. Practical implications of the findings are discussed along with recommendations for future research.     

School outcomes of a community-wide intervention model aimed at preventing problem behavior

The Early Intervention for Children at Risk for Developing Behavioral Problems (EICR) is a community-wide intervention model preventing and treating problem behavior and promoting social competence in children. The aim of the study was to test whether EICR would result in fewer incidences of problem behavior and improved learning climate in elementary schools in a Norwegian municipality. The municipality was divided in two, each section having equal chance of being assigned to the intervention condition. Participants were principals and school staff. One year after the initiation of EICR, the prevalence of student problem behavior was significantly lower, and student relations were significantly better for schools located in the intervention area than for schools located in the comparison area. The findings support further development, implementation and research on the EICR model.     

A comparison of human and automated instruction of autistic children

While it appears reasonable to assume that the autistic child might benefit from the development of programmed instruction and teaching machines to teach imitation, concepts, and receptive vocabulary skills, no systematic research to date has seriously investigated such possibilities. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of automated versus teacher-controlled instruction in the education of autistic children. Four autistic children, each with extreme deficits in language, social, and self-care behaviors, were trained on a matching-to-sample task under three different instructional situations within an intrasubject replication design and multiple baseline procedure. Analysis of the data showed the following results: (1) The teacher, manually operating the teaching machine, was able to teach and maintain the matching-to-sample task; (2) the same autistic children did not acquire or maintain the task when taught by the machine alone; and (3) the teacher alone (without the machine) was able to teach and maintain the task. The results suggest that automated instruction may, at least, serve as a valuable aid to teachers of autistic children. However, before machines can be used without the participation of a trained teacher, further research appears necessary. Several areas, including the role of motivation in automated instructional settings, the saliency and effectiveness of reinforcers, and the importance of controlling antecedent stimulus conditions and off-task behavior are discussed as areas of primary concern in the development of automated instruction for autistic children.     

Early educational foundations for the development of civic responsibility: an African experience

An innovative curriculum designed to foster the development of social responsibility among pre-adolescent children was introduced at a rural Zambian primary school. The curriculum invoked Child-to-Child principles focusing on health education, advancing a synthesis of Western psychological theories and African cultural traditions. The teacher sought to democratize the educational process through cooperative learning in mixed-gender, mixed-social-class, and mixed-ability study groups. Learners engaged in community service activities and contributed to the nurturant care of younger children. Young adults interviewed seventeen years after completing the program recalled their experience and reflected on how it had promoted their personal agency, cooperative disposition, and civic responsibility in early adulthood.     

The clinical validity of the process for assessment of effective student functioning

This report presents the results of a study of the clinical validity of A Process for Assessment of Effective Student Functioning. A clinical team composed of social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists saw 300 representative second and fifth grade children, rated them on interview and test protocols, and summarized the evaluation by single and summary qualitative judgments. The clinical validity criteria were established on the basis of independent evaluations of the home environment, the intellectual and emotional status of the child, and the child's ego functioning. Finally, a clinical criterion score was derived from the overall evaluation of the effectiveness of each subject by each member of the team. The multiple correlations of the three screening measures with the clinical criterion score ranged from .49 to .55 for second grade and fifth grade boys and girls. The clinical criterion scores of children who were screened by the recommended multiple cut-off procedure showed that none of the screened group was rated by the clinicians to have better than average adjustment. The multiple correlation and multiple cut-off procedure showed that the Process was valid for predicting independent clinical judgments of the status of these children. Furthermore, the Process was far more efficient in locating potentially handicapped children than either a carefully designed teacher nomination procedure or teacher referral.     

Enhancing children's attitudes toward disabled peers using a multi-media intervention

Interventions are being developed to enhance children's attitudes toward disabled peers and thereby facilitate mainstreaming in schools. This study evaluates the impact of Feeling Free, a multi-media program of disability-related films, activities, discussions, and books. Participants were children from 16 classrooms, grades 3 through 6. Two classes at each grade level (N = 8) were randomly assigned to the six-session program and were compared on five outcome measures to the eight remaining classrooms. Treatment children demonstrated increased knowledge about disabilities, more positive perceptions of disabled persons, and greater awareness of appropriate behavioral responses to disabled peers. There were no long-lasting treatment effects on two measures of children's acknowledged willingness to interact with disabled peers, although treatment girls demonstrated short-term gains on one measure. Suggestions are made for increasing program impact and providing services to other participants in the mainstreaming process.     

Medication effects in the classroom: Three naturalistic indicators

Hyperactive and comparison boys participated in 5-week summer enrichment programs that included classroom activities and structured assessments of peer interaction patterns. During the 3rd and 4th weeks of these programs, a double-blind, methylphenidate-placebo crossover design was implemented within the hyperactive group. Three heterogeneous indicators of everyday behaviors were obtained: number of negative incidents noted by staff, quality of handwriting, and number of times the teacher called the boys' names aloud in the classroom. Medication effects emerged for each of these indicators. When hyperactive boys were taking placebos, they were involved in more negative incidents, their handwriting was poorer, and their names were called more frequently than when the boys were taking methylphenidate. Interrelationships among the measures suggest moderate cross-situational generality of medication responsiveness. Discussion focused on the bandwidth of medication effects and the need to examine the social ramifications of child treatments.This research was supported in part by NIMH grant 29475 and NIDA grant 01070. We gratefully acknowledge the participation of the data coders and the many summer school staff. Special thanks go to Mike Berlin, Barry E. Collins, and Sharon Dotemoto. Methylphenidate and placebo were supplied by Ciba-Geigy, Summit, New Jersey.     

REARRANGING NATURALLY OCCURRING CONTINGENCIES TO INCREASE DESIRABLE BEHAVIOR IN A TODDLER CLASSROOM

Toddlers often display problem behavior during transitions. We rearranged naturally occurring events in a toddler classroom to promote more desirable classroom behavior during transitions to meals. In the intervention condition, teachers transitioned each child to meals only when that child was seated on a play mat (a requisite for engagement in teacher‐led play activities). In the reversal condition, teachers selected each child to transition when that child was by the barrier to the meal area (a practice commonly observed under natural conditions). The intervention increased the mean percentage of intervals when children were on the play mat and decreased the percentage of intervals when children were by the barrier. Individual child data show positive outcomes for five of six children. Results are discussed in terms of the positive effects of small manipulations to existing contingencies on classroom behavior as well as their potential influence on the adoptability of classroom interventions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Creative Self-Efficacy: Correlates in Middle and Secondary Students

ABSTRACT: This study examined correlates of creative self-efficacy (i.e., self-judgments of creative ability) in middle and secondary students (N = 1,322). Results indicate that students' mastery- and performance-approach beliefs and teacher feedback on creative ability were positively related to students' creative self-efficacy. Creative self-efficacy was also linked to student reports of their teachers not listening to them and sometimes feeling that their teachers had given up on them. Students with higher levels of creative self-efficacy were significantly more likely to hold more positive beliefs about their academic abilities in all subject areas and were significantly more likely to indicate that they planned to attend college than students with lower levels of creative self-efficacy. Finally, students with higher levels of creative self-efficacy were significantly more likely to report higher levels of participation in after-school academics and after- school group activities. Implications for creativity research and practice are discussed.     

The COSD Center Model

SUMMARY

This article describes the Children of Separation and Divorce Center, Inc: and how it empowers children and their families to cope with a major family transition. The rationale for creating the private, non-profit center is discussed and examples of the components of the center are illustrated to explain how children are empowered. Clinical and educational programs are client-need driven. The peer counselor program describes the participation of children and adults who are trained by COSD staff to be helpful to others. How COSD staff advocate for children and families of divorce is detailed with examples of judicial training, participation on advocacy boards and working with courts.     

The Effects of Using Response Cards on Student Participation, Academic Achievement, and On-Task Behavior During Whole-Class, Math Instruction

This study evaluated the effects of using response cards during whole-group math instruction in a fourth-grade classroom, using an ABA research design. During both A and B conditions the classroom teacher conducted her math lessons as planned. However during the A conditions, hand-raising (HR) was in effect. That is, when the teacher asked a question she instructed the students to raise their hands and after each question she called on one student whose hand was raised. During the B condition, response cards (RC) were in effect. Whenever she asked a question, the teacher instructed the entire class to write their answers on individual response cards. After each question, the teacher instructed the entire class to hold up their RC. Data were collected on five students who represented the class range in general level of participation, academic skills, and on-task behavior. Results indicated that student participation, specifically the number of student-initiated opportunities to respond and the number of student responses were higher when using RC than when HR was in effect. Students scored higher on the weekly math quiz after the RC condition than after the HR conditions. The percentage of intervals that students were on-task also was higher when RC were used.     

THE TIMEOUT RIBBON: A NONEXCLUSIONARY TIMEOUT PROCEDURE1

Recently, the use of timeout rooms has been questioned by various agencies, and some have adopted policies that prohibit or greatly restrict exclusionary timeout. The present study developed a timeout procedure that did not require removal of the misbehaver from the learning environment. The procedure was applied to the disruptive behaviors of five severely retarded children in an institutional special-education classroom. An observer prompted all teacher behaviors related to the procedures to assure their precise implementation. After baseline, a reinforcement-only condition was implemented. Each child was given a different colored ribbon to wear as a tie and received edibles and praise every few minutes for good behavior and for wearing the ribbon. When timeout was added, a child's ribbon was removed for any instance of misbehavior and teacher attention and participation in activities ceased for three minutes or until the misbehavior stopped. Reinforcement continued at other times for appropriate behavior. An ABCBC reversal design was used to demonstrate control of the behavior by the conditions applied. On average, the children misbehaved 42% and 32% of the time during the baseline and reinforcement conditions respectively but only 6% of the time during the timeout conditions. A followup probe during the new school year revealed that the teacher was able to conduct the procedure independently and that the children's disruptive behaviors were maintained at low levels. The practicality and acceptability of the procedure were supported further by the successful implementation of the procedure by a teacher in another state and by responses to a questionnaire given to 40 mental health professionals. The ribbon procedure appears to be a viable form of timeout, provided that disruptive behaviors during timeout can be tolerated within the setting, or a backup procedure such as exclusionary timeout is available when needed.     

The development of children's understanding of "because" and "so"

Children's (5 years, 8 months to 8 years, 4 months) comprehension of "because" and "so" was assessed on both enactment and sentence completion tasks. The use of a within-subject design permitted performance on each task to be interpreted in terms of performance on the other. The pattern of results provided evidence against a componential model for the acquisition of causal connectives. This model holds that the two meaning components (cause, order) are acquired separately, with the order component being acquired several years later than the causal component. The results also were in accord with predictions derived from a contextual model of children's developing understanding of terms expressing logical relationships. This model posits that the understanding of relational terms is initially context dependent, such that children can understand relational terms when they express familiar relationships, but experience difficulty in forming representations of novel relationships solely on the basis of linguistic input. The lexical components of because and so are understood during the context-dependent stage, and the transition from context-dependent to context-independent understanding does not reflect further lexical development, but rather increasing facility in dealing with decontextualized linguistic input.     

THE EFFECTS OF ACCESS TO SPECIAL ACTIVITIES ON THE PERFORMANCE IN FOUR CATEGORIES OF ACADEMIC TASKS WITH THIRD-GRADE STUDENTS1

An ABAB experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of access to recreational activities contingent on the completion of at least 80% of academic tasks assigned daily. Requirements in four task categories (writing, copying words, spelling, and dictionary skills) were specified daily and students were required to complete at least 80% of the requirements in each category correctly in order to participate in daily recreational activities. The procedure produced reliable and educationally important increases in the task performance of all 19 third-grade students in the study. Most of the difference in the performance of each child between experimental conditions was on the spelling and dictionary tasks, although there were also improvements on the writing and words-copied tasks for those students showing the greatest overall change in performance. The procedure was easily implemented by the teacher alone, required only materials and equipment typically found in elementary schools, and produced changes in performance important enough to the teacher that she continued to use the basic procedure after the evaluation program was terminated.     

What influences the quality of care in English playgroups?

In a study of the quality of care, interviews and observations of 45 playgroups in three areas of England were conducted. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale was used as a measure of quality. The influence of area, resources, management, size, space, staffing, training, support, parental involvement and staff dissatisfaction upon quality were considered. The major influence was playgroup leader training, and parental involvement was also associated with quality of care. Parental involvement and staff training were strongly linked, indicating the confounding of family and child care characteristics and the importance of understanding family and child care interrelationships. The applicability of the measures to English playgroups was discussed.     

The stability of child behavior disorders: A one year test-retest study of Adelaide versions of the Conners teacher and parent rating scales

The stability of children's disorders was studied, using Adelaide versions of the Conners teachers and parent rating scales, with 5- to 12-year-olds. Of the 20 scales, 14 had high or moderate test-retest stability over the 1-year interval. Most scales also showed discriminant validity over this time. All but 2 of the 14 stable scales gave moderate stability coefficients at each of three age levels. Three teacher scales (Conduct Problem, Socially Rejected, and Antisocial) gave very low stability for the youngest group. Stability was not generally affected by teacher practice. Little effect of subject selection or repeated-rating bias on scale means was evident. There was a general reduction of some scale means on the second assessment, and the contributions of practice, age, and study-entry effects were examined.This work was supported in part by a grant to Professor P. H. Glow from the Nuffield Foundation, England. The authors are grateful to the staff, parents, and children of Walkerville Primary School, South Australia, for their participation in this study.     

Nonsexist curricula,sex of teacher,and children's sex-role learning

This study examined the impact of nonsexist curricula and teacher's sex on children's sex role learning. Thirty-two boys and 32 girls, aged three to five, were equally divided among four programs: nonsexist curriculum, female director; nonsexist curriculum, male director; control curriculum, female director; and control curriculum, male director. Sex role discrimination and preference were measured at the beginning and end of a six-month period. Exposure to the nonsexist curriculum produced significantly greater reductions in sex stereotyping on all measures than exposure to the control curriculum. Moreover, children in the male-directed nonsexist program displayed greater decreases in stereotypic knowledge and preference for sex-typed children's activities than those in the female-directed nonsexist program, while children in the male-directed control program showed more stereotypic increases on these measures than their counterparts in the female-directed control program. Finally, children under the direction of an opposite-sex teacher exhibited less stereotypic changes in preference for adult activities than children under the direction of a same-sex teacher. Implications for early childhood programs are discussed.This research was partially supported by an Oregon State University Foundation grant from the Shell Foundation and a grant from the Milne Computer Center.