Maternal Perinatal and Concurrent Anxiety and Mental Health Problems in Early Childhood: A Sibling-Comparison Study

Do associations between maternal anxiety symptoms and offspring mental health remain after comparing differentially exposed siblings? Participants were 17,724 offspring siblings and 11,553 mothers from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study. Mothers reported anxiety and depressive symptoms at 30 weeks’ gestation, and 0.5, 1.5, 3, and 5 years postpartum. Child internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed at ages 1.5, 3, and 5, and modeled using multilevel analyses with repeated measures nested within siblings, nested within mothers. Maternal pre- and postnatal anxiety were no longer associated with child internalizing or externalizing problems after adjusting for maternal depression and familial confounding. Maternal anxiety when the children were in preschool age, however, remained significantly associated with child internalizing but not externalizing problems.     

Maternal employment and child cognitive outcomes in the first three years of life: the NICHD Study of Early Child Care. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

With increased numbers of women employed in their children's first year of life and with increased attention being paid by parents and policy makers to the importance of early experiences for children, establishing the links that might exist between early maternal employment and child cognitive outcomes is more important than ever. Negative associations between maternal employment during the first year of life and children's cognitive outcomes at age 3 (and later ages) have been reported using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Child Supplement. However, it was not known whether these findings would be replicated in another study, nor whether these results were due to features of child care (e.g., quality, type), home environment (e.g., provision of learning), and/or parenting (e.g., sensitivity). This study explored these issues using data on 900 European American children from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care, which provides information on child cognitive scores at 15, 24, and 36 months, as well as data about the home environment (as assessed by the Home Observation of the Measurement of the Environment Scale), parental sensitivity, and child-care quality and type over the first 3 years of life. Maternal employment by the ninth month was found to be linked to lower Bracken School Readiness scores at 36 months, with the effects more pronounced when mothers were working 30 hr or more per week and with effects more pronounced for certain subgroups (i.e., children whose mothers were not sensitive, boys, and children with married parents). Although quality of child care, home environment, and maternal sensitivity also mattered, the negative effects of working 30 hr or more per week in the first 9 months were still found, even when controlling for child-care quality, the quality of the home environment, and maternal sensitivity. Implications for policy are also discussed.     

Ethnic Variation in the Association Between Family Structures and Practices on Child Outcomes at 36 Months: Results From Early Head Start

Research Findings: This study analyzed data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Study (EHSRES) to examine whether the association between family structural characteristics (maternal education, number of parents, employment status, and number of children), parenting practices (sensitive and negative parenting, cognitively stimulating home environment, authoritarian parenting), and children's outcomes (receptive language, cognitive development, and problem behaviors) differ across ethnicity. A sample of 2,777 low-income families included 39% European Americans/Whites, 36% African Americans, and 25% Hispanics. Results indicated ethnic differences in some family structural characteristics, parenting practices, and child outcomes. With the exception of employment status, there was limited evidence that ethnic differences in family structural characteristics were related to differences in child outcomes. Though there were also ethnic differences in parenting practices, there was no evidence that ethnicity moderated the relation between parenting practices and children's language, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes at 36 months. Practice or Policy: The implication of this study is the need to foster and focus on positive parenting practices, rather than negatives ones, because of their importance to children's language, cognitive development, and behavior management. Ethnic differences may matter, but they may not in the face of other stressors such as economic fears, job instability, health concerns, and neighborhood safety.     

The Effectiveness of Mentoring Youth with Externalizing and Internalizing Behavioral Problems on Youth Outcomes and Parenting Stress: A Meta-analysis

Parents of children with significant externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems habitually report greater parenting stress compared to parents of children without these challenges. One avenue to alleviate parenting stress and ameliorate youth outcomes is youth mentoring, which includes a supportive adult paired with a child with the objective of engendering positive outcomes. The researcher sought to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring programs for children with significant externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems on parenting stress and youth outcomes and (b) explore moderator variables that may influence program effectiveness. Five studies were included in the current meta-analysis. Results revealed a small effect of these specialized mentoring programs on youth outcomes and parenting stress. Moderator analyses revealed program characteristics that enhance effectiveness. Mentoring programs that target children with significant behavioral and emotional problems may function as an additional service to improve youth outcomes and family functioning.     

Making connections: reflections on over three decades of EU initiatives in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

Recent anniversaries remind us of the lengthy history of the European Union’s involvement in ECEC, from the early work of the European Commission’s Childcare Network, from 1986–1996, to the European Commission’s publication in 2015 of an indicative Roadmap outlining potential new initiatives. European-funded research and policy reviews are numerous, frequently highlighting the significance of integrated ECEC systems in developing services and other areas of provision. This article looks back on three decades of EU policy initiatives and suggests that whilst key EC reviews have advocated integrated systems for member states, the Commission’s own fragmented approach has impeded the development of an effective framework at an EU level. It is argued that a tougher approach to improving ECEC, as suggested by recent developments, requires an integrated policy framework, unified targets and a strong single lead able to initiate and not just support actions at an EU level.     

An Early Education Pilot Program Using a Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Children With Language and Learning Problems: The Guidelines for the Early Learning (GEL) Program

The Easter Seal Society of Southwest Florida's GEL Program (Guidelines for Early Learning), based on the developmental theories of Piaget and Chomsky, is an early education program using a developmentally appropriate practice for children four to six years old who have demonstrated language, learning, and/or developmental problems. The program staff consists of a multidisciplinary team of early childhood specialists, early childhood educators, a pediatric neurologist, an occupational therapist, and a speech and language pathologist. The program is developmental in nature and was designed to guide and encourage language, cognitive, social, and motor development. This paper describes how this special program was planned and implemented in a nonprofit organization.     

An Early Education Pilot Program Using a Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Children With Language and Learning Problems: The Guidelines for the Early Learning (GEL) Program

The Easter Seal Society of Southwest Florida's GEL Program (Guidelines for Early Learning), based on the developmental theories of Piaget and Chomsky, is an early education program using a developmentally appropriate practice for children four to six years old who have demonstrated language, learning, and/or developmental problems. The program staff consists of a multidisciplinary team of early childhood specialists, early childhood educators, a pediatric neurologist, an occupational therapist, and a speech and language pathologist. The program is developmental in nature and was designed to guide and encourage language, cognitive, social, and motor development. This paper describes how this special program was planned and implemented in a nonprofit organization.     

中学《体育与健康》(课程)教学模式实验研究

国外有体育与健康结合和分设的两种教学模式，国内也有学校做过试验，但是，究竟何种教学模式更适宜贯彻《体育与健康课程标准》．本文通过等组实验对比法、测试法、问卷调查法、访问座谈法等对中学《体育与健康》(课程)教学模式进行实验研究．研究结果表明：《合模式》的教学使学生对体育与健康的认知和行为明显好于《分模式》．因此，建议广泛实验，以验证合模式的理论意义和现实意义，或找出更好的教学模式来实施体育与健康课程标准。     

清初江南遗民结社研究——以苏、松、常、镇四府为考察中心

清初江南遗民社团数量众多,形式多样,社团的活跃程度也因时而变。受到特定时空、地域文化因素的影响,也受到参社人员身份、心志以及行为的影响,遗民结社各有特色。遗民结社活动有讲论儒家经典、诗文唱和、编纂文献等。清初江南遗民结社活动反映了一代知识分子的家国情怀、民族气节以及社会责任,具有特定的历史意义与人文精神,应当成为文化史、文学史、思想史关注的对象。     

试探《肩水金关汉简(叁)》中所见典籍简及相关问题

《肩水金关汉简(叁)》中出现的《论语》、《孝经》、《孟子》、《周易》、《左传》等语句与传世本有所不同,反映了西汉人们以"经"治世的积极思想以及用"经"但不拘束于"经"的特殊态度。     

中国本科教育培养目标研究(之五)--中国本科教育培养目标的问题与挑战

中国本科教育培养目标是在严格的计划经济体制基础上形成与发展的。总体上看 ,其基本定位、规格要求及质量标准是与计划经济发展的实际需要相适应的 ,对于规范本科教育人才培养工作 ,保证人才培养质量 ,促进社会经济发展发挥了巨大的作用。但在 2 0世纪 80年代中期以后 ,随着社会经济的发展和本科教育宏观环境的变化 ,本科教育培养目标中的一些隐性问题开始逐渐暴露 ,并面临一系列严峻的挑战。　　一、本科教育培养目标的主要问题　　在市场经济背景中 ,本科教育培养目标凸现出来的问题主要有三个 ,即本科教育培养目标的价值取向问题、基本…     

高职学生毕业论文（设计）存在的问题与改进措施——基于财经大类的研究

由于种种原因,财经大类的高职学生已经很难写（做）出＂扩招＂前大专生水平的毕业论文（设计）。一定要现在的高职学生写（做）毕业论文（设计）,必然会从制度上迫使他们中的许多人去抄袭。财经大类高职学生毕业实践环节的结果应该进行改革,目的是让学生经过努力后,能够做出他们做得出的成果。     

科举时代的冒籍应试现象研究(下)——冒籍引发的冲突与对抗及其防治对策

冒籍是科举时代一千三百年同考试舞弊的主要现象之一.因冒籍破坏了科举选拔人才的公平公正原则,曾在历朝历代引发过强度不等的利益攸关方的冲突和对抗事件,成为当时社会不稳定的因素之一.对此,历朝历代政府均给予高度重视,实行防范和惩治相结合的办法抑制冒籍现象的发生.但由于种种原因.其收效却徽而不彰.     

基于历史理解的考生水平评价及教学建议——以2016年高考(天津卷)文科综合试题(历史部分)为例

教育部《关于全面深化课程改革落实立德树人根本任务的意见》提出制订学生发展核心素养体系的要求。适应教育改革发展方向,历史教学以及高考命题的趋势将是以培养和考查学科核心素养为重心。本文着眼历史理解学科素养,选取典型试题,对普通高中应届生参加2016年高考(天津卷)文科综合试题历史部分考试的水平进行分析。透过考生作答表现反思高中历史教学,提出"转变教学方式,有效提高学生历史理解素养"等教学策略。