Toddlers' use of force against familiar peers: a precursor of serious aggression?

Possible precursors of serious aggression were identified in toddlers' use of force against peers. Instances of grabbing objects and hitting peers were recorded in a sample of 66 British 18- to 30-month-olds, observed at home with familiar peers and seen again 6 months later. Mothers rated aggressiveness in the context of other personality traits. Girls and boys did not differ in average levels of aggression, nor were they rated differently by the mothers. However, the observed rate of hitting peers and mothers' ratings of aggressiveness were stable over 6 months for girls, but not for boys. Toddlers who were especially sensitive to peers' possible intentions hit their peers more often. They were also more likely to use force proactively, 6 months later.     

First Graders’ Understanding of Measurement

This study focused on the meaning of measurement to a group of 16 first grade students. A university professor and the teacher of the students partnered together using qualitative analysis of field notes, student interviews, and student work samples gathered from September through May of a school year. Findings indicate students’ knowledge of measurement including transitivity, unit iteration, conservation of number and length, and social knowledge of measurement terms and tools increased over the year. Researchers identified six themes of students’ measurement understanding including that children’s literature played a motivating role in student-initiated measurement activities. Recommendations call for first grade measurement activities focused on what it means to measure rather than on how to measure. Researchers caution that educators using mathematics curriculum and assessment should not assume that primary grade students understand conservation and unit iteration.     

Exploring representations of Black masculinity and emasculation on NBC’s Parenthood

Here, representations of Black masculinity and emasculation are explored on NBC’s Parenthood. We question whether depictions of Black masculinity represented through Parenthood’s character, Alex, are empowering or stereotypical; how do they reflect, destabilize, and/or reinforce heteronormative depictions of Black community members? Two seasons were analyzed using Owen’s thematic analysis. Ultimately, Black males are portrayed as being societal failures, criminals, violent, and hypersexualized through his character. This embodiment ultimately preserves long-held images of Black men as “Toms, coons?…?bucks?…?as oversexed, aggressive, violent, animalistic, or emasculated” (Jackson, R. L. II. 2006. Scripting the black masculine body: Identity, discourse, and racial politics in popular media. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press). Practical recommendations and suggestions for researchers and media practitioners are provided.     

Supporting Children’s Healthy Development During Mealtime in Early Childhood Settings

Early Childhood Education Journal - The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of and relationship between responsive feeding practices used during early childhood education (ECE)...