I'm Happy with My Mommy: Low-Income Preschoolers' Causal Attributions for Emotions

This study examined low-income African American and European American preschoolers' socioemotional causal attributions. Forty-seven Young (M = 48 months) and Old (M = 62 months) preschoolers were asked to justify a puppet's current emotion and to talk about their past emotional experiences. Responses were coded for Causal Theme and Clarity. Old preschoolers were twice as likely to attribute interpersonal themes, and Young preschoolers were 4 times more likely to generate causal themes that were uncodeable. In terms of clarity, children provided clearer responses for anger and fear than they did for happiness. Old preschoolers' explanations for emotions were clearer than young preschoolers' and young African Americans', who had the most difficulty explaining emotions. Results indicate that younger preschoolers, particularly young African Americans, may need help articulating emotions. Suggestions for how adults can scaffold preschoolers' emotional reasoning are discussed.     

Optimal presentation of graphic organizers and text: A case for large bites?

In three experiments, we investigated the optimal presentation of graphic organizers (GOs) and text by having undergraduates read a chapter-length text in its entirety, a few pages at a time, or a few sentences at a time, before or after viewing seven GOs in their entirety (large bites), one at a time (small bites), or one cell at a time (animated). Large bites were better than small bites for learning concept relations and applying that knowledge, and for recalling macropropositions when the GOs were presented before text. Animated GOs offered no advantages over the large-bites GOs at first presentation and considerably extended total study time. Presenting several GOs first, followed by the entire text, appears to be optimal in directing students’ attention to across-chapter relations in text.     

Insights from a social model of literacy and disability

This article considers the role of literacy in the lives of four people with physical disabilities. Interviews with them reveal that despite experiencing potential barriers to participating in literacy activities, literacy is nevertheless an important dimension to their identities. Limitations of the traditional models of disability and literacy are explored and alternative, social models are found to offer a more helpful framework, in which engagement with text is seen in the context of people's lives. It is suggested that interventionists still have some way to go before their practice will fully reflect these perspectives.     

THE BRIGHTON LANGUAGE TEACHING PROJECT

Research at the Language Teaching Research Unit of Brighton Polytechnic has focussed on two questions. The first is the use of CCTV as a catalyst for social interaction and the development of individual communication skills and the second has been the use and effectiveness of broadcast foreign language courses, both for adults and in schools. The first stage of the research of this second focus was a large‐scale national enquiry, backed up by tests, classroom observation and in‐depth interviews. This is now being followed up by two projects, one investigating a postulated need for a support strategy to consolidate the motivation of adult home‐learners, and the other exploring the role of the teacher's expectations and attitudes in his mediation of broadcast material in the school classroom     

The protective effects of religiousness and parent involvement on the development of conduct problems among youth exposed to violence

This study examined the protective effects of religiousness and parent involvement for the development of conduct problems beyond the effects of risk factors. Measures of violence exposure, conduct problems, parent involvement, and religiousness, from the longitudinal Social and Health Assessment survey, were completed by 1,703 high-risk urban adolescents (12.5 +/- 1.7 years; 53% female). Witnessing of and victimization by community violence appeared to be significant risk factors for an increase in conduct problems over a 1-year period. Religiousness and parental involvement were each uniquely associated with a decrease in conduct problems. Moreover, several dimensions of religiousness moderated the relationship between violence exposure and conduct problems, buffering the negative effects of violence exposure. Implications of these findings for prevention efforts are discussed.     

General Education Teachers' Attitudes and Perceptions of Teamwork Supporting Children with Developmental Concerns

The successful inclusion of children with developmental concerns in general education classrooms is influenced by the participation of general educators on the teams that support these children. One hundred and forty-eight general education teachers who were serving on teams that support children with developmental concerns in schools were asked to complete the Attitudes About Teamwork Survey, the Team Characteristics Survey, and the Team Process Perception Survey. Respondents held a generally positive attitude about teamwork. Challenges related to scheduling and time for teaming were noted. Central themes emerged relative to perceptions about benefits (discipline collaboration, sharing of knowledge/ideas), limitations (time constraints), and supports (collaboration and supports of individual efforts). Respondents provided recommendations for the improvement of teamwork related to management, organization, and communication. Practical implications of the results and directions for further investigation in this area are discussed.     

Bilingual Children Adapt to the Needs of Their Communication Partners,Monolinguals Do Not

We explored the ability of children to adapt their communication to the needs of their communication partner. Monolingual and bilingual 3-year-old children (N = 110) observed two puppets looking for puzzle pieces. One puppet showed its appreciation of the children's help, the other puppet wanted to solve the puzzle on its own. The children's communicative acts were coded in terms of level of ostension (how obviously they indicated the hiding place of the puzzle piece) and level of information (how clearly they indicated the location). Monolinguals and bilinguals were equally helpful and informative. In contrast, only bilingual children adapted their level of ostension selectively between the two puppets. These findings point to the greater skills of bilinguals to adapt their communication accordingly.     

School psychology interns’ characterizations of family–school partnerships

School psychologists are encouraged to establish family–school partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse families across the spectrum of child development. Partnerships and collaborations have been described in prior literature as bidirectional, nonhierarchical relationships between families and schools, expanding on the more traditional but limited concept of unidirectional parent involvement in school. This qualitative study describes five specialist‐level school psychology interns’ experiences facilitating family–school partnerships with culturally diverse families during their internship year. Findings focus on defining and identifying characteristics of family–school partnerships from interns’ recollections of their lived experiences. Five salient elements characterized the practical experience of a partnership: requisite situations for partnering, stakeholder involvement, intern's actions, intern's emotional responses, and the outcome or quality of the family–school partnership. These findings have implications for the training of school psychologists and the ways that family–school interactions are conceptualized both in training programs and in school settings.     

Expanding the Learning Network: How Teachers Use Pinterest

This exploratory qualitative study of 117 teachers explores how educators engage with Pinterest, an online social networking site, specifically asking: (1) What similarities and differences exist in how elementary-level preservice and elementary-level in-service teachers engage with Pinterest? (2) What similarities and differences exist in how secondary-level in-service teachers and elementary-level in-service teachers engage with Pinterest? Findings indicate teachers at all levels tend to use Pinterest to search for educational resources and adapt resources to suit their classroom needs. Preservice teachers identify a more complex interaction with Pinterest than in-service teachers when determining quality resources. Findings indicate a need for future research into teacher education practices and the complex interactions preservice teachers engage in with Pinterest resources.