"In order to investigate a case of suspected child abuse or litigate that case, you have to not only understand the legal issues, which are complex enough, but one really has to understand something about child development, about the impact of traumatic experiences on children, in order to understand how they react to it and to understand how we react to them." John E. B. Myers, JD. Abuse and neglect can have profound effects on children's neurological...

This film shows examples of event and time sampling techniques. Two children are filmed separately during their afternoon session at nursery school. There is a very quiet girl (3 years 9 months) and a boy (3 years 3 months) who seems often to be at the center of disruptions. This material is used to demonstrate the two observational techniques and is to be used with the accompanying notes. A time and an event sample observation is shown for each child....

Play has been studied according to its social categories and content. Children's play is involving, child-directed and process-oriented. This program explores the contents and social dimensions of play and the important role of adults in facilitating childrens' play.

During middle childhood - the period between ages 6 and 12 - children reach many critical milestones. In fact, teacher and caregiver responses during this time of significant change can dramatically affect a child's physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth, both immediately and in the future. At this stage, children grow physically, gain body awareness, and form lifelong habits that affect their health and well-being. At the same time, their...

The story continues for the children of The life series, now they are three, as they reveal what it takes to give a child the best chance at life. Over two episodes Life at 3 measures our group of children against the latest scientific findings on two of the hottest topics in child development, obesity and bad behaviour. The life series is made in conjunction with a long-term study, Growing up in Australia, in which 10,000 children have been placed...

Learning, playing and learning through play are complex issues that we have tried to simplify and explain with this film. It shows learning taking place through self chosen, enjoyable activities. By following one boy for a year (from his third to his fourth birthday) we see clearly how his development and learning are progressed through his rich play experiences. He is seen playing at home indoors and out and sometimes at his playgroup. He plays on...

Can infants do math? Is there a window of early brain development that - if missed - can doom a child to a life of mediocrity? Explore the wealth of evidence suggesting that even very young infants are seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling beings, and gain tips for creating enriching experiences for your baby.

Most parents understand the importance of modeling positive behaviors, but not many realize social competence should be explicitly taught. See how conflict management skills can help kids avoid being bullied, and consider several other topics - from regulating strong emotions to respecting differences in others - that you can teach for your child's social and academic benefit.

Should you let your child struggle with his homework? Should you allow frequent breaks during assignments? Delve into four research-based tips for helping children successfully complete their homework while actually learning the material, including "scaffolding" for the content and creating an environment suited to studying.

Despite their numerous flaws, IQ tests can influence the trajectory of a child's life. Discover why you should remain skeptical of such assessments while learning how you can give your child an early leg up so she achieves high scores. Also get ideas promoting learning and achievement regardless of test results.