Search

Summary This study has been a survey of, approximately, the past sixty years in child training. Three different schools of thought have prevailed with regard to how children should be raised. The 1890's and 1900's saw a highly sentimental approach to child rearing; 1910 through the 1930's witnessed a rigid, disciplinary approach; the 1940's have emphasized self-regulation and understanding of the child. These sixty years have also seen a swing from emphasis on character development to emphasis on personality development. Each period studied has had its share of fads with regard to child training. It would appear that the present fad may be an extreme emphasis upon the relationship between specific infant disciplines and later personality development. Parents and others in the field of child guidance are warned that, while certain general truths have been discovered, we still do not know the specifics with regard to child training practices. Parents and others are also warned to beware of “mother's instinct” or “common sense,” for this has had radically different meanings for practice during the past sixty years.

This is an investigation of certain socio-moral judgments held by adolescents with regard to property. Specifically it will be an attempt to see whether high school juniors differ in their judgments on the act of stealing from a large corporation and stealing from a private individual. Observations of the behavior of adults in our industrial society would seem to indicate that this is a problem of major concern. Industrial concerns report each year that tremendous quantities of goods mysteriously disappear from factories and cannot be accounted for. All around us former G.I.'s wear

We are witnessing today in America a phenomenal growth in early childhood education. The number of states making kindergarten mandatory is increasing rapidly, as is the number of states and communities offering public school education for 4-year-old children. Unfortunately, while opportunity can be legislated, quality of program cannot. All too many preschool programs are basing their curricula upon modified primary programs of the kind Silberman (1970) decries in Crisis in the Classroom for being dull and joyless. One curriculum suggests the following for the fall months: 1. Arithmetic: Introduction of numerals 0–5, worksheets, games on the chalkboard, exercises on the feltboard. Introduction to commercial arithmetic blocks. 2. Reading: Alphabet recognition and sounds. Games with initial consonant sounds. 3. Social studies: People and animals prepare for cold weather. Columbus Day—dramatic plays and crafts centered around voyage. Halloween—stories of ghosts and witches. 4. Art: Boat pictures.