Annotation: This handbook provides ways for adults to help children with learning problems improve their attention, memory, study skills, mathematics, and reading comprehension. It is part of a joint project of Temple University Department of Special Education and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia which examines the effects of treatment of childhood cancers on school performance.

Contact: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399, Telephone: (215) 590-1000 Web Site: http://www.chop.edu/consumer/index.jsp $5.00.

Keywords: Behavior modification, Cancer, Children, Cognitive development, Cognitive therapy, Learning disabilities

Annotation: This manual is designed to assist in training paraprofessional personnel in supportive work with adults with developmental disabilities, with the objective of assisting these adults to work in the private sector, and to enjoy the dignity and fulfillment of employment and independent community living. The manual covers training in the 3 main areas of support services, job development and placement, job coaching, and case management. The training manual is presented in a workbook format.

Contact: Focus, Inc., 2917 King Street, Suite C, Jonesboro, AR 72401, Telephone: (501) 935-2750

Keywords: Adults, Cognitive disorders, Developmental disabilities, Employment, Habilitation, Special education, Special health care needs, Training, Transition to independent living

Annotation: This paper discusses the results of a study on children born in Florida from 1992 to 2002, and the effect of birth weight on cognitive development from kindergarten through middle school. Study methodology is reviewed and results are discussed in the following categories: heavier versus lighter twins; testing; results by grade; differences by genetics, gender, maternal race, ethnicity and immigrant status; and family socioeconomic status. Topics also include birth weight discordance, school quality and the effect of birth weight on test scores, and birth weight gaps at kindergarten entry. A bibliography and statistical data conclude the paper.

Contact: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-5398, Telephone: (617) 868-3900 Fax: (617) 868-2742 E-mail: info@nber.org Web Site: http://www.nber.org Available from the web site at no charge after registration.

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Keywords: Cognitive development, Early childhood, Florida, Learning, Low birthweight, Newborn infants, School readiness, State surveys, Statistical data

Annotation: This policy brief provides information about SNAP, a federal program that helps participants afford a nutritionally adequate diet each month, with a particular focus on ensuring that young children have adequate nutrition during this period of rapid brain development. The brief provides an overview of who SNAP supports and how it supports them, and also discusses food insecurity during the recession that began in 2008, other basic needs provided by the program, how the program helps immigrant families, how increasing SNAP benefit levels improves family diet quality and children's health, the cost of a healthy diet, and policy solutions.

Contact: Children's HealthWatch, Vose Hall Fourth Floor, 88 East Newton Street, Room 423, Boston, MA 02118, Telephone: (617) 414-6366 Fax: (617) 414-7915 E-mail: info@childrenshealthwatch.org Web Site: http://www.childrenshealthwatch.org Available from the website.

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Keywords: Child health, Children, Cognitive development, Cost, Early childhood development, Economic factors, Families, Federal programs, Immigrants, Nutrition, Public policy, Supplemental food programs, Young children

Annotation: This white paper, which is intended to assist federal agencies in moving forward with Bisphenol-A(BPA) regulation and to provide the public with a more informative and safer consumer environment, outlines various short- and long-term regulatory options for protecting the public from health risks that BPA poses. The paper describes a two-prong approach, with the first phase focusing on immediate information collection and dissemination and the second including regulatory controls, standards, and protections to be promulgated as soon as missing information becomes available. The paper also discusses the current state of BPA, including known risks and regulatory safeguards; existing international, state, and local BPA controls, and regulatory efforts at the federal level.

Contact: Center for Progressive Reform, 455 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., #150-513, Washington, DC 20001, Telephone: (202) 747-0698 E-mail: info@progressivereform.org Web Site: http://www.progressivereform.org Available from the website.

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Keywords: Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Chemicals, Child health, Cognitive development, Diabetes, Endocrine diseases, Environmental exposure, Health, Infant health, Prevention, Public health, Reproductive health, Sexuality

Annotation: This paper examines differences in child outcomes by family type, defined by the marital and biological status of parents who live with a child. The paper investigates the extent to which differences in cognitive skills and behavior problems among 5-year-olds living in different types of families are associated with differences in characteristics, relationships, and behaviors between family types. The authors then decompose the mean difference between family types in each outcome into the proportion explained by differences between family types in characteristics, relationships, and behaviors and the proportion explained by differences between family types in the influence of these factors on outcomes. Methods and results are presented.

Contact: Princeton University, Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child Wellbeing, Wallace Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544, Telephone: (609) 258-5894 Fax: (609) 258-5804 E-mail: crcw@opr.princeton.edu Web Site: http://crcw.princeton.edu Available from the website.

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Keywords: Behavior problems, Cognitive development, Early childhood development, Families, Fathers, Marital status, Mothers, Parent child relations, Research, Statistical data, Young children

Annotation: This paper, which is geared toward parents, provides information about executive functions and how they relate to school readiness. The paper explains what executive functions are and discusses why they are important, how they are manifested, executive functions and child care, good practices in child care to promote the development of executive function, practices that hinder the development of executive function, and professional development for teachers. Additional resources are listed.

Contact: Child Care Aware of America, 1515 North Courthouse Road, 11th Floor, Arlington, VA 22201, Telephone: (800) 424-2246 Secondary Telephone: (866) 278-9428 E-mail: http://childcareaware.org/contact-us Web Site: http://childcareaware.org Available from the website.

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Keywords: Academic achievement, Child care, Cognitive development, Early childhood development, Health promotion, Professional education, School readiness, Young children

Annotation: This two-DVD set includes activities from the Little Voices for Healthy Choices initiative, which focused on brain and motor development, music, movement, nutrition, and sleep for infants and children from birth through age 3. The multimedia DVD contains video, audio, PowerPoint, and written resources in an interactive chapter format. The DVD can be used to watch and share presentations, webinars, and videos; listen to, watch, and learn about the arts experience; and explore the written materials created for the initiative. The archive disc provides a format to access initiative resources.

Contact: Early Head Start National Resource Center, ZERO to THREE, 2000 M Street, N.W., Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036-3307, Telephone: (202) 638-1144 Fax: (202) 638-0851 E-mail: ehsnrcinfo@zerotothree.org Web Site: http://www.ehsnrc.org Single copies available at no charge.

Keywords: Art, Child health, DVDs, Early childhood development, Early childhood education, Infants, Initiatives, Intellectual development, Motor development, Multimedia, Nutrition, Cognitive development, Physical activity, Sleep, Young children

Annotation: This website presents a three-part video series that depicts how advances in neuroscience, molecular biology, and genomics have improved our understanding of the way early experiences are built into the body and the brain. The three videos are (1) Experiences Build Brain Architecture, (2) Serve & Return Interaction Shapes Brain Circuitry, and (3) Toxic Stress Derails Healthy Development. The website also provides links to related resources.

Contact: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 50 Church Street, Fourth Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138, Telephone: (617) 496-0578 E-mail: developingchild@harvard.edu Web Site: http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu Available from the website.

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Keywords: Brain, Child health, Cognitive development, Early childhood development, Genomics, Infant development, Infant health, Research, Stress, Young children

Annotation: This journal issue examines the well-being of immigrant children and what can be done to improve their education attainment, health, social and cognitive development, and long-term prospects for economic mobility. The issue discusses demographic trends, family arrangements, educational trends and differentials, health status, social integration, and participation in welfare and other public programs. Policies to improve the well-being of immigrant chldren are also presented.

Contact: Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, Telephone: (202) 797-6000 Fax: (202) 797-6004 E-mail: communications@brookings.edu Web Site: http://www.brookings.edu Available from the website. Document Number: ISBN 978-0-9814705-6-6.

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Keywords: Child development, Children, Cognitive development, Demography, Economic factors, Educational attainment, Families, Health, Immigrants, Public policy, Trends, Welfare