Maxie Kohler

Risk-taking behavior : a cognitive approach

In examining the associations of critical thinking skills and risk-taking behavior, scores on the Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V, Rotters I-E Scale, and the Cornell Critical Thinking Scale confirm earlier research on sensation seeking in pointing to gender differences that predict more risk-taking behavior by men (n = 52) than women (n = 48).

VALIDATING THE STREET SURVIVAL SKILLS QUESTIONNAIRE

The utility of the Street Survival Skills Questionnaire was investigated using a sample of 18 trainable mentally retarded males attending public schools. Pearson product-moment correlations were computed among the total scores, four standard scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale—Survey Form, and three Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised IQs. The Street Skills scores correlated significantly with Vineland Daily Living scores and WISC—R Full Scale and Performance IQs; however, nonsignificant relationships were obtained with WISC—R Verbal IQs, Vineland Composite scores, Communication Domain scores, and Socialization Domain scores. The use of the questionnaire in assessment of adaptive behavior was supported but within a narrow scope, i.e., daily or functional living knowledge.

Among the Periodicals: What Is the Value of Play?

O 100 years ago, Caroline Pratt, Patty Smith Hill, Lucy Sprague Mitchell, and John Dewey knew the value of play for early childhood, elementary, and early adolescent students. They had little or no difficulty explaining the importance of play for children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development (Wolfe, 2002). Things are different in the 21st century. With high-stakes assessment, No Child Left Behind, and competition for limited funding, play has taken a back seat. In fact, play and even naptime have been eliminated from many early childhood education programs. For example, in Jennifer Kilgo’s home county in Alabama, administrators did away with naptime for kindergarten children. As Strauss (2004) reports, “Kindergartners in Gadsden, Alabama, discovered that school administrators had eliminated naptime in order to not lose precious seconds preparing for standardized tests” (p. 162). Of particular concern in the education climate of today is the fact that most teachers are unable to articulate the value of play to administrators, parents, and the public. Each of the following articles is about the value of play in the lives of children. Maxie Kohler, Jennifer Kilgo, and Lois M. Christensen, all professors of education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, jointly reviewed the following articles with the idea of helping educators better explain the significance of play.

Ecological Issues Related to Children's Health and Safety.

Issues concerning the health and safety of children and youth occur at multiple levels. Bronfenbrenner (1995) proposed an ecological systems approach in which multiple systems interact to enhance or diminish children’s development. The same systems are at work in health promotion. The following articles reflect the multiple systems that influence the health of our children. These were jointly reviewed by me and my colleague Maxie Koh1er.-JA

Tennessee Self-Concept Scale Scores of Urban African-American Women

The Tennessee Self-concept Scale: Second Edition scores of 33 urban, African-American women were compared in a pretest-posttest design. The treatment was exposure to a 3-mo. literacy and social skills training program. Contrary to expectations, scores on just two subscales—Self-criticism and Physical Self—fell outside the average range. Also, Physical Self was the only scale score to change significantly (–3.83). These results suggest that self-esteem scores of urban African Americans were similar to those of women in the general population.

Among the Periodicals: The Common Core State Standards

I the United States, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers. They have now been adopted by 46 states and the District of Columbia. These new standards are the source of controversy and some conflict for teachers and parents; thus, it is a timely topic of interest.

Among the Periodicals: Fears and Phobias in Children and Adolescents

F and phobias in children and adolescents are much more diverse than most people may think, as the articles discussed here demonstrate. While all children experience fears of some sort, certain fears can interfere with their healthy development and limit their sphere of learning. A child who is afraid of a parent getting deported, for example, is less likely to be interested in learning. A child who is afraid of dogs may be limited in interpersonal relationships, as potential friends may have dogs. Unless we meet children’s fears “head on,” they may generalize fears to other areas and ultimately limit their cognitive world.

Among the Periodicals: The Obesogenic Environment

This column contains eight peerreviewed articles that address the topic of the “obesogenic” environment and obesity in children. The term “obesogenic” is being used more often to describe an environment that appears to promote obesity. However, no true consensus has been reached on what constitutes that type of environment (Kirk, Penney, & McHugh, 2010). Yet, because obesity is integrally tied to child development and health, it is an important issue for our readers. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes obesity as a major, global health topic, and professionals at WHO have taken time to address it rather extensively. For anyone, but particularly for children, being overweight can be very painful, both physically and socially. Being overweight puts a child “at risk” for myriad developmental problems; thus, our readers need to be informed. WHO has identified “globesity” as a major health theme. Contributing to this column are Lois Christensen and Jennifer Kilgo who, along with me, are professors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Jane Roy is an associate professor at UAB and Nathaniel Bryan is a graduate student in early childhood education at the University of South Carolina. We hope you find these articles interesting, informative, and useful.

Among the Periodicals: Cultural Diversity and Responsivity

Cultural diversity and responsivity is a major topic in the field of education right now, with so many children needing special attention in order to engage the educational process to its fullest. Teachers must be equipped to meet each child coming to school with a skill set that will provide a foundation of learning. Contributing to this column are Lois Christensen and Jennifer Kilgo who, along with column editor Maxie Kohler, are professors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). We hope you find these articles interesting, informative, and useful.

COMPARISON OF SCORES ON THE WORKPLACE LITERACY TEST AND THE TESTS OF ADULT BASIC EDUCATION

This study examined the associations between scores obtained on the Workplace Literacy Test and the Tests of Adult Basic Education for 30 unemployed single mothers mandated to attend an adult education class. These students completed the tests to facilitate educational planning by the course instructor. Test scores were examined using Pearson correlations and a principal components factor analysis. Inter-correlations of scores on the two tests ranged from .25 to .83, with a median of .53. Factor analysis yielded two factors, a general literacy factor and a spelling factor.