Answer to Question 1
Generally, schools are a positive influence in a child's life, particularly those that set high expectations for students and value mature behavior. Competitiveness in school, however, can have detrimental effects on children. Many children who do not attend formal prekindergarten programs may have difficulty making the transition from home to school. The diversity and inequity of children's early life experiences, individual differences in children's learning, and the degree to which schools establish reasonable expectations for children, all impact student educational success.
Answer to Question 2
In a technical sense, this term describes a tendency for behavior to become more specific and distinct as the child matures. For example, if a young infant gets a finger pinched in a toy, she may withdraw the hand but also may flail around and cry in a general pattern of distress. As the child gets older, she may withdraw the hand and cry but not show the overall pattern of distress. The infant appears to become increasingly able to isolate responses that are specific to what has occurred.
The development of ancestral tetrapods.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
Economic and Social Development
Fetal development
Child Development: A Topical Approach
Effects of Temperature on Gene Expression