Although the potential benefits of organized activity involvement during high school have been documented, little is known about what familial and individual characteristics are associated with higher levels of participation. Using structural equation modeling, this longitudinal study examined the extent to which maternal depression history (i.e.,…

This study investigated factors affecting second/foreign language (L2) reading comprehension in a hypermedia environment within the theoretical framework of dual coding and cognitive load theories, and interactive models of L2 reading. The independent variables were reading ability, topic interest, prior topical knowledge, and the number of times…

This phenomenological study investigated the perceptions of three teachers, four parents, and three Section 504 coordinators regarding the development and implementation of the Section 504 process for children in middle schools who have attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, or central auditory processing disorder.…

First published in 2007. The focus of this book is on the cognitive processes involved in comprehension, and moreover, on techniques that help readers improve their ability to comprehend text and it is also on reading comprehension strategies. Indeed, the use of effective reading comprehension strategies is perhaps the most important means to…

This study examined whether scripts provide a basis for the categories preschool children use to structure their semantic memories and whether the use of taxonomies to structure memory becomes more common only after children enter elementary school. Subjects were 108 children in three equal groups of 18 boys and 18 girls children each of 4-, 5-,…

This article discusses practical considerations in developing tests of listening comprehension in second language learning with a particular emphasis on the choice of listening passages and assessment tasks. The listening construct is defined as the process of receiving, attending to, and assigning meaning to aural stimuli. Questions should be…

Memory and information processing were studied with public school students, aged 10-15, who had educable mental handicaps (n=60), trainable mental handicaps (n=60), and no mental handicaps (n=60). Study participants completed a picture recall and relocation test, in order to determine if differences existed between the groups based on…

The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) of the state of Washington is a family-focused program designed to help 4-year-old children from low-income families succeed in the public education system. The ECEAP is comprised of four interactive components that relate to education, parent involvement, health and nutrition, and…

To investigate social cognitive factors in early sex-role development, this study examined young children's gender-related judgments of toy appropriateness under speeded and delayed response conditions. Subjects were 55 boys and 59 girls, aged 3, 5, and 7. Ninety-two photographs of common toys were independently rated as mainly for girls, mainly…

There is a significant mismatch of student preparation for college-level reading tasks and literacy demands placed on our liberal arts college students today. Widely accepted schema theory suggests that teaching metacognition, or consciously thinking about how one thinks, is helpful. Once thinking processes are made transparent to the learner, he…

Using different approaches when viewing art is critical because it provokes the viewer to go beyond a cursory glance and the influence of the historical period, and the influence of the culture in which it was created. In this resource kit three approaches to looking at art are examined including the examination of the elements of art, the…

The factors that influence the performance of undergraduate students in introductory biology courses were studied, considering cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioral factors. From 612 participants volunteering, 52 consistent high performers and 57 consistent low performers were selected. Information was collected on their study habits,…

Adolescent struggle is about the forces which shape the self and direct the search for identity. It examines the factors which incline young people toward self-centeredness, irrationality and faulty decision-making. Section 1 of the book deals with the adolescent self and two of the most important determinants of adolescent behavior: egocentrism…

This study examined ways in which two independent variables, peer collaboration and the use of a specific tool (the TAPS interface), work together and individually to shape students' problem-solving processes. More specifically, the researchers were interested in determining how collaboration and TAPS use cause metacognitive processes to differ…

This book is designed to show teachers how to reach out to adults and adolescents with learning disabilities and employ specific strategies for helping them to compensate for the disabilities and acquire literacy skills. The ways in which specific differences in brain structure inhibit the mastery of reading, spelling, handwriting, phonics, and…