Specific instruction refers to the teacher's knowing (a) what to teach and when, (b) what not to teach and why, and (c) when to let the preoperational child be "wrong." This paper is in agreement with Bereiter's criticism of Kohlberg's conclusion against specific instruction but suggests that Bereiter's argument should be developed into…

A Piagetian preschool emphasizes the child's active construction of mental images rather than passive association of words and pictures with real objects. The role of the teacher is neither to dictate good behavior nor to transmit ready-made predigested knowledge. Her role is to help the child to control his own behavior and to find things out as…