Arguing that teachers need to provide direct instruction if they expect children to learn to apply semantic or syntactic clues as they are reading, this paper presents a variety of activities for teaching children to use context clues. Among the more than 35 activities described are: gathering clues from pictures, using a language experience…

As an aid to increasing teacher effectiveness, this paper outlines findings derived from the field of cognitive psychology on the way in which memory operates, provides examples, and suggests a variety of ways the information can be applied in teaching. Among the findings cited are the following: (1) some types of information can be encoded (i.e.,…

This paper deals with the primary processes of cognition in fifth- and sixth-grade children; i.e., how children this age interpret what they see and hear, how they remember it, and how they reason and solve problems. Designed to provide background information for the staff of the Skills Essential to Learning Television Project (a multi-level…

Use of low-stress algorithms to reduce the cognitive load on students is advocated. The low-stress algorithm for addition developed by Hutchings is detailed first. Then a variation on the usual algorithm is proposed: adding from left to right, writing the partial sum for each stage. Next, a "quick addition" method for adding fractions proposed by…

Three research questions were posed for a study: (1) Are there differences among the Piagetian scores of students in the various teaching majors? (2) Do students at various cognitive levels differ in academic achievement? and (3) Do students in different teaching majors differ in achievement? The population included 670 education students enrolled…

Summarized in this paper are the literature on cognitive imagery and teaching methodologies and an approach to the teaching of theories of personality that emphasize cognitive imagery as a strategy for enhancing learning in college students. The work of Kosslyn represents a major approach to the study of imagery in cognitive psychology. Central to…

Reports the results of a study of the relationship between cognitive style and achievement in a modern elementary science program. (JR)

Presents a visual method for displaying the interrelationships between Piaget's work related to children's intellectual development and curriculum development based on an analysis of the processes of scientific inquiry. (PB)

The development of critical ability, or cognitive criticism, is being studied in a two-year Swedish project described in this progress report. Cognitive criticism is valuable in all occupational fields, but especially futurology and technology assessment. This project proposes to make concrete the aims of critical training, and to identify and…

To investigate questions concerning relationships among students' cognitive processes, aptitudes, later achievement and attitudes, and direct instruction, fifth- and sixth-grade students (N=72) were randomly assigned to one of six classes using a factorial assignment of ability level crossed with attitude. The questions addressed were: (1) What…

The project consisted of three related series of studies, designed to (a) determine some of the underlying competencies that contribute to experts' successful problem solving performance in college level mathematics, (b) to determine what productive behaviors students lack, or what counterproductive behaviors they have, that keep them from being…

This review of two distinct areas of research--brain research and psycho-epistemology--indicates a possible link between the two which may potentially help to identify an as yet unknown molar trait which could be responsible for divergent opinions regarding teaching and learning theories, and may help to explain differential achievement when these…