Three studies of language comprehension skills compared 9- and 10-year-old learning-disabled children (LDC) with difficulty retaining verbal information (n=8) with LDC with normal memory spans (n=8) and normally achieving children (n=16). LDC did not have significant impairments in listening comprehension. However, LDC may experience difficulties…

Research on propositional reasoning is summarized. Retrieval of facts and concepts, linkages, short-term memory limitations, and the processing advantages are discussed. Suggestions for maximizing teaching are presented. (CW)

Discusses ways in which computer-assisted instruction (CAI) could be used for mnemonic instruction in the classroom. Literature on mnemonic instruction is reviewed, CAI and the acquisition of effective learning strategies are discussed, and software developed for memory improvement is described. (25 references) (LRW)

Feedback effectiveness and efficiency were studied using 120 college students practicing 40 difficult vocabulary items in 4 experiments. The significant impact of immediate feedback was seen in immediate and delayed posttests. Conditional probability of feedback as a corrective function is discussed via a limited model of general working memory.…

Presents model of instructional strategy planning that links specific cognitive learning and thinking processes with specific computer-based instructional strategies. Topics discussed include memory systems; types of knowledge; drill and practice; tutorials; task-oriented simulations; problem-oriented simulations; and self directed experiences.…

Four experiments investigated phonemic and visual similarity effects in 5- and 10-year olds. Results suggested that young children rely on modality-dependent codes, which are probably automatically activated, and do not use a speech-based memory code for drawings and words. This pattern of findings appeared to be independent of culture and…

Examines subjects' processing in misleading test items. Suggests that the M-power for children, when assessed behaviorally, may increase with age in a discrete manner, and have the potential to generate interval scales of measurement. In addition, suggests that, in light of the results, what statisticians often consider "error of…

Examined the phonological memory capacity, rate of articulation, phonological encoding, and perceptual-processing abilities of 13 specifically language-impaired (SLI) children and 13 language-matched normal (NL) children. The results of a nonsense word repetition task showed that SLI children repeated significantly fewer multisyllabic nonsense…

Uses preschool tests of general verbal ability, verbal memory span, phonological awareness, lexical access speed and accuracy, and letter knowledge in preschool as independent measures predicting performance on second-grade reading comprehension, word discrimination, and word decoding speed. Finds differential main effects and interactions but a…

The speech children spontaneously quote was examined in 2 studies involving personal narratives from 96 children aged 4 to 9 and speech in 25 children aged 1 to 5. Findings showed that frequency of reported speech increased with age and direct quotation was more common than indirect or summarized quotations at all ages. (57 references) (Author/LB)

Four experiments involving 101 first and third graders investigated developmental changes in children's knowledge about the types of strategies that are appropriate for achieving goals of comprehension or memorization. Only third graders distinguished between comprehension and memory by consistently selecting the appropriate strategy. (SLD)

This study compared factors contributing to Quick Incidental Learning of new vocabulary by 50 5-year olds with specific language impairment (SLI) and 2 comparison groups. Although SLI children exhibited a robust representational mapping ability, performance was modulated by a minimum input constraint and apparent problems with storage into…

Discusses how the storyteller dolls and myths of the Pueblo Indians illustrate the important influence that folktales, legends, and myths can have on children's language development, cultural appreciation, memory, imagination, and values. (MDM)

Normal fluctuations in consciousness and spontaneous trance states may produce inadvertent hypnotic influence in the classroom. Two case studies illustrate how students may be thus influenced by explicit or implicit suggestions, resulting in subsequent self-defeating behaviors. These cases were successfully treated by reconstructing earlier…

A survey of 183 Hawaii students (ages 15-19) and interviews with a subsample of 93 students investigated subjects' memories about elementary school experiences involving peers with severe disabilities. Analysis revealed that earlier social contact resulted in more positive attitudes, higher levels of current reported social contact, and more…