Examined the relation between phonological memory and foreign language learning by analyzing the correlations between pseudoword repetition performance and English test performance among 41 Finnish primary school pupils. Results found significant correlations between pseudoword repetition and foreign language learning. (18 references) (MDM)

This article presents the whole-language approach as an environment that is particularly suitable for students with learning disabilities. This approach can allow students control over their learning, encourages them to experiment and take risks in their learning, promotes self-monitoring strategies, and enhances memory. (SW)

Measures of IQ, verbal short-term memory, speech perception, and phonological awareness were administered to 136 3rd and 4th graders. Structural equation modeling revealed that IQ, speech perception, and verbal short-term memory each contributed unique variance to the phonological awareness construct. Results underscore the importance of speech…

Evaluation of a classroom mnemonic instructional method to teach science content to 19 mildly disabled students (grades 6-8) found mnemonic instruction resulted in improved initial content acquisition, higher delayed-recall scores than traditional instructional procedures, and generalization of mnemonic strategies to novel content. Students…

Describes transactional strategies instruction, an approach to teaching reading comprehension in elementary classes that focuses on student and teacher transactions with text. Contends that the approach differs from traditional strategy instruction. Provides examples of transactional strategies instruction, including dialogs between teachers and…

Decoding, working memory, and domain-specific prior knowledge were studied as predictors of comprehension for 48 university undergraduate students after rewriting notes, rereading notes, or rereading a text. Working memory was most important for comprehension of text-implicit information, whereas knowledge was relatively more important for…

First and second graders studied words by means of a talking computer system that highlighted and pronounced orthographic units in words that were touched with a light pen. Results suggest that presenting words as wholes is at least as helpful for short-term learning as presenting them segmented. (LB)

Measures of vocabulary, phonological memory, nonverbal intelligence, and reading were taken from 80 children at ages 4, 5, 6, and 8 years. Comparisons revealed a significant shift in the causal underpinnings of the relationship between phonological memory and vocabulary development before and after age five. (Author/LB)

Discusses the use of autobiography and personal memoirs as teaching tools in the history classroom. Presents information from Henry Watterson's autobiography that discusses the life of Jane Cazneau. Points out flaws in which incorrect information is presented as true. Includes a complete lesson plan for use with the example. (DK)

In a study of recall in gamelike and lessonlike contexts, 4- and 5-year-old children were asked to remember or to play with a set of 16 pictures or toys in a naturalistic or laboratory setting. The children's behavior and language were measured during two-minute study phases, after which recall was assessed. (BC)

The effects of controlling for individual differences in simple reaction time (RT) on the correlations of choice RT and discrimination RT with intelligence quotient were studied for 213 male college students. Simple RT was controlled by subtraction, partial correlation, and multiple correlation. (SLD)

Discusses research on cognitive styles and strategies. Groups labels into two principle styles. Describes the wholist-analytic style, examining whether an individual tends to process information in wholes or parts, and the verbalizer-imager style considering whether an individual is inclined to represent information during thinking verbally or in…

Twenty students and 45 adults with visual impairments or blindness were administered a test of tactile concentration and short-term memory involving the reproduction of the order of finger stimulation using the Finger Knocking Box. Reliability and validity scores indicated encouraging results with use of the instrument. (JDD)

The use of pictures in task analysis to teach complex tasks to students with multiple disabilities is detailed. The paper presents: benefits of picture task analysis as a receptive communication strategy, memory aid, and instructional efficiency; approaches to developing and implementing a picture task analysis; and a case study illustrating the…

Second and fourth graders were classified according to their knowledge of soccer and their IQ and given two sort-recall tasks. Results demonstrated that the knowledge base played an important role in children's memory. Domain knowledge could not fully eliminate the effects of IQ on sort-recall tasks using domain-related materials. (GLR)