Examined developmental differences in the acquisition and extension of an organizational strategy in 2 experiments involving 242 children in grades 3, 4, 5, and 7. Levels of performance were greater for sets of typical items than for sets of atypical items at all grade levels. (RJC)

Investigated 112 four-, five-, and seven-year-olds' ability to perform competently in referential communication after training in asking categorical questions. Results indicated that children were capable of scanning a stimulus array while searching for a varied number of speaker-described targets. (RJC)

Highlights new directions in cognitive research. Instead of searching for universally valid principles, new style reseachers are studying how people learn particular things in particular environments. Findings need to be corroborated by numerous researchers using a variety of observational and experimental methodologies. Includes two references.…

Gifted students can learn to direct their thinking to maximize learning and creative production. They do this by stating what they intend to do, choosing strategies and appropriate conditions for thinking, and self-monitoring. The article describes techniques for developing self-directed thinking and applies these techniques to a class assignment.…

A model of skills needed by a student to understand a mathematics lesson taught by a good teacher is presented. The model contains a variety of cognitive competencies. Functioning of the model during a two-day lesson sequence is described. (TJH)

Studies spelling bee finalists' early and current reading and spelling experiences. Finds that gifted spellers show an early interest in language arts activities, pass through developmental stages far earlier than normal children, and rely on visual memory strategies, word meanings, and saying/writing words to master orthography. (RS)

Factors influencing students' interpretation of learning tasks are discussed and two qualitatively different types of student interpretation are identified--procedural and content-related. The implications for research on the alternative frameworks used by students are discussed, including the identification of different levels of alternative…

Discussion of memory for text information focuses on an earlier study which appeared to show that it is better for students to study a summary of a textbook chapter than to study the chapter itself. Topics discussed include recognition memory, recall, how to test memory, and psychological research. (10 references) (LRW)

Describes a model for planned change in schools that proposes four phases of change: (1) institutional commitment; (2) alteration in policy and practices; (3) alteration in roles and actions of staff; and (4) student learning activities. (JOW)

Describes a Directed Notetaking Activity (DNA) based on three instructional principles: the split page method for structured notetaking; a self-questioning strategy for monitoring levels of involvement before, during, and after notetaking; and direct, explicit teaching of the notetaking process. (RS)

Presents an acrostic of the word "summary" designed to help students write a summary correctly. (RS)

Examines implications of incorporating a metacognitive focus in the curriculum. Recommends an integrative and contextualized approach to teaching children to understand and apply metacognitive strategies. (RAE)

Argues that teachers can help students improve their learning by understanding the reasons why students have not been successful, by identifying strategies that promote active participation in the learning process, and by teaching students how to become more responsible for their own learning. (RAE)

Illustrated are landmarks in the development of speechreading and its role in speech perception by individuals with impaired hearing. Covered are historical influences from 1450 to the present and issues in teaching/learning speechreading, such as the most effective unit of analysis for instruction and the impact of linguistic context. (JDD)

Examines gender differences in fifth- and sixth-grade students' self-reports of confidence, motivation goals, and learning strategies in whole-class and small-group sessions. Overall, results reveal few gender differences and indicate that students report greater confidence and mastery motivation in small-group lessons. Contains 55 references.…