This handbook, primarily for parents and teachers of preschool through third grade children, provides some insights into Piaget's theories about how children think and learn and presents ideas for using Piagetian-type activities and games in the home or classroom. (The handbook does not attempt to give a comprehensive analysis of Piaget's theory…

This paper examines evidence supporting the hypothesis that environment differentially affects intelligence in a sex-specific manner. The current position that environment and heredity contribute interactively to intelligence obscures the greater vulnerability and exposure of males to environmental influences and the reciprocal lack of equivalent…

This document reviews recent research on language development and discusses some of the methods for encouraging language used in commercially produced lesson plans such as the Peabody Language Development Kit, the Peabody Early Education Kit and the Distar Language Program. An argument is presented against the concept that some children…

Naturalistic observation of the spontaneous role-taking behavior of 16 four-year-old children (8 boys, 8 girls) in a free play situation with a same-sex peer was used to investigate the sex role perceptions and preferences of young children. Videotape recordings of the unelicited male, female, parental, and conjugal role portrayals were examined…

Performance data for 42 subjects pertaining to seven course objectives and ten propositional logic tasks were analyzed for hierarchical relationships using ordering theoretic technique. The resulting hierarchy indicated that simple implication and particular contraposition propositional logic tasks were prerequisite to some course objectives. This…

This study investigates how children, who have acquired a basic speech repertoire, introduce dialogues and how they then pursue their communicative purpose in the course of interaction. The subjects were 20 kindergarten children and 20 second graders, ranging in age from 5 to 5 1/2 and from 7 to 7 1/2. The significant questions pursued were: (1)…

This paper discusses the differences between the one-child family and the family with more than one child in terms of the effects or possible effects on the child. Longitudinal studies of 200 children being followed from birth through age 5 (one-third of whom are only children, two-thirds, second children, were used as a data base, along with a…

Elementary school students (12 year olds) and two groups of 13 year old grammar school students were involved in an experiment which measured the ability to recognize the concept of controlling variables. In addition, ability to transfer learning to another situation was tested. (CP)

Presents a framework for conceptualizing development of individual differences in reading ability that emphasizes the effects of reading on cognitive development and on "bootstrapping" relationships involving reading. Uses the framework to explicate some persisting problems in the literature on reading disability and to conceptualize…

Identifies four characteristics of a cognitive model of learning (short-term and long-term memory, use of cognitive strategies, and dual information processing), and examines this model's implications for educational broadcast television design. This review focuses on research studies with instructional implications for pacing, cueing, modeling,…

Describes an assignment sequence using photographs to introduce developmental students to conventions of academic inquiry, and to give them practice analyzing and synthesizing. Reports that students link details observed in the photos to inferences drawn about them. Concentrates on the assignment linking a photo of E. B. White with an essay by him…

Investigation of the extent to which various factors were associated with observed developmental gains in developmentally-delayed young children (N=83) revealed that potential predictors of overall child progress included test score derivatives, number of assessments and home visits, mother's age, child's age at initial testing, and medical risk…

Investigated the relationship between the development of formal operations and the formation of ego identity in adolescence. Obtained significant positive correlations between combinatorial ability and degree of identity, suggesting that high identity may facilitate the application of combinatorial operations. Found some gender differences in task…

Discusses the use of a microcomputer in the assessment of middle school pupils in science classes. Describes experimental details, the computer program, test procedures, and results. Concluded that pupils benefit from the immediate feedback provided by computer assessment compared to traditional methods. (CW)

Suggests that the process view of science is flawed. Argues that (1) it is superficial and misleading to portray the method of science in process terms; (2) many of the processes have no special association with science; and (3) there is no evidence that performance is improved. Speaks of the challenge facing science education. (RT)