The present study was designed to explore the relationship between the theoretical models of cognitive development proposed by L. S. Vygotsky and J. Piaget. One hundred and four subjects aged four to sixteen years were selected. All subjects were in the average range of intelligence, were in the usual school grade for their age, and had no history…

Twenty-four papers prepared for a conference on Piagetian theory and its implications for the helping professions are included in this report. The conference included the following symposia: (a) Present Status of Formal Operations, (b) Implications of Piaget for the Development of Curriculum, (c) Arithmetic and the Development of Logical…

The instructional materials in this document include observational schedules for children ages 3-7 and diagnostic/instructional procedures in language arts and mathematics for 5-year-olds. The observational schedules are designed to assist teachers in judging the developmental levels of beginning school children. The schedules are intended as…

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between the acquisition of conservation skills and achievement in mathematics. The conservation skills measured were numbered, mass, area and volume. Mathematics achievement was measured by the Computation, Concepts, Problem-Solving and Total Mathematics scores on the Metropolitan…

The need for educational reform is argued, based on a growing awareness of the general ineffectiveness of school for most children. Alternative educational programs based on behavioral analysis are judged inadequate, because they are based upon the same inappropriate goals as traditional education. In order to make educational reform effective, it…

Research has indicated that across the second to fifth grade range, there was evidence to suggest a difference between the oldest and youngest groups in the memory representations which directed recall of logically related sentences. The developmental trend was from what seemed to be an unstable and fragmentary memory rperesentation, which…

A total of 34 children, ages 2 and a half to 6, were presented with sentences for imitation that either violated or honored a prenominal adjective ordering rule, which requires that size adjectives must precede color adjectives. Two response measures were evaluated in terms of these sentence types: latency to begin a sentence imitation and recall…

This document reports on Phase II of a 2-year research project. The first phase had investigated the effects of socioeconomic mix on the cognitive and social development of disadvantaged preschoolers. The objectives of Phase II were (1) to continue assessment of effects on the disadvantaged subjects over a 2-year span during which there were four…

Three studies were conducted to investigate the effects of extended syntactic elaboration conditions on paired-associate learning. Earlier studies have indicated that such conditions have facilitated paired-associate learning of retarded children. Study I involved 30 first grade children. As in previous studies, embedding stimuli to be associated…

The study attempted to show that the first grade child's learning in a new area must involve overt concrete experiences from which new ideas will be derived. Forty-nine students, assigned to six groups, were instructed on three scientific concepts. The verbal instruction technique was similar to that suggested in SCIS. The application segment…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether achievement motivation can be taught by either of two approaches common to the kindergarten. After being pre-tested for motivational levels, subjects were randomly placed in three groups: (1) cognitive-direct teaching of components designed to enhance motivation, (2) Social-social interaction…

The purpose of this study was to relate Piaget-type tests to Stanford-Binet Mental Age and IQ, to IQ on the California Test of Mental Maturity, and to performance on the Metropolitan Achievement Test. Subjects were 143 children of bright, average, and retarded psychometric abilities; bright and average children were chronologically aged five to…

Data from a Class Activities Questionnaire was used in the evaluation of the state gifted program in Illinois to determine patterns of cognitive and affective emphasis in gifted and average classes. Significant differences were found in the degree of emphasis on higher thought processes, classroom focus, and classroom climate. Significant…

This guide is designed primarily for the use of U.S. Training and Employment Service personnel and affiliated State agencies engaged in such activities as interviewing, counseling, and planning educational programs for applicants. It should also prove useful to persons involved in related activities in schools, vocational guidance or…

The development of children's humor is described, focusing on the cognitive aspect of what is funny and how this relates to children's intellectual growth. Cognitive elements that facilitate children's humor are identified as: (1) the ability to grasp incongruities, (2) the presence of an intellectual challenge, (3) timing, (4) novelty, and (5) a…