Results with 54 pairs of Slovenian students, matched for participation or nonparticipation in intensive sports classes in elementary school, indicate that a combination of flexible organization of academic work and intensive sports classes does not have a negative impact on intellectual, academic, or personality development. (SLD)

Used observations and theory of mind interviews to examine the impact of a program to increase the complexity of shared pretend play in 4-year-olds. Found that the amount and complexity of shared pretense increased for the play training group and performance on theory-of-mind tasks significantly improved for the play training group but not for the…

Describes an exploratory teaching experiment carried out to test the hypothesis that it is feasible to develop a disposition toward more realistic mathematical modeling in pupils. The learning and transfer effects of an experimental class of 10- and 11-year-old students that were compared to the results of two control groups support this…

Some experts claim that learning two languages well gives rise to mental flexibility, superior concept formation, a diversified set of mental abilities, and metalinguistic awareness. Although most researchers believe accomplished bilingualism and cognitive development are positively related, this view is not universally accepted, and the exact…

Explores the nature, importance, and development of child metacognition, arguing for the assisted development of metacognitive awareness in young children. Identifies factors that enhance metacognitive development and thus assist the transfer of learning. Suggests that metateaching strategies can help mediate the metacognitive strategies of…

Two experiments examined impact of training in false belief understanding on 3-year-olds. Training involved encouragement of reflection on the event of various false belief scenarios, especially the protagonist's thoughts. Results suggested that task-specific strategies for close transfer posttest success were learned, rather than demonstrating a…

Cognitive Enrichment Advantage is a student-centered literacy education method used in Canadian prisons. It emphasizes the teacher's role as mediator of learning; its 12 building blocks of thinking and 8 tools of learning embody a constructivist approach. A goal is fostering independent and interdependent lifelong learning. (SK)

Deaf children with signing parents, nonnative signing deaf children, children from a hearing impaired unit, oral deaf children, and hearing controls were tested on theory of Mind (ToM) tasks and a British sign language receptive language test. Language ability correlated positively and significantly with ToM ability. Age underpinned the…

Reflects on how student affairs professionals can help students explore the unfamiliar space between knowing and doing. Discusses the role of student development educators in helping students go from knowing something to being able to use that knowledge to inform their own attitudes and behaviors. (GCP)

Examined infants' ability to retrieve an object from atop a slightly larger object. Found that even 5-month-olds could retrieve objects close in size and fully contiguous with their bases when demands on reaching skill were reduced. Proposed that when they fail this task, it is because they lack the skill to reach the top object without…

Describes the processes of thinking, learning, appreciation, and improvement of higher level thinking skills developed through the exploration and adaptation of Shakespeare's works at the middle school level. Offers suggestions for specific techniques, including character creation, casting, music, and rehearsals. (JPB)

Examined effects on 4- to 6-year-olds of different patterns of mother involvement in child care, self- sufficiency activities, and other services. Found that children of mothers with high involvement in center-based care, education, and job training showed higher cognitive ability than children of mothers with high involvement in only center-based…

Focuses on the implications of key findings and theoretical positions from social and cognitive developmental psychology of the use of information technology (IT) tools to support learning in algebra. Presents evidence from a small-scale study of graphics calculators in Hong Kong that supports the feasibility of the UK Cognitive Acceleration…

Examines the advantages and disadvantages of books on tape for children. Analyzes some taped readings. Concludes that they make heavier use of stereotypes than written texts and in doing so raise ideological questions. Suggests that tapes offer shortcuts to semiotic competence, to interpreting the world through a kind of shorthand that is equally…

This study evaluated the knowledge of Level 1 and Level 2 rules of perspective taking by 18 8-year-old children (either congenitally blind, congenitally low vision, or sighted). All children understood Level 1 rules; their knowledge of Level 2 rules (that a heterogeneously sided object will appear differently to viewers from different sides)…