Two experiments examined the effects of a culture-general factor, pattern redundancy, on the discrimination of five-tone melodies that differed in their adherence to Western tonal conventions, among 9-month olds, 5-year olds, and adults. Increasing exposure seemed to attenuate the effects of the pattern redundancy while amplifying the influence of…

Tested 59 three-year olds three times over seven months to assess the contribution of development of theory of mind and language to one another. Found that earlier language abilities predicted later theory-of-mind test performance (controlling for earlier theory of mind), but earlier theory-of-mind did not predict later language-test performance…

Two studies probed 3- to 6-year olds' beliefs about wishing and its efficacy. Study 1 showed that children had considerable knowledge about wishing and an age-related decrease in beliefs about its efficacy. Study 2 suggested that children reconcile beliefs in wishing efficacy with knowledge about mental/physical relations by situating them more…

Proposes that conceptual change is constrained by the child's conceptual structures and the structures inherent in problem-solving tasks. Uses a microgenetic case study and group data to examine how interaction between strategies children bring to a task and the detailed task structure redirect children's attention and create the possibility of…

Two studies compared executive function performance of preschoolers with autism and control group matched on age, verbal ability, and nonverbal ability. Study 1 found no group differences on eight tasks. Autistic children initiated fewer joint attention and social interaction behaviors. Followup with subset of Study 1 children found that neither…

Two experiments used Headed Records memory model to examine preschoolers' performance on a variation of Perner's Smarties task, a false-beliefs test. Data indicated that when the computational demands imposed by the original task are reduced, young children can and do remember what they had thought about the contents of a tube even after its true…

Evaluates the thinking of third grade students in relation to an instructional program in probability which was informed by a research-based framework that included a description of students' probabilistic thinking. Reveals that overcoming misconceptions in sample space, applying both part-part and part-whole reasoning, and using invented language…

This article describes an experimental course in advanced thinking developed for a group of exceptionally able British lower sixth formers. The course stresses: (1) practice in efficient deductive reasoning; (2) elucidation and consideration of major thought processes and concepts; and (3) exploration of various aspects of the evolution of…

Discusses the importance of developing a child's relationship with nature in Montessori education. Surveys natural outdoor activities for the toddler and 3- to 6-year- old child, including addressing the planet's functions and destiny through maps, storytelling, and going out, and for young adolescents, living on the land. (JPB)

Discusses the meaning of discipline and the absence of coercion within a Montessori framework, noting the importance of social skills for the development of creativity. Highlights aspects of teaching methodology for elementary and high schools. (JPB)

This study compared 6- to 7-year-olds' knowledge of numerical fractions prior to school instruction in Croatia, Korea, and United States. Results suggested that the Korean vocabulary of fractions may influence the meaning children ascribe to numerical fractions and that this results in children being able to associated numerical fractions with…

Examined changes from age 7 to 82 years in processes responsible for preparation and interference control underlying alternation between two tasks. Found a U-shaped function for switch costs, with larger costs for young children and older adults. Age-related variance in task-switching performance was partially independent from age-related variance…

Tested in two studies 4- to 7-year-olds' face recognition by manipulating the faces' configural and featural information. Found that even with only a single 5-second exposure, most children could use configural and featural cues to make identity judgments. Repeated exposure and feedback improved others' performance. Even proficient memories were…

Investigated 4-month-olds' responsiveness to others' affective expressions in the context of a peekaboo game. Found differential patterns of visual attention and affective responsiveness to happiness/surprise, anger, fear, and sadness. Findings underscore importance of contextual information for facilitating recognition of emotion expressions and…

Highlights connections between recent findings in brain research and principles of Developmentally Appropriate Practices, discussing implications for early childhood education practice. Explores the similarities between brain research findings and a constructivist approach in which environments are designed to gain the learner's attention, foster…