This paper proposes a method for teaching number applying the conservation theory of Piaget in the classroom. It is suggested that number facts cannot be taught by social transmission, since there is a fundamental distinction between logico-mathematical and social knowledge. Conservation cannot be taught to non-conservers, but there are ways to…

In the first part of the paper the idea of the cognitive network is developed. The network consists of concepts linked together by relationships which are themselves concepts. Concepts are learned according to simple rules, and the network grows as new concepts are learned. Part II considers the growth and structure of language. The growth of…

This research investigated pre-adolescent children's concepts of political conflict and power, and the processes by which these are acquired. It focused particularly upon the acquisition of such attitudes by Black and Mexican-American children, minority groups currently involved in deep social and political conflicts. The data were obtained with a…

The report documents performance on a 24-month R&D effort oriented toward the development of a computerized model for machine translation of natural languages. The model is built around a set of procedures called verbalization, intended to stimulate the processes employed by a speaker or writer in turning stored information into words.…

This dissertation abstract summarizes a research study which investigated the hypothesis that bilingualism in children would result in: (1) increased ability to analyze syntax; (2) acceleration in the time of arrival of the stage of concrete operational thinking; and (3) an increase in cognitive flexibility or ability to mentally shuffle material.…

This paper describes the DARCEE curriculum designed to prepare young disadvantaged children for school. The emphasis of the curriculum is on the development of information processing skills, rather than on the learning of specific information. The curriculum is implemented in the form of a sequentially programmed, structured instructional program.…

The document offers a brief evaluation of the effectiveness of the lecture method of teaching and a detailed outline of the characteristics that make it effective. While some of the effectiveness lies in the lecturer's ability, subject discussed, and circumstances, there are certain guidelines and procedures which are generally followed by…

An evaluation of children's ability to conceptualize auditory pattern contrasts was made. At the end of the 1968-69 school year, 56 kindergarteners, 31 first graders, 24 second graders, and four fourth graders were tested on their ability to conceptualize the sequential relationships of phonemes in both nonsyllabic and syllabic patterns. An…

A study was undertaken at the West Virginia School for the Deaf to test the assumption that the modes of thought of deaf children could be improved, and that improvement in concept formation would result in improvement in testable areas. Sixteen primary school children of approximately equal ability were selected and paired to form the control and…

A basic goal of the evaluation program described here was the congruence of the evaluation instruments with the course objectives. Following a brief review of MACOS--its assumptions, view of man and learning, and its structural and conceptual components--the specific evaluation instruments are described. Such variables as classroom environment,…

This paper is a preliminary report of objective test results made by approximately 300 poor and 100 non-poor kindergarten children and by 417 first grade children during 1968-1969. Tests administered to the kindergarten classes in the fall of 1968 and again in the spring of 1969 were: short-form Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence…

Piaget's organismic-developmental theory of intelligence was investigated in this study to determine the effectiveness of training middle class 3 and 4 year olds on two logico-mathematical structures: classification and seriation. Twenty-four children were divided into two main age groups (mean ages: 3 years 8 months; 4 years 5 months). Within…

This paper is a summary of the recent research on the Elementary School Economics (ESE) programs. The curricula were initiated by the Center in 1960 as a part of an experimental research project designed to answer the following: 1) can elementary school students comprehend, utilize, and retain basic economic concepts; and, 2) can a program in…

This document is an annotated listing of national and international curricular projects concerned with problem solving and concept formation at the early childhood level. It contains 50 citations. (WD)

In a discussion of human institutions and modes of conduct, a basic analytical shift from absolutism to relativism is noted. From this frame of reference the conceptual changes in mathematics, the sciences, and esthetics are reviewed. The paper also discusses the implications of this change for the psychology of human thinking and for children's…