Discusses area models that can be used in grades three through nine, showing how the model generalizes from discrete situations involving the arithmetic of whole numbers to continuous situations involving decimals, fractions, percents, probability, algebra, and more advanced mathematics. (14 references) (MDH)

More than 1,600 middle school students, including an experimental group exposed to the Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS), were administered the Modified Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale. Results indicate that the students utilizing the traditional science curriculum possessed a significantly better understanding of the testable nature…

Examined over 200 perinatal variables relating to mothers and to children's neurological, cognitive, and motor functions at 15 months and 4 and 7 years. Factor analysis identified latent variables that characterized covariations among perinatal variables. There were many correlations to children's outcomes, particularly for variables relating to…

Reviews and critiques past research that investigated the effects of various types of day-care provisions on the development of preschool children. Argues that, in view of the diversity of provisions offered in different countries, simple global generalizations about the effects of out-of-home preschool experiences on later development cannot be…

Compared the performance of two groups of subjects on psychoeducational tests taken during adolescence and early adulthood. Adolescents who had received a protein supplement when they were infants scored higher on tests of knowledge, numeracy, reading, and vocabulary and showed faster reaction times in information-processing tasks than adolescents…

TORUS, a prototype technology-based educational diagnostic program, is described. The usefulness of TORUS to identify and remediate the mathematics misconceptions of students with learning disabilities is reported. Results suggest the need for greater emphasis on conceptual understanding in mathematics instruction. (Author/DB)

Drawing from experiences in teaching kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia to conduct "sharing time" or "show and tell" sessions, discusses the activity's affective and cognitive value, indicating that teacher and peer feedback promotes language development and the growth of curiosity and inquisitiveness. Makes practical…

Examines the impact of Jean Piaget's cognitive-developmental theories on educators' views of child socialization, which argued that moral development occurred late in childhood. Notes that recent research indicates that moral and emotional development occur much earlier and that teachers and parents can have a significant influence on young…

Three learning activities--story generation, reasoning from historical information, and computer modeling--that are designed to help students move toward a more coherent understanding of biological mechanisms are described. A method used to measure a student's level of understanding and their progress during instruction is also described. Ways to…

Using National Longitudinal Study of Youth and school enrollment data, this study examines effects of early childbearing and mothers' school progress on cognitive test scores of young children (626 Whites, 376 African Americans, and 240 Hispanic Americans). Cognitive achievement of mothers was a good predictor of children's cognitive achievement.…

Studied the impact of life experience on women's cognitive and ethical development. Considered the structure and historical and social factors of such development, and the importance of higher education in attaining high positions on W.G. Perry's developmental scale. Factors found to affect women's positions on the scale were attitudes toward…

Presented is a review of the research on the benefits of using writing to evaluate students' understanding of mathematics. Results indicate that student writing provides a rich resource for assessing student understanding, can have a direct influence in teachers' instructional practices, and can positively influence student-teacher interaction…

Presents computer approach formulated within a framework of versatile thinking designed to overcome obstacles to understanding algebra. Results from related studies comparing the computer and traditional approaches taught to 11, 12, and 13 year olds showed that the computer approach significantly improved the understanding of higher order concepts…

This study compared the effectiveness of teaching multidigit addition of whole numbers without regrouping prior to teaching it with regrouping to teaching multidigit addition with and without regrouping simultaneously. Pretest/posttest-delayed posttest results of second grade students (n=151) from seven randomly assigned classrooms indicated no…

Reviews the following books: "Child Care in Context" (Lamb et al., Eds.); "Making Friends in School: Promoting Relationships in Early Childhood" (Ramsay); "The Epigenesis of Mind: Essays on Biology and Cognition" (Carey and Gelman, Eds.); "Moral Maturity: Measuring the Development of Sociomoral Reflection"…