Children in grades two and five explained such weather phenomena as wind, clouds, thunder, lightning, rain, snow, and rainbows during interviews. Results indicate that most students in both grades were at a stage of nonreligious finalism and do not use true causality in explanations. Implications for teaching are discussed. (DH)

This article reports a longitudinal study of factors associated with reading ability in a large sample of children aged seven and then at age nine. It was found that the correlation between reading at age seven and reading at age nine was 0.87. The implications of the results are discussed. (Author/CT)

Explores the relations among combinatorial capacities in language, symbolic play, blockbuilding, and nonsemantic action sequences within a sample of 18- to 24-month-old children, as well as assessing the developmental level of a selected subset of concepts. (HOD)

Tests the ability of 43 children, ranging in age from 20 months to 40 months, to discriminate between pictures of boys and girls and male and female adults. Compares children who passed this gender-task with those who failed it on three behaviors most often categorized as sex-typed: toy choice, aggression, and peer playmate selection. (HOD)

Describes two studies in which young children were shown pictures that represented sound with postures and contexts, with conventions, and with combinations of information. Shows that the different types of pictorial representation of sound were not equivalent in their ability to evoke a correct interpretation. (HOD)

Reviews recent studies of change in gender-stereotyped behavior or attitudes in children. Suggests factors in susceptibility to counterstereotyping attempts including: (1) developmental level, (2) relationship between sex role cognitions and behavior, (3) degree of consistency in gender-stereotyped behavior, and (4) the role of individual…

In Western societies, the study of emotional development has been retarded by the view that it is less important than cognitive development, but a review of relevant literature indicates emotional well-being may be as important as cognitive growth in determining life outcomes. Cognitive skills, physical health, and emotional well-being are all…

Studies abacus calculation to explore the development of skills and the resulting consequences. Consideration of the effects of abacus training, transfer of the skill to other tasks, and the contexts in which abacus skill develops demonstrates the multiple ways in which specific skills can contribute to cognitive development. (ETS)

Observed play of 52 toddlers with a set of socially stereotyped masculine, feminine, and neutral toys in a day care setting over 14 months to (1) determine the age at which toddlers consistently exhibit sex-stereotyped toy choices in a natural setting and (2) investigate relation of parents' expectations and the children's own knowledge of gender…

Identifies the principle types of cognitive and affective influences which contribute to the development of an individual's conceptual framework. Explains how external influences affect a child's interpretation of the environment. Urges that multidimensional experiences be offered to children and that students' perceptual levels, personal…

As a means of implementing program activities, the Maryland State Department of Education has made assumptions regarding the development of students' thinking abilities. These assumptions and Maryland's plan of implementation are presented and discussed. (CT)

Describes three themes that have informed research on cognitive development in sub-Sahara Africa over the past 10 years: (1) extending the range of generalizability of Western theories; (2) interpreting the uniqueness of the African situation; and (3) deriving implications for social policy. (Author/AS)

Discusses the development of visual thinking in students. Also presents a strategy that incorporates visualization exercises within the framework of traditional mathematics. The technique appears successful for students studying geometry, fractions, and problem solving. Visualization abilities increase understanding and therefore give students…

Examines the cognitive processes associated with speech and writing. (HOD)

Investigated the role of television as a medium for communicating environmental information to the general public by determining the influence of a Cousteau documentary on viewer knowledge and attitudes and to assess changes in those characteristics over time. Survey form used is included in an appendix. (ML)