This volume provides an informed and accessible overview of the whole area of children's thinking. The book reviews children's thinking in detail by discussing the ways children remember and organize information in general; the acquisition of skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic; and the development of more complex reasoning as children grow to maturity. Following an introductory discussion on the nature and subject of cognition, the first section of the book presents descriptive studies of children's cognitive skills and knowledge, while the second examines individual differences in cognitive development. The book then examines three major models of cognitive development--Piaget, information-processing accounts, and neo-Vygotskian theories--and evaluates their different explanations of cognitive development and implications for education. Biological and social factors that may be involved in normal and suboptimal cognitive development are discussed in the fourth section of the book. Finally, the book provides a review of crucial issues involved in understanding cognitive development and of the new data and models that have emerged in the last few years. Contains over 1,800 references. (TJQ)