The world presented to our senses is essentially continuous in space and time. The simplest observations of children have shown that we are not born with ways of "breaking up" the world. The structures of our knowledge must be developed, and the major issue this paper considers is how those structures develop. The discussion focuses on Jean…

Discusses how to help children acquire mathematical concepts and teach for precise mathematical concepts. Describes four activities to reinforce the concepts introduced. (YP)

While other developmental theories, on a smaller scale, share center stage with Piagetian theory, Jean Piaget will likely be remembered as one of the world's leading psychologists of the twentieth century. This book, with a first version published nearly 20 years ago, attempts to make Piaget's concepts more "user friendly" for those…

Describes an activity in which young children explore the concepts of light by predicting the shape of shadows. Different configurations of light sources are used and objects are held in different positions. Sample questions to be asked of the children before, during, and after the activities are included. (TW)

Advocated is the use of everyday games and situations instead of the traditional use of textbooks, workbooks, and worksheets. New goals and principles for the beginning arithmetic student are presented. Modifications of activities that promote the constructivist ideal are included. (KR)

Discusses the design of introductory physics course for elementary education majors and nonscience majors. Describes the learning cycle used for constructing hands-on activities. Provides an example of a week's activity on energy. Presents an evaluation of the course based on examinations and the teacher's impressions. (YP)

The reasoning abilities to be expected of the concrete operational and formal operational student, the percentage of secondary science students that are capable of each type of reasoning pattern, and effective strategies to teach science to concrete reasoners are described. Implications for curriculum development are discussed. (KR)

Reports on a study which investigated the order of acquisition of intuitive notions of qualitative speed. Results indicated that an array of prerequisites, equivalent, and independent relationships existed among the tasks administered. Confirmed the evolution of reasoning for notions of qualitative speed found by Piaget. (Author/TW)

Argues that, though considerable difference of view is evident between Montessori and Piaget about the importance of certain concepts and level of cognitive development necessary for genuine understanding, the ideas and methods first presented by Montessori 80 years ago stand up well when evaluated through the lens of current research. (PK)

Twenty-four children (ages 6-9) with mild mental retardation received individualized instruction with either emphasis on Piagetian concepts or emphasis on verbal and number concepts. Although both groups made significant gains over a year, the children receiving the Piagetian emphasis usually gained more and progressed at almost the rate of…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an electronic geoboard, a computer-software program, could be used to assess youngsters' ability to discover facts and relationships in an unlabled and ambiguous situation. Subjects--108 children, ages 6 to 12--were enrolled in grades 1 to 6 in Norwood, New York. The electronic geoboard served as…

Proposes that teachers should examine the elements of mathematical understandings that precede conservation and one-to-one correspondence and tailor classroom instruction to benefit both conserving and nonconserving students. (PK)

Contends that emergent developmental sequences are energized in a continuous interaction with environmental influences. Asserts that a developmentally and individually appropriate curriculum is sequential and matched to the naturally emerging developmental sequences of the child. Proposes four research emphases for the 1990s. (CFR)

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate the developmental patterns in logical reasoning of students in grades 6-10 over a span of 20 months. The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) was administered to the sample (N=84) during the fall of 1986, the fall of 1987, and the spring of 1988. The GALT measures six reasoning modes:…

Discusses a study of students' conceptualizations and misconceptions of how objects sink and float. Results showed little difference in the levels of understanding of the "sink and float" concepts by groups ranging from primary age to college. As age increased, terminology used by students varied, and misuse of terms increased. (TW)