Stresses the importance of learner involvement, and adult patience and understanding, for a child's success in learning and consequently in living. (EB)

Presents a series of activities intended to enable teachers to determine if children are ready to be introduced to the concept of speed. Reviews Piaget's theories and the empirical evidence on which the sequence is based. (Author/CP)

Outlines various misconceptions about problem-solving (PS) and several strategies to improve intellectual skills and strategies. Also describes the Covington Productive Thinking Program (designed to help develop PS skills) and several lesson problem sets from this series of 15 books. (JN)

Demonstrations are presented in which children can be introduced to evidence of specific concepts enabling them to participate in such a way that any conceptual conflicts that might arise in this learning situation can be gradually reduced. (EB)

Presents an environmental recreation program set up to initiate and improve upon the levels of personal and social functioning of the handicapped child. Programs are based in community centers or parks, in a neighborhood play area or near a woods. It is considered a nonthreatening approach. (EB)

A cognitive gap between students' development and school curriculum may be one of the reasons why chemistry is difficult for high school students. This study examined cognitive development in the effect of modified instructional methods for students at the concrete stage of development. The Arlin Test of Formal Reasoning (ATFR) was used for…

Discusses a study that examined which reasoning patterns are necessary for success in high school chemistry. Based on student (N=170) scores from the "Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning," it was revealed that students who use formal reasoning patterns are capable of greater achievement in chemistry. (ML)

Reports on misconceptions held by intermediate grade students concerning chemistry textbook concepts, on the relation of reasoning ability to those misconceptions, and on the extent that textbooks encourage misconceptions. Concludes that the level of understanding displayed for the selected concepts, in combination with the nature of students'…

Summarizes a study of instruments developed for use in assessing aspects of science curriculum and instruction. (PB)

Argues that, even for young children, analogies offer conceptual models for supporting the development of understanding. Compared children's understanding of current electricity after instruction with and without the inclusion of analogies. Children receiving the analogies exhibited a broader understanding, especially concerning the process of…

In an integrated four-course sequence, Colorado School of Mines engineering and science students work on open-ended, real-world problems prepared by government agencies and private companies that interact as clients with student teams. The program fosters intellectual development, teamwork, and communication skills. (Author/MSE)

Outlines the constructivist model of knowledge and describes how this model relates to Piaget's theory of intellectual development. Contrasts the constructivist model with the traditional views of knowledge. Discusses how this model can help explain some of the things that happen in chemistry classrooms. (TW)