The strong relationship between knowledge of vocabulary and reading achievement leads to the conclusion that knowing the meaning of words in a passage enables the reader to answer questions about the passage. The goal of vocabulary instruction is the acquisition of the concepts represented by words as well as the ability to recognize and analyze…

Two influential theories of intellectual development are reviewed and analyzed: the psychometric framework, based on the factorial composition of intelligence, and the Piagetian model, based on assimilation and accomodation through four stages of intellectual development. A third concept is the componential theory of intelligence, based on…

Issues pertaining to thinking skills are discussed in an attempt to clarify what thinking skills are and their components, how they function and how they can be developed in the teaching-learning environment. Chapter 1 reviews the definitions of thinking skills. These definitions are selected from the current literature on education and…

Noting that linguistic, social, emotional, and cognitive development are complementary processes that ultimately work together to shape a child's literacy growth, this article discusses the relationship between children's development and their social interaction with knowledgeable others on the selection of children's literature for the promotion…

This special issue focuses on infant and toddler child care. The title article, by J. Ronald Lally and others, examines the sources of problems in the management and planning of quality child care. It also explores six key components of early group experience: group size, quality of the physical environment, primary caregiving assignments,…

In educating children with disabilities, training for independence should begin early, and the "technology" may be very simple. This paper lists activities designed to increase gross, fine motor, cognitive, and eye-hand coordination skills needed for independent living. It encourages caregivers to engage young children in active learning…

This document examines the use of measurement tools to evaluate children's psychological development. The first part of the document discusses the identification and quantification of developmental landmarks and the reasons for evaluation. The second part reviews several evaluation instruments. The Ruth Griffiths mental development scales are used…

Papers from the meeting "Prevention Research: Deterring Drug Abuse Among Children and Adolescents" which focused on social skills and social inoculation approaches and also included a contrasting cognitive-developmental approach are presented in this document. These papers are included: (1) "Overview of Drug Abuse Prevention Research," (Catherine…

Student development along three cognitive and three psychosocial dimensions was studied at the University of Iowa. Six instruments were administered to students during their freshman and senior years. Attention was directed to moral development, ego development, and conceptual level, as well as freeing interpersonal relationships, establishing…

This special issue is devoted to the cultural-historical school of thought about mental development based on the work of Lev Vygotsky. The research of Vygotsky addressed the sociocultural basis of higher-level cognitive functions, and ascribed an influential role to human speech and other mediational tools in originating changes in cognition and…

Twelve papers describe recent developments at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) on the campus of Gallaudet College. Topics covered include the following: MSSD'S role as a change model; an Instrumental Enrichment project designed to increase adolescents' thinking skills; an approach integrating reading, English grammar, and composition…

This newsletter issue presents five articles addressing intervention with infants and toddlers having pervasive developmental disabilities. The first article is by Stanley I. Greenspan and is titled "Reconsidering the Diagnosis and Treatment of Very Young Children with Autistic Spectrum or Pervasive Developmental Disorder." This article…

This special issue of the Mensa Research Journal contains four papers written by K. Warner Schaie, a psychologist who focuses on psychological development from young adulthood through old age. The first paper is "Living with Gerontology." In it, Schaie recounts his own childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, his path to becoming a…

Research on the learning disabilities of adolescents and young adults and the findings on metacognitive development and its impact on academic learning provide a framework for the design and development of a secondary school curriculum foundation program for college bound learning disabled students. The major practical implications of the research…

This document consists of the two issues of the journal "Visual Arts in Research" published in 1994. This journal focuses on the theory and practice of visual arts education from educational, historical, philosophical, and psychological perspectives. Number 1 of this volume includes the following contributions: (1) "Zooming in on the Qualitative…