Discusses implications for emergent literacy of a study of children two to three years old that examined how age and differing mnemonic cues are related to problem-solving strategies. The study found a transitional stage between older children's symbolic problem solving and younger children's reliance on trial and error. Suggests ways to…

Reviews approaches to machine learning (development of techniques to automate acquisition of new information, skills, and ways of organizing existing information) in symbolic domains. Four categorical tasks addressed in machine learning literature are examined: learning from examples, learning search heuristics, learning by observation, and…

A review of research on children's symbolic play discusses ways for teachers to (1) defend the inclusion of play in the curriculum; (2) understand and respect differences in the ways children play; and (3) facilitate play in the classroom. Discusses the complexity of play and the controversy about play as part of the curriculum. (GLR)