The influence of language and familiarity with clay upon performance of traditional tasks involving conservation of quantity and weight was examined. Children from a village in which all the women are potters did not perform differently from their peers in a neighboring village on any task. (MS)

Approximately 200 children, age 5-11, from three different regions in Southern England were interviewed about their understanding of social events: school, store, money, payment, the community and government, some specific jobs and acquisition of a role. (MS)

Provides clarification of the Piagetian theory of the development of conservation and reviews the state of knowledge regarding the theory. It is concluded that reasonable evidence exists suggesting that conservation by identity precedes and induces the emergence of conservation by inversion and compensation. (Author/DB)

Comments on Nicolopoulou's article in this issue on the idea that play is an inherently social and cultural cognitive childhood activity. Emphasizes the importance of cultural variation of play for research and education. (BB)