Current theorizing in the field of cognitive science embraces the concept that cognitive activity is not centered in the brain alone but is dependent on embodiment and the environment in which it is functioning. A key component of that environment is the presence of others. This article examines the social nature of cognitive activity from a 4E…

We share ideas for preparing for and enacting high-cognitive demand tasks in ways that support students in articulating and justifying their ideas. We offer strategies for developing and posing several types of purposeful questions: (1) eliciting thinking, (2) generating ideas, (3) clarifying explanations, and (4) justifying claims.

Piaget's theories of the structure of knowledge, constructivist learning, and stages of development in thinking have been a cornerstone of cognitive psychology and teacher education for half a century (Piaget, 1983). More recently, his ideas about stages of cognitive development have received criticism from many quarters (Weiten, 1992), including…

Moral and conventional violations are usually judged differently: Only moral violations are treated as independent of social rules. To investigate the cognitive processing involved in the development of this distinction, undergraduates (N = 34), adolescents (N = 34), and children (N = 14) read scenarios presented on a computer that had 1 of 3…

The article mentions six basic statements about sequential and simultaneous processes which are derived from A. Luria's clinical research. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children is then judged in terms of these statements. Suggestions for constructing tests which will entail planning as well as simultaneous and successive measures are…

Discusses the problem of illiteracy and offers the philosophy for children program as an antidote. This program encourages and assists children in paying attention to their own and others' ideas. It is a thinking skills program that has demonstrated its ability to improve children's basic skills. (JOW)

Thinking strategies (sequences of steps undertaken to produce a thought product) should be an important goal in gifted education. Suggestions are made for creating a curriculum to promote thinking development. (CL)

The article discusses ways that cognitive behavioral training (CBT) methods might facilitate acquisitions of basic skills in mildly handicapped students. Elements of the CBT approach are described and studies are reviewed regarding effective teaching, time, and technology. (CL)

The paper reviews research on severe and profound hearing loss and notes implications for hearing impaired students of instrumental enrichment (IE), a cognitive learning approach featuring metacognition. The development of IE by R. Feuerstein is traced to initial work with disadvantaged groups who emigrated to Israel. Noted are such…

Educators must provide conditions which encourage the practice and demonstration of intelligent behaviors. Twelve characteristics of intelligent behavior are discussed, such as persistence, decreasing impulsivity, listening to others, metacognition, questioning and problem posing, etc. A summary of the school conditions in which intelligent…

The introductory article to the special issue on facilitating cognitive development considers individual and social roles in cognitive development, the role of the human mediator, development as an increasingly self regulated process, and types of programs which provide instruction in cognitive strategies. (DB)

The cognitive approach to education is briefly summarized, and its implications for learning disabilities considered. The approach, which includes the genetic epistemology espoused by J. Piaget and information processing theory, proposes the importance of active involvement and control processes. (CL)

To investigate developmental differences in time-sharing performance, 60 boys, 20 in each of three age groups (7-, 10-, and 13-year-olds) performed an auditory matching task and a tracking task alone and concurrently, the latter under two sets of instructions. (Author/JH)

The adaptation of Guilford's Structure of Intellect (SOI) model by M. Meeker to a kindergarten through twelfth-grade gifted curriculum is discussed. The key to the SOI model curriculum is diagnosis and prescription. The theory that 120 various cognitive skills can be differentiated and remediated underlies the curriculum. There are five workbooks…

The article discusses a framework of reading disability based on comprehensive theories of cognition and reading. Reading problems are considered in terms of the Information Integration theory of cognition. Goals for developing remedial instruction based on the theory are also discussed. (Author/DB)