A developmental investigation of the ability to control variables was conducted. One or two logically similar physics problems were individually administered to 120 subjects age 12 to 14. The problems involved either familiar or unfamiliar variables. Each problem was presented in three different informational formats. Success on the problems in…

As part of an ongoing study of sex differences in spatial ability, three preliminary hypotheses on parental socialization, sex role socialization, and biological explanations were tested, using 139 high school seniors as subjects. The early findings indicated that there was no support for the hypothesis that boys and girls differ in how they view…

TEACHERS INCREASE THEIR STUDENTS' DISCOURAGEMENT AND CONFUSION BY IGNORING THEIR PERSONAL GROWTH AND BY NOT RELATING SCHOOL SITUATIONS TO LIFE PROBLEMS. FOR SLOW LEARNERS, THIS MAY LEAD TO FAILURE, FRUSTRATION, AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS. IF THE TEACHER IS TO HELP SLOW LEARNERS, HE MUST BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEM, KNOW WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM EDUCATION,…

What kinds of learning should be provided for a four- or five-year-old child who is beginning a school experience? First, he should have extended opportunity to explore the physical world. He should be helped to become increasingly sensitive to the world in which he lives. We want to provide full opportunity for doing and making. We want to…

Much attention has been given to the imbalance between thinking and feelings in the educative process. Human teaching calls for merging the cognitive and affective processes into one confluent learning experience. Language learning is viewed primarily as a means for affective reflective communication. Personal growth merges with language…

Discusses early experiences of children with literature, and the development of and growth in their response to literature. Argues for a response-centered, rather than criticism-centered, curriculum. (SRT)

Reprints an April 17, 1989 NEWSWEEK cover story, "How Kids Learn," which maintains that young children learn best in developmentally appropriate programs that promote cognitive, social, and language development; physical activities; feelings of competence and self-esteem; individual rates of growth; parent involvement; and teacher…

Peer helping provides critical opportunities for practice and reflection as a means of supporting psychosocial development. School counselor skill and knowledge play an important role in the process of peer program development and success. Provides steps for developing a successful program and a sample developmental training model. (JBJ)

Reports on a study of Russian parental attitudes regarding appropriate age of initial school attendance and decisions regarding secondary education. Finds that 80% of parents of young children support kindergarten education. Includes 14 tables of data from the study. (CFR)

Examined the role of biological factors, such as perinatal complications, and psychological factors, such as maternal attitudes, in predicting developmental outcomes in preterm children. Findings support the main effects model of biological and environmental factors in explaining developmental psychopathology, but also the interactional model, as…

If, as research suggests, exposing children to two languages and two cultures provides a cognitive advantage, it could be assumed that a child exposed to two languages may be accelerated in a more advanced cognitive stage (as defined by Piaget) than a child exposed to only one language. This study sought to determine when Hispanic children from…

For use in any classroom or group setting for young children, this arts curriculum guide provides a total of 112 learning activities equally distributed across the areas of creative movement, drama, music, and visual arts. The activities are correlated with the Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP), a developmental assessment instrument. Because…

This discussion of the uniqueness of the middle school focuses on the characteristics of the early adolescent student. It is pointed out that the special needs of these students are infrequently met by the traditional junior high school. Middle schools should be characterized by six unique elements: (1) specific individual counseling; (2) a…

A paradigm for learning economic concepts based on cognitive development and learning theory is offered as a guideline for teaching and research. Discussion is divided into two sections. The first section establishes the model's theoretical framework, which is based on two propositions. The first of these is that economic knowledge is not a fixed…

To assist local school districts by making available curriculum materials that can be incorporated into the regular instructional program, a set of career awareness curriculum kits were developed by elementary and junior high school teachers in Oregon for grades K-8. The curriculum was based upon five program goals which were mastered by a set of…