Proposes that cognitive developmental stages can be accounted for in terms of information processing factors which limit the highest level of cognitive system which children can attain at any given age. Delineates four progressively more complex levels of cognitive mediation of the environment. Two experiments which support the developmental model…

The convergence of several lines of psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic research suggests possible explanations for age-related influences on language acquisition. These factors, which include cognitive development, sociocultural context, affective factors, and language input, can be helpful to language educators. By being alert to the cognitive…

DESCRIPTIONS OF PHYSICAL FACILITIES, A VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL INTERACTION ANALYSIS MEASURED ON A (1) TASK-ORIENTING, (2) MAINTAINING SOCIAL ORDER, AND (3) FACILITATING SCALE, TEACHER INTERVIEWS, AND OBSERVER VERBAL REPORTS ASSESS A SELECTED SAMPLE OF CLASSROOMS WITHIN THE 1965 CAMBRIDGE SUMMER HEAD START PROGRAM. PERFORMANCE OF HEAD START AND…

Assessing readiness among young children today implies undertaking a broad range of observations and activities in an atmosphere where children can feel comfortable and interested. Until recently, readiness meant readiness for reading. A mental age of six and a half was accepted as the prerequisite for beginning reading instruction. There has…

Readiness to learn occurs when a child has achieved cumulative learning of component subskills and the developmental maturity necessary to integrate these subskills into the desired skill. Readiness is relative, however, not only to the skill, but also to the technique of instruction. Thus, readiness for learning a particular skill by different…

Head Start preschoolers on a Papago reservation in Arizona were subjects of two studies of the effects of televised instruction and directed participation on teaching enumeration and conservation skills. Television instruction was most effective when used with active directed participation and corrective feedback. (Author/JEG)

Young children think and learn differently, yet early childhood education is now subject to new pressures. Many believe that early exposure to technology accelerates mental development and improves sensory and mental capacity. There is no factual support for this idea. Children who grow up with technology are not necessarily more proficient with…

Examines the theoretical basis of suggestions that children's brain size and intelligence grow in periodic spurts and plateaus and that schooling should be planned accordingly. A "mock debate" presents excerpts from researchers holding conflicting viewpoints on this issue. (TE)

Findings from two studies of fourth grade children learning the concept of mathematical equivalence are presented. The questions studied were: (1) Can knowledge conveyed in gesture but not in speech be tapped by a recognition technique; and (2) Does having implicit knowledge that is expressed in gesture but not in speech have implications for…

There is a growing awareness today of the critical impact of the preschool years on a child's later academic success. Some studies indicate that many children today are less well prepared for school than were children beginning school 5 years ago. This publication examines what is known about school readiness; discusses the reasons why some…

While many contemporary developmental theorists have avoided taking a stand on the controversial relationship between learning and development, this paper is based on the belief that the notion of "bandwidth of competence," or L. S. Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development," provides a useful framework for considering this…

This article discusses the assessment of language and cognitive development as reflected in preschool activities and describes the Preschool Language-Cognitive Assessment for Curriculum Entry (PLACE). Five task-skill areas associated with common preschool activities (building with blocks, completing puzzles, pounding pegs, etc) are identified. How…

Brain research has illuminated several areas of the learning process: (1) learning as association; (2) learning as reinforcement; (3) learning as perception; (4) learning as imitation; (5) learning as organization; (6) learning as individual style; and (7) learning as brain activity. The classic conditioning model developed by Pavlov advanced…

Within the multidisciplinary setting of the Brookline Early Education Project, the present investigation examined the relationship between observations of parents, pediatricians, psychologists and teachers. The study was designed to examine two questions: (1) Are systematically collected parent reports of their children's current development…