In this paper it is shown that one's conception of intelligence and its development profoundly affects the formulation of educational objectives. A mechanistic conception of intelligence leads to the definition of objectives as a collection of fragmented "cognitive skills" that have little to do with children's development of intelligence. A…

The appropriate age for starting school is discussed in relation to the ideas of Piaget, Hunt, and Moore. (SB)

Presents a rationale for teaching parenting to children, and through an analysis of Piaget's developmental stages, suggests that such instruction might appropriately begin at age seven when the child enters the concrete operations stage. Outlines implementation strategies, learning objectives, and sample instructional activities for a six-week…

One of the most controversial issues in foreign language (FL) teaching is the age at which language learning should start. Nowadays it is recognized that in second language contexts maturational constraints make an early start advisable, but there is still disagreement regarding the problem of when to start or the best way to learn in foreign…

Nine articles on the young adolescent consider the ability of middle schools to adapt to the needs of their students, the educational implications of preadolescent development, adolescent brain growth and cognitive ability, and the relevance of Piaget's psychology to the middle school. The authors' conclusions include the necessity to identify and…

The important role of spontaneous play in preschool education programs is emphasized. At present too much emphasis is placed on structured learning activities and it's suggested that more "open spaces" be allowed for in a child's day. In spontaneous play, adequate space and time must be allotted for investigation and unhurried experience. Good…

Investigated the effects of the reading and logical thinking abilities of average and below-average students in urban high schools on learning outcomes of using the Intermediate Sciences Curriculum Study (ISCS) level and materials. (HM)

Explains how the Suzuki Method introduces young Japanese children to learning situations in structured ways that develop their control of learning behavior earlier than is typical in the West. (HOD)

Researchers examined relationships among children's television viewing, school readiness, parental employment, and the home environment's educational quality. Thirty low-income parents completed surveys. Their preschoolers completed IQ and school readiness assessments. Television viewing adversely related to school readiness and the home…

This study examined the feasibility of teaching phonemic manipulation skills (auditory rhyming, blending, or segmenting) to preschool children with disabilities. Forty-seven children, 4-6 years old, enrolled in a special education preschool, were randomly assigned to receive training in one of three categories of phonemic manipulation tasks…

Perceptual-motor activities are being recognized as possible contributors to the general readiness of children for learning through the development of perceptual-motor abilities. The contribution of perceptual-motor activities to specific perceptual readiness skills is being reexamined. Readiness programs are generally designed to help children to…

The Pediatric Examination of Educational Readiness (PEER) was designed as an integrated health and neurodevelopmental instrument to be administered by pediatricians and nurses in the assessment of preschool children. It may be used to identify potential learning disabled children who need intervention. The neurodevelopmental part of the test…

Two studies explored the possibility of inducing conservation understanding in intellectually normal preschoolers and mildly mentally retarded children of comparable mental age. Retarded children, MA 3-10 to 5-0, received Verbal Rule instruction. Three- and 4-year-old children were given Verbal Rule training in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design…

Presented is an informal speech addressed to parents of exceptional children. Discussed is the fact that terminology for slow learners and learning disabilities has changed through the past 20 years and that many labels may be more harmful to the child than the actual disability. In an attempt to be reassuring, it is stated that in many cases…

The problem of how to provide at least one year of preschool education for all Slovene children led to the development of the Slovene "Little School." Positive results, using a School Beginners Test with 118 "Little School" children proved that even short preschool programs were beneficial. (JH)