Logical reasoning is very important in the child's development, increasing their performance in learning as a whole, improving their concentration and decision-making when solving problems. The introduction of this tool and stimulus from the first years of education is necessary for children to grow up with a broad and more critical view, being…

Mathematical discussions in which students compare alternative solutions to a problem can be powerful modes for students to engage and refine their misconceptions into conceptual understanding, as well as to develop understanding of the mathematics underlying common algorithms. At the same time, these discussions are challenging to lead…

Mathematical discussions in which students compare alternative solutions to a problem can be powerful modes for students to engage and refine their misconceptions into conceptual understanding, as well as to develop understanding of the mathematics underlying common algorithms. At the same time, these discussions are challenging to lead…

Cognitive development is the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving and decision making, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Play contributes to cognitive development in a number of ways. It helps children to develop imaginary and memory which is essential for thinking about past, present and future.…

As young children enter formal schooling, they are at various points along their individual developmental paths toward literacy. Generally, their egocentric speech is becoming more social and they are building their capacity for logical thought and concrete problem-solving. This is a gradual development and teachers can support children's literacy…

Dual-process theories have been proposed to explain normative and heuristic responses to reasoning and decision-making problems. Standard unitary and dual-process theories predict that normative responses should increase with age. However, research has focused recently on exceptions to this standard pattern, including developmental increases in…

Solving formal analogy problems requires the identification of an initial term and the transformation that occurs between the initial two terms as well as the determination of the final term. Experiment 1 tested 24-month-olds' ability to determine final terms when they were shown the initial term and told the transformation that was to occur.…

A form of autosuggestibility in which children's answers to memory tests were shifted in the direction of their illogical solutions to reasoning problems was studied in 5 experiments with 396 primary-grade students. A model of how gist intrusion causes autosuggestibility is developed. (SLD)

To investigate the development of function concepts and their relation to mathematical and logical abilities typically acquired during the age period of five to seven years, children were tested on nonnumerical function tasks, numerical tasks, and aspects of logical reasoning. (PCB)

Two experiments explored whether children's correct answers to counter factual and future hypothetical questions were based on an understanding of possibilities. Children played a game in which a toy mouse could run down either 1 of 2 slides. Children found it difficult to mark physically both possible outcomes, compared to reporting a single…

Describes five studies in which the learning and transfer abilities of two- and four-year-old children were examined on a task that required them to combine two separately learned solutions to reach a goal. (HOD)

A SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS WAS DESIGNED TO STUDY THE VALUE OF TEACHING CHILDREN SUCH A COMPLEX PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY AS TO USE KNOWLEDGE OF RESULTS AFTER A PERFORMANCE TRIAL TO REJECT MORE THAN ONE HYPOTHESIS AT A TIME (MULTIPLE HYPOTHESIS STRATEGY). APPROXIMATELY 150 THIRD-GRADE CHILDREN WERE DIVIDED INTO 3 GROUPS--THOSE TAUGHT THE MULTIPLE…

Studies in the role of play in child development are classified in terms of their major correlates or dependent variables: (1) creativity, (2) problem solving, (3) language development, (4) logical skills, and (5) social knowledge. Study designs are critically examined, and internal and external validity problems are noted. (Author/PN)

The developmental increase in the ability to solve problems is a puzzle. Does it come from basic changes in mental skills, or is it a matter of practice? This book from the Developing Child series synthesizes recent research examining children's problem-solving skills development. Chapter 1 presents the major themes: (1) there is increasing…