The effectiveness of the verbal plan and review training (VPRT) program in enhancing the reflectivity of 115 economically disadvantaged preschoolers who qualified for a Head Start program but were enrolled at the University of Southern California School for Early Childhood Education was evaluated. Adapted from the curriculum model of Weikart,…

Because teachers are asking for specific suggestions to help students apply comprehension skills and read content material, a mechanism that assists students in acquiring and applying specific comprehension skills as they read content texts is being investigated. The mechanism is called marginal gloss because learning activities are placed in the…

The purpose of this research was to study the decisions which experienced teachers would make in planning a new unit of curriculum and instruction. The study focused on unit planning in the context of the total scheme of teacher planning, i.e., yearly, term or semester planning, unit planning, weekly planning, and daily lesson planning.…

The role of writing in the mathematics classroom is considered. Writing as a cognitive process and its relationship to problem solving is first examined. Then several long- and short-term techniques for promoting cognitive learning using writing in the mathematics classroom are considered. The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program is…

This paper integrates several contemporary issues, all of which focus on the teaching of human developmental theories. These issues include postmodern thought, higher level thinking processes, introducting conceptual conflict and arousal, motivation, and integrating the writing process into the psychology curriculum. Each issue is briefly…

This teacher's handbook on intrapersonal communication provides a selection of exercises for classroom use to help students get in touch with their own mental processing. The exercises are presented with introductory comments, a statement of goals, instructions, materials, and analysis. A brief description of what the exercise demonstrates,…

The purpose of this guide is to implement the teaching of "Critical Viewing: Stimulant to Critical Thinking," a guide for students. Part one of the guide is an overview of the organization, methodologies, and evaluation procedures used in "Critical Viewing." Suggestions and activities for teaching the six chapters in "Critical Viewing" are given…

Arguing that teachers need to provide direct instruction if they expect children to learn to apply semantic or syntactic clues as they are reading, this paper presents a variety of activities for teaching children to use context clues. Among the more than 35 activities described are: gathering clues from pictures, using a language experience…

As an aid to increasing teacher effectiveness, this paper outlines findings derived from the field of cognitive psychology on the way in which memory operates, provides examples, and suggests a variety of ways the information can be applied in teaching. Among the findings cited are the following: (1) some types of information can be encoded (i.e.,…

This paper deals with the primary processes of cognition in fifth- and sixth-grade children; i.e., how children this age interpret what they see and hear, how they remember it, and how they reason and solve problems. Designed to provide background information for the staff of the Skills Essential to Learning Television Project (a multi-level…

Use of low-stress algorithms to reduce the cognitive load on students is advocated. The low-stress algorithm for addition developed by Hutchings is detailed first. Then a variation on the usual algorithm is proposed: adding from left to right, writing the partial sum for each stage. Next, a "quick addition" method for adding fractions proposed by…

Three research questions were posed for a study: (1) Are there differences among the Piagetian scores of students in the various teaching majors? (2) Do students at various cognitive levels differ in academic achievement? and (3) Do students in different teaching majors differ in achievement? The population included 670 education students enrolled…

Summarized in this paper are the literature on cognitive imagery and teaching methodologies and an approach to the teaching of theories of personality that emphasize cognitive imagery as a strategy for enhancing learning in college students. The work of Kosslyn represents a major approach to the study of imagery in cognitive psychology. Central to…

Reports the results of a study of the relationship between cognitive style and achievement in a modern elementary science program. (JR)

Presents a visual method for displaying the interrelationships between Piaget's work related to children's intellectual development and curriculum development based on an analysis of the processes of scientific inquiry. (PB)