Cognitive Flexibility (availability in the individual's repertoire of various strategies and ability to select those most effective to the required task) is suggested as an important individual-difference variable. Some methodological problems in the assessment of cognitive flexibility as related to human memory are discussed. (Editor/SJL)

An adult learner of Spanish presents a diary outlining the process of learning Spanish during her five-week program in South America. (AM)

First graders were taught to read words either in printed sentence contexts or printed singly on flash cards. Post-test scores indicated that context-trained children learned more about the semantic identities of printed words, while flash card-trained children could read the words faster and learned more about orthographic forms. (JMB)

The results of experiments conducted with college-age subjects point to analogy and generalization as the most likely mechanisms for transferring spelling/sound correspondences in the absence of knowledge of the existence of the correspondences. (GT)

Two successive recall tasks and eight ability measures were presented to women of five age groups to investigate the changing relation between performance and ability measures at various stages of the learning process during adulthood. (MS)

Cites study which shows that children use three clearly defined spelling strategies regardless of the type of instruction and that children approach high frequency and low frequency words differently. Subjects were 46 first-graders, 57 second-graders, 51 third-graders, and 43 fourth-graders enrolled in various Michigan schools. (BF/JH)

Defining students' different styles of learning and their study patterns enables a teacher to guide them into using their own methods effectively; this is particularly important in teaching inner-city students. (JD)

Asserts that the emphasis on explaining individual differences in political orientations among preadults accounts for "the disappointing contribution of political socialization research to political understanding." Argues that "possessing an explicit model of democratic citizenship would provide greater political meaning to empirical data."…

Why teach philosophy in secondary schools? The answer lies in the skills and attitudes that are needed and learned in philosophy--logic, critical analysis, and persistent inquiry--fundamental tools for all learning. (Author/RK)

Presented is a theoretical, hierarchical model of abstraction designed to provide a systematic theoretical framework for future research into abstract learning. A test of the model with 149 subjects supported the assumption that the hierarchical model of abstraction is valid. (SL)

Examines the relative effectiveness of either partial or total success training as a preventive agent against the debilitating effect of noncontingent reinforcement. (Author/RK)

Article suggests certain tasks must be performed before a pupil can learn to read. What these tasks are depends upon whether teaching method is analytic--introducing words as whole units to be broken down--or synthetic--introducing individual written signs as sounds, to be built up into meaningful units. (RW)

Discusses the implementation of the "T & E" legislation (Thorough and Efficient) in New Jersey that would provide a minimum level of educational opportunity for every student. (RK)

Kindergarten subjects (N=24) were given practice producing a geometric production when given the three dimensional object. Using a two-way analysis of variance, the main effect of motor activity (drawing the projections) was significant. It was concluded that children's learning activities should be motor based, rather than verbal. (Author)

Andragogy is discussed as a relevant participatory adult education technique. The applicability of andragogy as a preretirement education process is explained and the task-oriented training model of preretirement education is discussed. Aging adults are competent, capable learners, and the andragogical process is one very effective way of assuring…