Examined the development of sex typing among 558 children aged 5-12 years. Several measures gathered information on sex typing, children's cognitive maturity, and children's exposure to sex-typed models at home. Found that children's knowledge of stereotypes, flexibility, and sex-typed personal preferences increased with age. Concludes that…

Compared the collaborative patterns of seven- and five-year-old expert planners working with five-year-old novice planners on tasks requiring reverse sequencing strategies. Results suggest that cognitive gains are achieved when children collaborate with peers more expert than themselves in problem-solving activities. (MM)

Presents nine properties of a mathematics lesson to help preservice and inservice mathematics teachers become proficient lesson planners. Illustrates how these properties can fit into a cognitive developmental framework to improve lesson planning. (21 references) (MDH)

Reviews three books: (1) "Contemporary Issues in the Early Years: Working Collaboratively for Children" (Gillian Pugh, editor); (2) "Social Interaction and the Development of Language and Cognition," (Alison F. Garton); and (3) "Child and Nature," (World Organization for Early Childhood Education). (AC)

Most research on American and British preschool programs demonstrates that early learning experiences have an immediate positive impact on children's cognitive and social development. Because of this, there is a strong case for investment in high quality early learning on economic as well as social grounds. (MDM)

Reports on study of 80 elementary students in grades 3-6 to determine whether tempo perception and performance abilities increased with grade level and musical training. Finds that student performance and perceptions did increase with grade level and training. Concludes that modern technology has made research into tempo perception more precise…

Adding plastic gutters to the nursery school's sand area began as a science curriculum enhancement and evolved into a whole curriculum that stimulated cognitive exploration, cooperative dramatic play, language enhancement, and general fun. The children manipulated the gutters and materials such as sand, water, buckets, and tennis balls in a…

Provides brief overviews of the four articles in this issue. Articles concern (1) social influences on kindergartners' journal writing; (2) stress behaviors of kindergartners while taking standardized tests; (3) preschool teachers' attitudes about cognitive development, educational objectives, and curriculum practices; and (4) preschool teachers'…

Presents research findings related to students' intuitive ideas about the concepts of chance to inform teachers how students form their concepts of probability and statistics. Discusses adolescents' conceptions of uncertainty, judgmental heuristics in making estimates of event likelihood, the conjunction fallacy, the outcome approach, attempts to…

Two studies examined children's understanding of the origins, behaviors, and properties of objects. Children (1) were sensitive to the distinction between natural things and artifacts; (2) identified specific kinds of natural cause; and (3) understood the link between internal parts and self-generated activity. (BC)

Study examined mother-child interaction characteristics in relation to the scholastic achievement of elementary students. Researchers videotaped mother-child interactions as they worked together on a project. Factor analysis of interaction variables indicated maternal verbal guidance was a significant predictor of scholastic achievement,…

Explores the field of adolescent development as a rationale for the use of reader-response pedagogy in the secondary literature classroom. Discusses reader-response theory and pedagogy, adolescent cognitive and affective development in the secondary schools, and the implementation of a reader-response secondary English curriculum. (PRA)

Assessed was the level of thinking of 140 students who had been placed in developmental algebra as entering college freshmen. Scores on the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking, Scholastic Aptitude Tests, college placement tests; high school grade point average, and developmental algebra final grade were analyzed. Group characteristics are…

In two parallel one-year studies, solution strategies for subtraction number facts and achievement patterns of matched groups of first graders in two different instructional programs were examined. Significant differences between groups were found favoring the strategy approach. (Author/CW)

Investigated was the learning of the mathematical uses of "more,""fewer," and "less" at a very early stage in the development of ideas. (CW)