Comments on Nicolopoulou's article in this issue on the idea that play is an inherently social and cultural cognitive childhood activity. Emphasizes the importance of cultural variation of play for research and education. (BB)

Reviews chapters of this book on probability in mathematics education. Topics discussed in the chapters include a historical perspective of probability, an epistemological perspective of probability, an overview of the psychological research on probability learning, computers in probability education, and an analysis of the probability curriculum.…

Evaluation of 17 children with autism at the ages of 6 to 15 and then again at ages 13 to 25, suggested that, for the majority of people with autism, there may be little development of a theory of mind. For a minority, development may extend to the equivalent of a 3- to 4-year-old level by the teenage years. (JDD)

Describes Socratic Dialogue Inducing (SDI) laboratory methods and procedures developed to increase conceptual understanding in introductory physics laboratories. Gives an example of a typical beginning SDI lab manual section and a representative Socratic dialogue. Describes several examples of laboratory experiments developed for the SDI method.…

This study, which applied an instructional model based on Piaget's theory of cognitive development, pragmatics theory of language development, and Mahler's theory of development of interpersonal relationships, found that 49 preschool children with autism did not make less progress than a comparison group of 27 children with other…

Children and adults were tested on six speeded perceptual-motor and cognitive tasks, including a (1) response time task; (2) button tapping task; (3) pegboard task; (4) coding task; (5) picture matching task; and (6) mental addition task. Age-related change in processing time on most of these tasks was described by a single exponential function.…

Describes a study that compared academic achievement indices of summer birth date seventh-ninth graders (n=45) who entered kindergarten at age five with indices of similar summer birth date children who entered at age six (n=45). All statistically significant differences favored older males and females, especially in reading for older males. (SM)

Explores the notion of imaginative development. Defines imagination through a review of literature of music, religion, and aesthetics. Suggests that imagination precedes creativity and involves perception, intuition, thinking, and feeling. Describes a developmental sequence based on research. Proposes ways to cultivate imagination through music.…

Children's responses to an alternative model over three lessons were described and their learning assessed in a posttest. Their responses and performances were compared to that of a similar group of children learning through a conventional number line model. The two models were compared from practical and theoretical viewpoints. (Author/CW)

Provided is an example of the use of the Pythagorean Theorem to give learners experience in applying mathematical rules. A proof for the theorem is included. Precautions and alternatives are discussed. (CW)

Problem-solving strategies which use reflective thinking and inference in mathematics are discussed. Examples are provided with discussions of the learning process. The advantages of this approach are stressed. (CW)

This article elaborates on three principles which are the foundation of the developmental approach to early childhood education. These principles are multiage grouping, nongraded curricular materials, and interactive teaching. (IAH)

Described is Creative Problem Solving (CPS), a model which may be employed to help integrate higher-order thinking skills into elementary science instruction. An example of the use of this model is presented. (CW)

Provides brief background details of the educational needs of Black South Africans. The methodology used in a second-language course in business English, the reactions of the students to the various teaching techniques, and the results attained in pre- and posttests are discussed. (eight references) (GLR)

Three teaching experiments are reported which study aspects of a diagnostic teaching methodology. An experiment in the field of directional quantities showed a positive relationship between the intensity of discussion and amount of learning; one on fractions and another on geometric reflections showed good two-month retention under the…