Five papers given at the International Reading Association conference held in conjunction with a National Council for the Social Studies conference in 1968 are presented in this work. Although each paper is addressed to a different subtopic, there is the common theme of the role that reading can play in social studies instruction. The subtopics…

This study is the fourth in a series of studies that have attempted to examine the relationship between two separate aptitude factors--associative memory and reasoning--to various performance criteria in a hierarchical learning task utilizing computer-assisted instruction. Two clear effects seem to emerge from the data. During learning, the…

An explanation of critical thinking and methods for fostering critical thinking through reading are presented. Critical thinking is defined (1) as the habit of examining and weighing an idea or a thing before accepting or rejecting it and (2) as a three-factor ability consisting of attitudes, function, and knowledge. Reading is seen as an…

Specific instruction refers to the teacher's knowing (a) what to teach and when, (b) what not to teach and why, and (c) when to let the preoperational child be "wrong." This paper is in agreement with Bereiter's criticism of Kohlberg's conclusion against specific instruction but suggests that Bereiter's argument should be developed into…

In order to study the influence of the information-processing strategy of an adult model on the subsequent strategy of children, 216 grade school children solved modified twenty-questions problems. A repeated-measures factorial design was used with the following variables: (1) information-processing of model (hypothesis scanning, constraint…

This paper on logical reasoning in science education was written from a philosophical, rather than a psychological, orientation within an overall curricular framework. Six areas are treated within this curricular framework: philosophical consideration, logical structure in a field of enquiry, materials development and evaluation, epistemological…

Four-hundred and nine students (grades 8, 10, 12 and 14) were given logical syllogism problems of the form "If p...then q" along with tests of dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity. Aptitude scores were also obtained. Major results indicated that expressed dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity were negatively correlated with syllogistic…

This report focused on the analysis of the concept of social role-taking (social perspective-taking) from a structural or Piagetian point of view. The stages of social role-taking were defined, in accordance with structural criteria, to try to indicate why, for a given stage, each aspect of the stage logically implied each other aspect. The…

The Cognitive Curriculum focuses primarily on intellectual, or cognitive development of the child. Much of its theory is based on the work of Piaget and is concerned with the development of logical thinking and representation. A central tenet is that the child learns through active involvement with his environment and that the child undergoes…

A method for reading Piaget is presented in this guide, written for practicing teachers who want better understanding of Piaget's writings. An account of a Piagetian experiment is given, followed by a discussion of its theoretical and practical implications. Eight topics are explored: number, measurement, knots, perspectives, coordinates, floating…

This document reports the present status of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP). Three major components are described: (1) the criteria used for content selection and the role of staff and consultant mathematicians in its analysis; (2) the rationale for choosing the activity packages, organizational plans for producing and testing…

This study attempted to answer the following three questions: 1) Do students of grades four through seven perform equally well on both syncretistic understanding and logical thinking? 2) Do boys perform as well as girls on these two types of thinking? 3) Do students whose parents have a higher educational level perform as well as students whose…

Linguistic and psychological factors which bear on the concept of "intuitive thinking" are analyzed with respect to second language learning. Analytical thinking is considered as being logical, cognitive, and objective while intuitive thinking is considered to be creative, constructive, and non-analytical. Following a brief discussion of Piaget's…

This study was based on the following assumptions: (1) functioning of the brain's left hemisphere, because of its logical, verbal mode, facilitates conservation reasoning; (2) functioning of the brain's right hemisphere, because of its nonverbal, spatial mode, inhibits conservation reasoning; (3) visual input from the left eye will reach the left…

Critical discussions of reader reaction are often only disguised discussions of author intention. (JH)