Using similar research in Britain as a basis, a study in New Zealand explored schema learning in young children. The primary purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a curriculum intervention designed to increase the richness and amount of stimulation teachers and parents give 4-year-olds in response to observations of children's…

When educators refer to "reciprocity" in Reading Recovery, most often they are referring to the connections that can be made across reading and writing through teaching and learning actions--each reading or writing act has the potential for providing a context for learning about the other (Clay, 1998), and in this way, influencing each…

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance for instructional sequencing in emotional literacy curricula. First, the concepts of instructional sequence and the problems involved with instructional sequence in the affective domain of learning are addressed. Then, through the analysis of the emotional literacy curriculum, Promoting Alternative…

Arguing that evolution designed us to both teach and learn, this book explains how, and how much, babies and young children know and learn, and how much parents naturally teach them. The chapters are: (1) "Ancient Questions and a Young Science," including the concept of brain as computer, and the developmental science of Piaget and…

This study reports on cultural and gender differences in the spatial abilities of children based on the Water Level Task. The Piagetian theory of age-related developmental differences in performance on the Water Level Task was explored with Chinese and Malay children living in Singapore. Results indicate that children in this study did not perform…

This paper discusses how language teachers can teach students how to learn using several approaches to learning strategies. The first section describes current English language teaching in Japan. The second section discusses the theoretical background of learning strategies, looking at cognitive learning models, which emphasize learner's mental…

This article describes how the author's infant son enthusiastically played with buttons from the age of 5 months to his first birthday. The article details his play routines and how they changed over time. It draws on recent neurological research about how the brain grows to argue that this play provided the foundation for her son's cognitive and…

This paper discusses how to make students effective, lifelong learners. It describes several ways of learning: reading, listening, observing, talking, and writing. According to the author, five elements are needed to become a good learner: (1) motivation; (2) a knowledge base that provides a conceptual structure for further learning; (3) skills…

The study reported in this paper is designed to provide evidence of the convergent and discriminant validity of the Flexible Combination Test (R. Dillon). Two premises were tested: (1) flexible combination accounts for significant variation in cumulative grade-point average, high school rank, and cumulative Act Assessment scores; and (2) the…

A report on some pilot research which explores ways of investigating the mathematics used in two professional crafts: upholstery and gardening. The paper considers observations and conversations in the light of J. Lave and E. Wenger's theory of situated cognition. It describes a situation in which cognition had to be transferred because of a…

This qualitative research studied patterns of student self-talk (thought) in a sixth-grade mathematics classroom. The research sought greater understanding of the mental labels and operative cognitive structures upon which students rely in order to participate in schoolwork. Twenty-four students were given "math journals" and asked to…

This paper examines differences between students with and without learning disabilities (LD) in processing social information within the context of a social information processing model. It proposes that language problems may not be the sole cause for poor social skills in students with learning disabilities and suggests that social remediation…

The Vicarious Learning project is aimed at understanding the role of dialogue in learning about complex conceptual domains. The fundamental assumption of "vicarious learning" is that students can receive benefits from exposure to discussions among their peers and between students and tutors. To elicit dialogues that can be captured, F.…

It has been understood for decades that language and thought are closely related. If one accepts that the thoughts that we construct are based upon the language that we speak and the words that we use, then it follows that the language that we speak influences the way that we think. It is necessary that we possess the words to describe objects,…

The treatment in one session of three women who claimed that their identities had merged is reported. A social-cognitive strategy of therapy was employed, emphasizing the use of dissonant persuasive communications and a therapeutic double bind. Technical aspects of the therapy are discussed and contrasted with possible alternatives. (Author)