Compares the effects on high school achievement of family socioeconomic factors present during students' early childhood and during students' late adolescence. Results point to the potentially stronger role in cognitive development and school learning of early socioeconomic factors, except in the case of family size. (RDN)

Proposes the use of a distancing strategy model as an approach to studying the social genesis of representational competence in children. Explains how the model describes teaching strategies that make cognitive demands on children. (HOD)

Explains how the Suzuki Method introduces young Japanese children to learning situations in structured ways that develop their control of learning behavior earlier than is typical in the West. (HOD)

Explores several European models of early childhood education that have influenced day care in North America, noting such influences as religion, educational philosophy, and concepts appropriate to a child's cognitive development. (HOD)

This critical examination of the assumption that computer-based instruction enhances student learning and performance over traditional means summarizes arguments from past and present analyses of research, examines media attributes or symbol system theories, and presents evidence that much research is susceptible to rival hypotheses. (MBR)

Reviews bases for contemporary discontinuity theories of mental development, presents findings that support alternative proposition of continuity and scrutinizes assessment methods from which these continuity results derive. Also offers several models that help explain the continuity findings, and argues that individual differences in mental…

Examines cognitive processing and semantic influences on the developmental patterning of everyday social explanation in a cross-cultural investigation undertaken among American and Hindu adults and children (ages 8, 11, and 15). (HOD)

Investigates whether children's use of reasoning differs in child-child and adult-child discussions of moral dilemmas. Supports Piaget's contention that moral discussions with peers feature a more spontaneous use of reasoning than do discussions with adults. (HOD)

Contrasts results of studies examining sex differences in intellectual functioning in the U.S. and Israel, in cities and on Kibbutzes. Findings indicate cross-cultural and intracultural influences challenge validity of theories that suggest a biological basis for sex differences in intellectual abilities. (SA)

Appraises the respective contribution of initial competence and of imitation of modeled response in the observational learning of conservation among first grade children. (HOD)

Describes the Instrumental Enrichment (IE) program, a three-year series of problem-solving tasks and exercises that are grouped in 14 areas of specific cognitive development called instruments rather than lessons. The aim of IE is to transform the retarded performer's behavior from a passive and dependent cognitive style to that of an active,…

Tests causal models of verbal and performance IQ in 69 Mexican-American children of low socioeconomic status. Years of mother's education were correlated with IQ at 3 years and at 6 to 8 years, but traditional/nontraditional attitudes showed conflicting correlations over time. The adequacy of standarized IQ tests for this population is questioned.…

Reviews empirical studies of outdoor education's impact on cognitive development. Research findings are presented on the subject areas of environmental education, general science, and language development. A cautionary synthesis of research related to learning in the out-of-doors is also offered. (ML)

Presents a theoretical framework for and a detaled description of a model for teaching scientific analogies. The framework focuses on the definition of an analogy, analogical learning, variables related to analogical learning, evaluating outcomes of analogical limiting, and limitations of using analogies in teaching. (JN)

Examines some of the research and theories on the role of metacognition in cognitive development, argues that students in English education classes can become better informed about their own learning strategies by engaging in self monitoring, and suggests several ways to introduce metacognitive activities in an English methods class. (HOD)