Noam Chomsky proposed that when children learn a language they do not learn to imitate given sentences; rather, they learn rules by which an infinite number of sentences can be produced and understood. This essay discusses the impact which this has had on the way educators view language and learning. (KC)

Results of a study involving 10 mentally retarded and 10 nonretarded (mean age 16 and 4 years, respectively) indicated high levels of acquisition and maintenance for both groups. No difference occurred in magnitude of acquisition, but the mentally retarded Ss took approximately three times as many trials to complete training. (Author/CL)

Results indicated the level of correct responding was higher under the "specific reinforcement" condition than under either "nonspecific" or "variable reinforcement" conditions, suggesting that a strategy of reinforcement which includes cue values of the discriminative stimulus may strengthen the learning process. (Author/CL)

An important contribution of cognitive style research is to make teachers aware of the cognitive style differences of their students and the resultant implications for teaching and learning. (JD)

The authors suggest that simply by changing the method of questioning, a teacher can change not only the intellectual demands in the classroom, but also the range of thinking strategies that provide for understanding and competence. (KC)

Relates one participant's impressions of an international conference on writing that was held in May 1979 at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Notes the differences between American and British writing research. (RL)

Presents a personal selection of recent research on writing and learning that provides a coherent view of children as active, intentional learners. (RL)

A reply from Barbe and Milone to Dunn and Carbo concerning the latter's comments about their research on modality strengths and preferences. (MLF)

Two experiments on how symmetrical difficulty factors (word familiarity and concreteness) affect stages of associative learning are reported. Learning parameters reacted in a qualitatively similar manner to stimulus and response manipulations. Paired associate items are represented in memory as unitary traces rather than as separate stimulus and…

The wide range of practical thinking skills are teachable and learnable. By treating thinking as a teachable subject, trainers can help people develop and increase their brain power. (SK)

Examines research dealing with learning processes and suggests its applications to compliance gaining. Discusses the degree to which learning theories explain the acquisition of new attitudes and behaviors, and the degree to which attitudinal and behavioral changes are governed by learning theory principles. (JMF)

When children enter school, their principal way of thinking is through talking aloud (rather than through internal verbalization), and they need to be encouraged in their use of language as they confront new academic problems. (JD)

A teaching method for enhancing rote memory ability is described. The use of a metronome was found to establish a tempo, or rhythm, which enabled children to learn multiplication tables more easily. (PHR)

Eighteen educable mentally retarded adolescents, 18 chronological age (CA) matched nonretarded adolescents, and 18 mental age (MA) matched nonretarded children stylus-tracked an intermittently disappearing rotary pursuit target with and without auditory feedback. (Author)

A study of 30 normal and poor readers tested the hypothesis that reading disabled children's failure to apply effective strategies to rote-memory tasks is related to their lack of reflective knowledge about memory and their disorganized approach to cognitive tasks. Findings supported the view that many children fail to read well because they do…