Videotaped observations of the free-play interaction of mothers and (1) 12 physically handicapped, (2) 14 premature, and (3) 9 healthy 2-year-olds were evaluated. Results support clinical reports of maternal withdrawal from disabled young children. (Author/RH)

Examines the development of children's ability to differentiate among informational, instructional, and persuasive television messages. Found high comprehension of narrative content even by the youngest children, but correct perception of message intent occurred primarily among older children. (PD)

Describes a research paper assignment that asks students to come up with a question (problem) in some academic field that can be answered (solved) from synthesizing all of the information currently available. Argues that such an assignment teaches the research paper within a rhetorical context. (HOD)

Four studies are offered from a Piagetian perspective on providing children with an optimal microcomputer environment. Guidelines stress the importance of flexibility, and a hierarchical software environment. (CL)

College students were given two paper-and-pencil conditional reasoning tests, one week apart, in varying order. The three problems on each test were presented either verbally or with line drawings as concrete referents. Performance was significantly poorer on the problems with drawings. (MNS)

This article presents a new method of inferring students' cognitive structures and their development. A modification of Reitman and Rueter's "ordered tree technique," the method generates a structure that displays important relationships assumed to be in a student's memory about concepts taken from a specific field of study. (Author/LMO)

Explains why simulation is a particularly useful teaching device in areas in which it is important to tie together cognitive skills and motor skills into total performance. Discusses the many forms simulation can take in soft skills training and how simulations can shape perspectives. (CT)

Summarizes recent trends in French developmental psychology, including those regarding (1) cognitive development as it relates to Piaget's theory, (2) psycholinguistics in preschool children, (3) social interaction, and (4) the structuring of time and space by infants and toddlers. (Author/RH)

Discusses differences between authors' view of conversation and Ervin-Tripp's (included in this issue) on the similarities between adult and child conversation, planfulness in achieving topic coherence, the generalization of research results to other groups, and the socialization of conversational behavior. Also presents evidence supporting their…

Used descriptive analysis and a forced choice task to investigate childrens' and adults' production, interpretation, and judgment of notation. Results showed that young children may not impose the same symbol-meaning structure at decoding that was proposed at encoding. Only after this ability develops does a preference for one form-one function…

Discusses the development of the thinking function and factors influencing that development, and presents strategies for teaching thinking. (MD)

The goal of this article is to identify and disseminate several important messages from recent research on formal thought. Reasoning by adolescents, measurement of Piagetian formal reasoning, the importance of additional factors, stages, and working memory are discussed. (MNS)

Examines the assumptions about infant development that underlie infant intervention programs. Focuses on four popular ideas: that environment is the sole determinant of development; that development is linear and continuous; that early experiences carry more weight than later experiences; and that providing a more "stimulating"…

Investigates whether first-grade students' performance on an 18-word spelling test administered in the first month of school is a good predictor of reading achievement at the end of first grade. A total of 75 students from four classrooms were tested three times during the school year. (RH)

Argues that the best way to cultivate children's reasoning is to make philosophy an essential part of the elementary school curriculum. Philosophy alone provides the logical criteria for distinguishing better thinking from poorer. The author's "Philosophy for Children" program is described. (TE)