Presents a study of United States History textbooks that identifies possible shortcomings of several readability formulas as tools in determining the appropriateness of reading materials. Suggests additional factors to consider when selecting textbooks and techniques to help students understand reading materials. (AEM)

Describes a study designed to determine if college students' success in writing computer programs is related to level of cognitive development as described by Piaget, verbal ability, and mathematics reasoning. Regression analysis showed that level of cognitive development, when combined with verbal reasoning, is linearly predictive of programming…

Reports on a study to test the effectiveness of a cognitive motivational model of course selection patterns to explain the continued participation of men and women in college chemistry courses. Results indicated that a person's belief about their ability was the major factor in deciding to continue in chemistry. (Author/TW)

This article discusses educational equity in terms of access to learning, to resources, and to school, especially among students who are tracked in low ability groups. Given this conception of knowledge equity, equity may only be realized through the actions of local district and school staff. (JL)

Explains the relationship between understanding a temporal or causal event and the ability to articulate and comprehend sentences about the event. The subjects of the research were 60 children from an Italian elementary school, 20 each from the first, third, and fifth grades. (CFM)

Sixty-two very low-birthweight children were evaluated at five years of age on cognitive abilities and visual motor integration. The subjects, enrolled in regular classrooms, scored lower than controls on measures of visual perceptual/visual motor function and had more problems including attending to tasks, following directions, and passivity.…

Two experiments examine whether the encoding of location meets criteria defining an automatic process. Automatic processes are not expected to show developmental changes beyond an early age. They appear to be unrelated to intelligence level and unaffected by instructions. Results support Hasher and Zack's automaticity hypothesis. (RWB)

Compared competence of children and adolescents from two-parent families (N=201), one-parent families (N=89), and stepfamilies (N=55). Found that children in stepfamilies, compared with other groups, had lower reading ability, impulse control, and self-esteem, while children in two-parent families had lower level of everyday skills performance.…

A case study is presented of a 19-year-old deaf and legally blind boy who transcends his handicapping condition in using felt-tipped markers and tempera paints to produce graphic landscapes of urban life. Discussed are his choice of subjects, manner of working, the impact of art therapy, and therapeutic issues. (JDD)

Evaluates the effects on the 4MAT system on achievement and retention of learning. Defines 4MAT system as instructional model that provides systematic approach to organizing and delivering instruction that addresses learning styles and hemispheric preferences of students. Study examines students' interest in content and attitudes toward…

Hispanic children are often considered ineligible for participation in programs for the gifted and talented because of identification procedures that rely heavily on tests which are inappropriate for use with Spanish-speaking children and because of the widespread acceptance of an essentially inaccurate definition of giftedness as synonymous with…

Standardized tests rely on communicative behavior. Incongruities between the language of the test giver and the test taker can result in bias. Data on communications should be consulted so that tests allow for linguistic and cultural differences. This is the only way the abilities of Blacks can be accurately assessed. (VM)

As part of a larger study, this paper examines the factors that determine promotion decisions at the end of first grade. Determinants of first grade failure are of particular interest because at this stage there are alternatives to failure. (Author/RWB)

Includes patterns for and a brief discussion of the polyhedra: octahedron, tetrahedron, dodecahedron, cuboid, prism, and star. (PK)

This study investigated the delayed effects of LOGO programing on the cognitive abilities and achievement of children in the primary grades. Results of tests administered 18 months after first graders participated in either LOGO computer programing or computer-assisted instruction treatments and interviews five months after testing are reported…