Seventy fifth and sixth grade students were randomly assigned to one of two instructional groups. Instruction for both groups was implemented within similar high-level questioning environments. However, in one group the teacher elicited more high-level student responses per question posed than was the case in the second group. (Author)

Reports that complex abstractions may be easily acquired by persons of less than 75 IQ if the method of presentation of the abstractions ensures maximum visibility of relevant details. (FL)

Children in two studies were shown a sequence of pictorial paired associates for study. They were subsequently tested for their recognition memory of these items plus an additional four new items that could be recognized if the child engaged in a reasoning-by-exclusion strategy. (JMB)

Examines the usefulness of the Salience Imbalance Theory of metaphor processing to aid in understanding how children comprehend metaphors in written text. Supports the prediction that the measure of salience of features is affected by the topic order and vehicle (asymmetry), but also reports children's responses not explained by the theory. (KEH)

Compares two approaches to the teaching of mathematics, rote versus reasoning. Discusses the way to teach mathematics as reasoning in elementary classroom as stated in the NCTM Standards. (YP)

Scientific reasoning of four elementary age students with mild mental retardation was investigated using structured interviews during tasks involving properties of air and electricity. Discourse analysis was employed to describe students' preconceptions about the natural world and how those preconceptions might be influenced by empirical evidence.…

Examines U.S. and Chinese 6th grade students' mathematical thinking and reasoning involved in solving six process-constrained and six process-open problems. Concludes that the Chinese sample had a significantly higher mean score than the U.S. sample on the process-constrained tasks, but the sample of U.S. students had a significantly higher mean…

This study investigates the validity of the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (S-B:4) for use with students with learning disabilities. It compares the performance of 18 elementary-age students on the S-B:4 and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). The subjects were identified by their school as having learning…

A project to improve higher level thinking skills of elementary students in Hillsborough County, Florida is reported as a feature article (66p). An introductory overview chapter reviews the literature on teaching thinking skills. Chapter 1 provides background information on the community and the two schools selected for the practicum. The second…

Twenty-three German-English bilingual boys and girls, ranging from grades three to six in Saskatchewan's schools, were used in this study which sought to investigate their reading behavior when reading English passages. The Individual Reading Inventory, administered in both languages, indicated that comprehension after oral and silent reading in…

This paper describes two experiments in which children in grades 1, 3, and 5 were given three kinds of spatial perspective-taking problems to solve as quickly as they could: (1) C problems, solvable only by computation (that is, noting which features of a particular object array were closest to another observer in order to estimate how the array…

Provides guidelines for conducting and interpreting interviews aimed at assessing the cognitive concepts of young children. Discusses the content, task, questions, and format of the interview, listing 16 points of advice for interviewers. Also elaborates on the value and use of structured interviews. (JM)

Study of 24 second and third grade teachers to determine what characteristics and behaviors result in effective teaching. Results indicate that successful classroom performance is related to a highly autonomous attitude, preference for pragmatic activities, lecturing half the class time, having an abstract conceptual structure and the teacher…

This study considers two problems related to cognitive development: "Is development hierarchical?" and "If so, what are the mechanisms involved in the process of development?" Analysis of the results of an experiment lead to differentiation of stages of development, and problem-solving strategies at each level are discussed.…

This study examined cognitive ability, short-term verbal memory, and speech perception in relation to phonological awareness in 42 gifted and 49 regular 3rd and 4th graders and in 61 prereading kindergartners. Those with higher cognitive reasoning skills scored higher on tasks of phonological awareness than those with lower reasoning skills.…