The extent to which free play versus sequenced questioning conditions facilitates preschoolers' associative fluency was investigated in this study. Twenty-four children (12 boys and 12 girls, with a mean age of 50.7 months) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: free play, sequenced questioning, and control. In the sequenced…

Observed drawing by toddlers and preschoolers using primary and standard markers, pencils, and crayons to determine the influence of implement diameter on children's drawing products, performances, and preferences. The relationship between drawing and early home manipulative experience was also investigated. Confirmed findings of previous studies…

The conceptual categories that children have developed in their second year were studied in five experiments using object manipulation tasks. Subjects included 152 children from 18 to 31 months of age. These very young children had formed global conceptions of many domains of objects. (SLD)

This study investigated the effects of novelty on young children's exploration of commonplace, 3-dimensional objects. The exploration of novel and familiar objects was compared and the pattern of the exploration of the novel object over a period of time was examined in order to test two hypotheses: (1) that novel objects elicit more exploration…

The ability of two and three-year-old children to comprehend the prepositions in, on, and under was tested. Results suggest that the young child's comprehension of locative instructions involves an interaction between aspects of the instruction's word meanings, word order, and the child's understanding of the context. (Author/MV)

Describes materials mastery and symbolic development as two discrete but related processes that preschool children learn. Uses the preschool setting to identify the developmental stages of construction play. (AS)

A dissertation proposal involved a study to observe spontaneous behavior of children in interaction with materials in order to gain understanding of the factors that influence classificatory and imaginative behavior in free play. Children at two levels of ability in terms of classification skills were observed in interaction with materials at two…

Various counting tasks were presented to 24 congenitally, totally blind children, aged 3-13, to determine the behaviors employed to ensure accurate counting. Three dimensions of tactile strategies were found, including "scanning,""organizing," and "partitioning." A developmental progression in the ontogenesis of each…

The educational program of a student with autism most easily and beneficially begins with manipulation of objects. Short periods of time should be allotted to each activity to hold attention and ensure success. Partial participation and an individualized reinforcement schedule are important elements in the instructional design. Assistance in…

The manual development of 148 blind, visually impaired, and visually impaired multi-handicapped students, aged 3-19, was studied. Results indicated a significant relationship between object manipulation and speech, and an inverse relationship between object manipulation and stereotypic hand mannerisms. Optimal development of manual functions and…

A series of Piagetian concrete operations period tasks dealing with classificatory concepts was administered to 280 children (40 subjects from each of seven levels--preschool, kindergarten, and first, second, third, fourth, and sixth grades). Significant main effects for age were found for all the tasks. Few significant sex differences were…

This booklet presents child-rearing practices found successful by families of children who are deaf-blind, and includes photographs of deaf-blind children using the techniques. Along with a broad overview of communications theory as it applies to young deaf-blind children, techniques are described for using tactile objects as keys to…

Comments on the articles presented in this issue with respect to their implications for classroom practices. Stresses that in this issue, the researchers describe how social context factors (such as adult viewpoints and adult-child interaction patterns) and physical context factors (such as variations in classroom space-time organization and…

Investigated effects of limited oral/physical teacher intervention on object manipulation by preschool/early elementary children (N=70). Experimental students had magnets placed in their hands and were orally invited to explore. Results indicated differences between experimental/control groups in time spent with objects, number of activities…

Children with Down Syndrome have the potential for the development of a large range and variety of postures, balance reactions, movements, and skills. Sometimes this potential remains relatively untapped resulting in unusual, inefficient, or even detrimental patterns of movement. By handling and playing with the child, he or she becomes more aware…