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This project was designed to test the effects of a language curriculum based on skills needed to learn the letters of the alphabet, to develop and test methods of assessing a language program, and to look at the training effects across differing subject populations. Subjects included boys (half of whom were black) who were from two integrated schools and who knew less than half of the letters of the alphabet. Different teaching strategies were used to teach the alphabet--a modified Bereiter technique, spending four to six minutes with each individual, rotating teachers, and the use of personal student notebooks. Subjects were given two tests: the Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFF) to identify subjects with varying conceptual tempos and the Ambiguous Figure Test to look at the ability of the subjects to communicate with one another. Results indicated that the experimental subjects learned more letters than the control group and that black subjects did significantly better than white subjects. No significant correlations were found on the MFF, indicating that it might have been inappropriate for the subjects. The most interesting discovery was the fact that there was a large variation in the knowledge of the alphabet without teacher awareness and that many of the middle-class children knew the alphabet. (HS)

Neurological immaturity, cognitive stages or lack of readiness may be erroneously inferred from young children's task performance. An alternative hypothesis suggests that an inadequate analysis of the criterion task may, in fact, account for children's inability to perform successfully. To support this thesis, investigators examined the four-part Farnham-Diggory cognitive synthesis task (behavioral translations of logographic sentences) used in assessing maturational readiness and correlating positively with conservation. Two validation studies were undertaken and yielded evidence that (1) children succumbed to a response set because feedback and reinforcement were omitted from task administration procedures and (2) children reacted to each individual word in all sentences because some logographic sentences (directions to do something) were ambiguous. Also, an unspecified but mediating variable such as the amount of reading training might be the source of relationships attributed to cognitive synthesis and/or conservation skills. Developmental psychologists are urged to pursue traditional viewpoints which require specification of antecedent conditions when dealing with performance tasks involving young children since traditional research focused more on the capabilities of young children than on their limitations. (WY)

This paper on intervention research critically reviews evaluations of experimental procedures designed to effect changes in the language development of disadvantaged children. It includes a summary of intervention projects and survey of present knowledge and theory about language which constitute the rationale for such projects. Specific recommendations are made for the application of the findings in broader educational contexts. Although many educators agree that language is one specific area in which disadvantaged children need to catch up, they often disagree on the nature, importance, and antecedents of these deficiencies in language. The paper includes discussion of alternative views of language, methods of language assessment (language production, comprehension assessment, and standardized testing), a selective review of subcultural language differences, and a review of language intervention research (Project Head Start, Bereiter-Engelmann Program, etc.). In addition, the authors recommend specific educational practices. (Authors/JW)

Clarification of one aspect of Jensen's model of cognitive abilities provided the impetus for this study. Jensen found that sentence construction as a mediator facilitated learning of paired associates, except when kindergarteners were used as subjects. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether the failure of the mediators to facilitate the performance of young children is due to the fact that they do not know what a "sentence" is, or because they are unable to "mediate" when mediators are provided. The influence of experiential factors in language development was measured by using children from two different social classes. Also studied is the ability to transfer mediation strategy. Subjects were 32 kindergarten boys randomly selected from a predominantly white lower class urban school and a middle class white suburban school. The testing procedures are extensively described. Results gleaned from the study suggest that: (1) a mediation condition was more facilitating for middle class subjects; (2) lower class subjects exhibited a different strategy in approaching learning problems and were less proficient in generating sentences; and (3) providing mediators for young subjects does affect the learning of paired associates. Further study is suggested. (TL)

Sixty kindergarten and sixty second grade children were administered a paired-associate (P-A) task. The subjects in each age group were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) experimental with aural presentation of the P-A's, (2) experimental with visual presentation of the P-A's, (3) control with aural presentation of the P-A's and (4) control with visual presentation of the P-A's. An AB-AC paradigm was used. Each of the two P-A lists of this study was composed of five word-pairs or five picture-pairs. The first list presented to the subject was repeated until one perfect anticipation trial was performed, and then the second list was presented for nine trials. The results showed that children reached criterion significantly faster in the visual presentation groups. It was also found that the younger children showed less negative transfer in the AB-AC design than the older children. (WD)

THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE INFLUENCE OF FIVE VARIABLES (INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS, REWARD, LETTER SIZE, TYPE OF WARM-UP, AND FEEDBACK) ON KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE OF A LETTER DISCRIMINATION TASK. IT HAS BEEN ARGUED THAT ATTENTION IS THE KEY FACTOR IN LETTER DISCRIMINATION. THE PRESENT STUDY PROPOSES THAT A PRECONDITION TO SUCCESS BY CHILDREN IN LETTER DISCRIMINATION IS HAVING AN ADEQUATE CONCEPT OF "SAMENESS." THAT IS, IF THE CHILD IS NOT AWARE OF WHAT THE EXPERIMENTER MEANS BY THE WORDS "SAME" AND "DIFFERENT" IN A DISCRIMINATION TASK, ATTENTION IS ALMOST IRRELEVANT. EIGHTY KINDERGARTEN PUPILS WERE DIVIDED INTO FIVE TEST CONDITIONS TO PERFORM THE DISCRIMINATION TASK. THE TASK METHODOLOGY CONSISTED OF PRESENTING A SINGLE LETTER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF A PIECE OF PAPER AND FOUR ROWS OF TEN LETTERS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. AMONG THESE 40 LETTERS WERE FIVE LETTERS IDENTICAL TO THE SINGLE LETTER, FIVE MOST LIKELY TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE SINGLE LETTER, AND 30 ADDITIONAL LETTERS. THE CHILD WAS ASKED TO IDENTIFY THE LETTERS IN THE FOUR ROWS THAT MATCHED THE SINGLE LETTER. THIS METHOD REPRESENTED TEST CONDITION ONE. THE REMAINING FOUR CONDITIONS WERE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS CONDITION ONE EXCEPT FOR VARIATIONS IN SCORING INSTRUCTION GIVEN (CONDITION TWO), USE OF REWARD (CONDITIONS THREE AND FIVE), AND TYPE OF WARM-UP (CONDITION FOUR). THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT NEITHER VARIATION OF LETTER SIZE NOR SCORING INSTRUCTIONS HAD AN EFFECT ON PUPIL PERFORMANCE. THE FEEDBACK WAS EFFECTIVE, FOR IT HELPED THE PUPIL DEVELOP THE CONCEPT OF "SAMENESS" NECESSARY TO MAKE THE DISCRIMINATION. (WD)

Although there were social class and race differences in achievement and intelligence test scores, no relationship was found between attending and these variables. There was a significant correlation between the intelligence and achievement test scores, but no evidence that the relationship was different for the different groups. (Author/MV)

The multitrait-multimethod matrix was used to determine the convergent and divergent validity of the conceptual tempo. (Author/BJG)

Six hundred boys divided by age (6-8), race (black and white) and social class (middle and lower) were given tests for memory, intelligence, learning, and transfer. Findings indicated social class differences on learning and intelligence tests, with racial differences on intelligence, digit span, and paired-associate learning. (Author/MV)

Training for or altering the set" resulted in better performance. Subjects trained to perform correctly on the synthesis task did not do significantly better on conservation. (MH)

The hypothesis that black dialect interferes with standard English comprehension received little support. (Authors)