The development of cognitive maps of large- and small-scale spaces.

Kindergartners, second, and fifth graders made repeated trips through a large- or small-scale model town, and then constructed from memory the layout of buildings in either a large- or small-scale space. Accuracy of construction increased as a function of developmental level and repeated trips through the town. Children's constructions were most accurate when they were tested in the same-scale environment as that in which they developed their spatial knowledge; accuracy was impaired significantly only when children were exposed to a small space and then reconstructed in a large space. Results were interpreted in terms of a "competence-load trade-off."     

Attention deficits: current concepts,controversies, management,and approaches to classroom instruction

This article reviews the current criteria for diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Undifferentiated Attention-Deficit Disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association, and describes other typical presenting features of children with attentional disorders. The current theories of the biological basis of attentional disorders are reviewed. Treatments of attentional disorders are discussed, including medical treatments with stimulants and tricyclic antidepressants, and non-medical treatments, such as behavior modification, psychotherapy, diets, and specific educational modifications that are felt to be helpful. Finally, our current thinking about the long-term outlook for children with attentional disorders is summarized. This work received support from a Clinical Investigator Development Award, NS 01212, from the NINDS.     

Reading skills in three orthographies: The case of trilingual Arabic–Hebrew–English-speaking Arab children

This study is an investigation into theinterconnections among three languages, Arabic,Hebrew and English, each of which has adifferent orthography. Hebrew and Arabic havemore in common with each other than withEnglish; they are considered ``shallow'orthographies if vowelized and ``deep'orthographies if unvowelized. The reading,language, and working memory skills of 70trilingual Israeli-Arab students, aged 14–15,were assessed. Arabic was their maininstructional language in school, and Hebrewand English were studied as required subjects.All these adolescents studied Hebrew from thethird grade and English from the fourth grade.They were administered word and pseudowordreading, language, orthographic, and workingmemory tests in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. Inspite of differences among these threelanguages, the majority of the children showedadequate proficiency in three languages. Asignificant relationship was found between theacquisition of word and pseudoword readingskills, working memory, and syntactic awarenessskills within and across the three languages.Trilingualism of this nature seems not to havenegative consequences (and may even havepositive consequences) for the development oforal language and reading skills in the threelanguages in spite of their differentorthographies.     

Relationships Between First and Second Language Phonological Processing Skills and Reading in Chinese‐English Speakers living in English‐Speaking Contexts

The relationships between phoneme categorisation, phonological processing, and reading performance were examined in Chinese‐English speaking children in an English‐speaking environment. Second language (L2, i.e., English) phonological processing but not phoneme categorisation was related to L2 reading. First language (L1) oral language skills were related to Chinese reading with L1 phonological processing being related to the Chinese reading task with a strong phonological component (pseudocharacter reading). L1 phoneme categorisation skill was not strongly related to L1 reading. These findings suggest that phonological processing is related to reading tasks with heavy phonological demands, such as reading in an alphabetic orthography or pseudocharacter reading in a nonalphabetic orthography. Exposure to L1 reading might influence processes used by Chinese‐speaking children in an English‐speaking environment.     

Reshaping Teaching and Learning: The Transformation of Faculty Pedagogical Content Knowledge

A qualitative study of faculty members participating in a campus-wide problem-based learning initiative examined the process of transforming faculty pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers found that faculty existing knowledge and the institutional intervention influenced new knowledge of faculty roles, student roles, disciplinary structures, and pedagogy. Communicating new knowledge solidified the transformation.