Reflecting the focus of a Jean Piaget Symposium entitled Biology and Knowledge: Structural Constraints on Development, this volume presents many of the emergent themes discussed. Among these themes are: Structural constraints on cognitive development and learning come in many shapes and forms and involve appeal to more than one level of analysis. To postulate innate knowledge is not to deny that humans can acquire new concepts. It is unlikely that there is only one learning mechanism, even if one prefers to work with general as opposed to domain-specific mechanisms. The problems of induction with respect to concept acquisition are even harder than originally thought.

Reflecting the focus of a Jean Piaget Symposium entitled "Biology and Knowledge: Structural Constraints on Development," this volume presents many of the emergent themes discussed. Among them:
* Structural constraints on cognitive development and learning come in many shapes and forms and involve appeal to more than one level of analysis.
* To postulate innate knowledge is not to deny that humans can acquire new concepts.
* It is unlikely that there is only one learning mechanism, even if one prefers to work with general as opposed to domain-specific mechanisms.
* The problems of induction with respect to concept acquisition are even harder than originally thought.

To ensure they're meeting state early learning guidelines for science, preschool educators need fun, age-appropriate, and research-based ways to teach young children about scientific concepts. That's just what they'll get with this hands-on guidebook The basis for the PBS KIDS show Sid the Science Kid, this innovative teaching resource helps children ages 3-5 investigate their everyday world and develop the basics of scientific thinking skills they'll apply across subject areas when they enter school. A fun and engaging way to introduce science to young children, PrePS is a must-have because it Is based on the domain-specific approach to cognitive development. The collaborative work of cognitive researchers and preschool educators, this approach incorporates lessons learned from developmental research and classroom experience. Provides age-appropriate introduction to key science practices (see box). Supports a range of cognitive and social skills. PrePS uses science to help children develop math skills, early literacy and language skills, and social and emotional sensitivity. Makes the most of children's natural curiosity. PrePS isn't a rigid curriculum that asks children to memorize facts. It's a flexible, hands-on approach that helps teachers build on what children do best actively explore their world. Encourages collaboration between teachers and children. PrePS encourages children's full participation, making learning a true partnership between adults and children. Enhances any curriculum. PrePS gives teachers creative new ways to support science learning and reasoning within everyday routines and lessons. Taps teachers' creativity. Because PrePS is designed to energize teachers and tap in to their personal creativity, teachers who already use the PrePS approach have reported an increase in professional satisfaction. This reader-friendly guide gives educators the guidance they need to work PrePS into their existing prog

Perceptual and Cognitive Development illustrates how the developmental approach yields fundamental contributions to our understanding of perception and cognition as a whole. The book discusses how to relate developmental, comparative, and neurological considerations to early learning and development, and it presents fundamental problems in cognition and language, such as the acquisition of a coherent, organized, and shared understanding of concepts and language. Discussions of learning, memory, attention, and problem solving are embedded within specific accounts of the neurological status of developing minds and the nature of knowledge.
Key Features
* Research advances and theoretical reorientations are updated in the Second Edition; the revision focuses more attention on the cognitive and biological sciences and neuroscience
* Illustrates how the developmental approach can yield fundamental contributions to our understanding of perception and cognition as a whole
* Discussions of learning, memory, and attention permeate individual chapters

This book deals primarily with the preschool child's conception of number and how that conception develops. This central concern is, however, embedded in a larger framework, namely, an overriding interest in early cognitive capacities and their relationship to subsequent capacities. The initial chapters develop this broader framework.