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Christianity is a concise and readable survey of the history of Christianity, from its beginnings in late antiquity, through the Reformations in the West, to its present-day globalization. Focusing particularly on the modern period, it provides a valuable introduction to contemporary christian beliefs and practices, and looks at the ways in which this diverse religion has adapted, and continues to adapt, to the challenges of the modern world.
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The child as thinker The study of children’s thinking is an extremely lively area. An enormous number of studies are being produced, and new ways of understanding the findings are proliferating. The Child as Thinker provides an informed and accessible overview of this whole area. After a brief discussion of the nature and subject of cognition, Meadows reviews children’s thinking in detail. She discusses the ways children remember and organise information in general, the acquisition of skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, and the development of more complex reasoning as children grow to maturity. As well as studies that typically describe a generalised child, Meadows also reviews some of the main areas relevant to individual differences in normal cognitive development, and examines three major models of cognitive development. In outlining the work of Piaget, information-processing accounts and neo-Vygotskian theories, she also evaluates their different explanations of cognitive development and their implications for education. Finally, the book examines biological and social factors that may be involved in normal and suboptimal cognitive development. Meadows provides an important review of the crucial issues involved in understanding cognitive development and of the new data and models that have emerged in the last few years. Her book brings together areas and approaches that have hitherto been independent, and examines their strengths and weaknesses. The Child as Thinker will be required reading for all students of cognitive development and psychology. Sara Meadows is Lecturer in Education at the University of Bristol. The child as thinker The development and acquisition of cognition in childhood Sara Meadows London and New York First published in 1993 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2001. Routledge is an International Thomson Publishing company © 1993 Sara Meadows All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress ISBN 0–415–01142–6 (hbk) ISBN 0-203-13400-1 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-17720-7 (Glassbook Format) ISBN 0–415–01143–4 (pbk) In memory of my father, and with gratitude for his contributions to the development of my cognition during my childhood Contents List of figures and tables 1 Introduction 2 Descriptive studies of children’s cognitive skills and knowledge Reading Development in reading processes Learning to read in a literate environment Skills and stages in learning to read The teaching of reading Understanding what you read Understanding the structure of a text Writing Maths Memory Introduction Developmental changes in basic memory capacities? Developmental changes in memory strategi