A Structure-Process Approach to Cognitive Development of Preschool Negro Children: Rationale and Effects.

DGCUMEN7 RESUME PS 002 060 Frcst, doe A Structure-Process Approach tc Ccgnitive Development cf Preschool Negro Children: Rationale and Effects. Texas Univ., Austin. Child Development Evaluation and Research Center. Southwest Educational Development Lab. , Austin, Tex. Fet ES 23p. , Paper presented at the National Ccnference of the American Educational Research Association, Los Angeles, Califcrnia, February, 1969 EERS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$1.25 *Ccgnitive Development, Concept Teaching, Creativity, Culturally Disadvantaged, *Curriculum Development, Fine Arts, *Models, Negroes, Physical Activities, Physical Development, Preschool Children, *Program Descriptions, *Program Evaluation, Sex Differences, Sccial Development Preschool Attainment Record, Slosson Intelligence Test, Structure Process Mcdel, Wechsler Preschool And Primary Intelligence Scale This rercrt presents a description of the Structure-Process approach to cognition and literacy, suggests techniques fcr inplementation of the mcdel, and assesses the effects of the model on a specific population. The Structure-Process approach assumes that intelligence develops cumulatively. The model was used for curriculum development in four rural and urban early childhood centers enrolling 290 3to 7-year-old disadvantaged Negro children. A checklist was filled out by the teacher three times during the year to assess each child's progress in communication, fine arts, and physical activities. Analysis of variance results showed significantly higher gains for girls compared to boys, perhaps reflecting maturational superiority and/or teacher favoritism. Preand postadministration cf the Preschool Attainment Record produced significant gains on measures of creativity, and physical, social, and intellectual development. According to preand posttest scores on the Slcsson Intelligence Test, the program had maximum effect cn younger children. Cross-test comparisons using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence and variations in THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE DiPAISiTif OF EDUOlifiON g WELFARE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT, POINTS Of VIEW OR OPINICINS OFFICE OF EDUCATION STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. A STRUCTURE-PROCESS APPROACH TO COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF PRESCHOOL NEGRO CHILDREN: RATIONALE AND EFFECTS* Joe L. Frost The University of Texas at Austin The major purposes of this report are: (1) to present a rationale and description of the Structure-Process approach to cognition and literacy; (2) to describe techniques for implementation of the Structure-Process model; and (3) to assess the effects of the Structure-Process approach on the cognitive development of 290 three-to seven-year-old Negro children enrolled in four early childhood centers located in economically depressed areas of Texas and Louisiana during the 1967-1968 school year. The evidence supporting compensatory programming for young children is universal knowledge amoung educators, and this report is lengthy. Consequently, the traditional statement of need has been deleted. A Structure-Process Approach to Cognition and Literacy': Rationale and Description The Structure-Process approach to the development of cognition and literacy in young children is an emerging effort to form a working relationship between two complimentary but oft-divorced behavioral sciences psychology and education. Whenever the researcher attempts to generalize from princi/ples tested through basic research, i.e., research in learning, to classroom application he must initially accept a great deal on faith. This is characteristic of theory building, where initial concepts are established, subjected to experimentation, and eventually evaluated and revised until the theoretical *stem is sufficiently substantial to merit general acceptance and applicdfion. A 4ia In the structure-process approach, cognition is defined as the exercise of the higher mental processes, totally dependent upon but essentially different from the organism's learning processes. Intelligence, which embraces both learning and cognition, is defined as the organism's ability to adapt to increasing complex and sohpisticated internal and external environmental situations and stimuli. In this conceptualization, learning and cognition are seen as separate but correlated and interdependent factors of intelligence, with integral relationships to the neuro-physiology of the brain (Frost and Rowland, 1968, p. 385). The structure-process model evolved from a synthesis of theoretical and research reports in the area of cognition (Rowland 1967; and Frost and Rowland 44) 1968,1969) 0 0 *Presented at the National Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Los Angeles, California, February, 1969. The work reported herein was sponsored by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, Austin, Texas; Edwin Hindsman, Executive Director. Appreciation is extended to Thomas Rowland, New York University, for his work in the original conceptualization of the Structure-Process model; to Robert Hughley, Program Director; and to Robert Randall, Director of the SEDL Division of Research and Evaluation. A more comprehensive program evaluation has been prepared by the Division of Research.