Class inclusion

In Piaget's theory, the knowledge that a subordinate class (for example, red balls) must always be smaller than the larger class to which it belongs (for example, balls)

Selective Attention

The ability to concentrate on specific stimuli without being distracted by competing stimuli

Short-term memory

Temporary storage of information for immediate recall

Memory Span

The number of items, such as numerical digits, that a person can hold in short-term memory

Digit Span

The number of digits that a person can keep in short-term memory; a form of memory span

Memory Strategy

An activity intended to improve memory performance

Rehearsal

A memory strategy that involves repeating over and over again the information that needs to be remembered

Organizational Strategies

In memory tasks, strategies that involve putting the material to be remembered into an orderly framework

Elaboration

The strategy of creating a relationship or meaning between two objects in order to help remember an association between them

Metamemory

Knowledge about memory itself, including awareness of one's own memory skills

Mental Age

Level of cognitive funtioning measured by the number of items answered correctly on an intelligence test; once used together with chronological age to calculate IQ

Standard deviation

A statistical measure of spread or distribution of data around a mean

Flynn Effect

Upward trend in IQ scores reported in the 20th century; the effect is named after James Flynn, who identified and studied it

Triarchic theory of intelligence

Sternberg's theory of intelligence, which holds that intelligence has three main components: prectical, creative, and analytical

Practical intelligence

In Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, the extent to which we are able to accomplish ouraims in the context of different environments

Creative Intelligence

In Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, the ability to invent or create solutions to novel problems

Analytical Intelligence

In Sternberg's triarchic theory of intelligence, the component of intelligence mate up of may inftormation processing skills, such as computational ability

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Gardner's theory proposing that intelligence is not a single unitary pfenomenon but a collection of many different kinds of abilities, such as musical, liguistic, mathematical, and scientific

Pragmatic skills

The ability to use language to achieve varied aims (for instance, to persuade) in different circumstances

Whole Language Approach

An approach to reading instruction that involves exposure to complex texts from the begining and encourages children to develop automatic recognition of whole words

Basic Skills Approach

An approach to reading instruction that involves heavy emphasis on connections between souns, letters and words

English as a Second Language (ESL)

An approach to teaching a new language to children that involves instruction only in the new language

Bilingual Education Approach

An approach to teaching children a new language taht involves instruction in both the first and second languages

Additive bilingualism

A type of bilingualism in which people add fluency in a new language to their already estabilshed fluency to their first language

Limited English Proficiency (LEP)

Less-than-fluent grasp of English by many non-native speakers of the language

Achievement Gap

The difference in academic scores between children from middle- and low-income families