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The aim of the National Numeracy Strategy is to raise standards in numeracy. Strong evidence for its success has, however, been lacking: most of the available data come from performance on National Test assessments administered in schools or from Ofsted reports, and is vulnerable to suggestions of bias. An opportunistic analysis of data from a population cohort study extending over three school years compares school-based scores at school entry and at age 7-8 with clinic-based scores on similar tests. The results show a small but statistically significant rise between 1998 and 1999 and between 1998 and 2000 in scores on both KS1 arithmetic SATs taken in schools and the arithmetic component of the WISC test taken in an independent research clinic. This is evidence for a real rise in generalised arithmetic ability over this period which may be attributable to the children's experience of the National Numeracy Strategy.

The aim of the UK National Literacy Strategy is to raise standards in literacy. Strong evidence for its success has, however, been lacking: most of the available data comes from performance on tests administered in schools or from Office for Standards in Education reports and is vulnerable to suggestions of bias. An opportunistic analysis of data from a population cohort study extending over three school years compares school-based scores at school entry and at age 7-8 with independently administered scores on similar tests. The results show a small but statistically significant rise between 1998 and 1999 and between 1998 and 2000 in scores on both Key Stage 1 Reading Standard Assessment Tasks taken in schools and the reading component of the WORD test taken independently. This is clear evidence for a real rise in reading attainment over this period, which may be attributable to the children's experience of the National Literacy Strategy.

This study examines how teachers' use of affective strategies (voice intonation, dramatization, personal involvement comments) during the reading and discussion of books influence young children's affective reactions (dramatization, personal engagement, language play comments). Twenty kindergarten teachers read four books, two fiction and two information ones (narrative/expository text). We found significant differences in both teachers' affective presentation and young children's affective reactions between fiction and information books, between the two fiction books but not between the narrative and expository text. A strong bi-directional relationship was found between teachers' affective presentation of stories and young children's affective reactions. In particular, teachers' personal involvement comments prompted children's personal engagement reactions, teachers' reenactment was followed by children's imitations of such reenactments and teachers' voice intonation elicited children's personal engagement comments. On the other hand, children's use of paralinguistic cues and personal engagement comments reinforced teachers' use of voice intonation and personal involvement comments. Finally, text features, such as rhyming, were followed by children's language play. Cette étude examine comment l'emploi de stratégies affectives (intonation, dramatisation, commentaire d'engagement personnel) par les enseignants, pendant la lecture et discussion des livres, influence les réactions affective des enfants (dramatisation, engagement personnel, jeu linguistique). Vingt enseignants des écoles maternelles ont lu quatre livres -deux livre de littérature et deux livre instructifs (texte narratif/d'exposition). Nous avons trouvé des différences considérable entre les livres de littérature et les livres instructifs ainsi qu'entre les deux livres de littérature, main pas entre le texte narratif et celui d'exposition. On a trouvé une forte relation bidirectionnelle entre la présentation affective des histoires par les enseignants et les réactions affectives des enfants. En particulier, le commentaire personnel des enseignants a incité les enfants aux réactions d'engagement personnel; la reconstitution par les enseignants a été suivie par l'imitation de cette reconstitution par les enfants; l'intonation employée par les enseignants a provoqué des commentaires d'engagement personnel par les enfants. Par contre, l'emploi de signaux paralinguistiques et des commentaires personnels par les enfants a renforcé l'emploi d'intonation et des commentaires personnels par les enseignants. Finalement, les traits du texte comme la rime ont été suivi par le jeu linguistique des enfants.

Piaget's analysis of the class inclusion problem identifies three operations in its solution. His prediction of the order of achievement of these constituent operations was tested in two experiments. The results of both experiments were contrary to his hypothesis and lend no support to the importance of the suggested operations. Explanations for the order of achievement of constituents of class inclusion are discussed, and an alternative model of the class inclusion model is put forward.

Piaget's theory of concrete operations structures d'ensemble is discussed, and certain predictions derived from it investigated in a longitudinal study of 120 children aged between 5.0 and 11.10. The data of these testings were submitted to a variety of analyses. The results suggested that the development of concrete operations was unlike the succession of discontinuous generalised stages which Piaget has postulated. His model is criticised as taking insufficient account of individual differences and of the structure of the testing situation.

The Child as Thinker by Sara Meadows.