Teachers’ and Students’ Cognitive Styles in Early Childhood Education

Some educators feel that children’s cognitive styles should be taken into account when learning activities are planned for them. The term cognitive styles refers to one’s personal style, and describes an individual’s mode of understanding, thinking, remembering, judging, and solving problems; in short, how he or she responds to and makes sense of the world. Assessing this functioning makes more sense than relying on a simple score on a standardized intelligence test. Teachers need to be aware of recent cognitive style research and learn to use the results of this research to plan effective educational programs. This book presents historical perspectives, suggests practical classroom applications, and provides implications for future research.

OLIVIA NATIVIDAD SARACHO is Professor of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Maryland at College Park. For several decades, Dr. Saracho has conducted research related to cognitive style, including young children. She is coauthor of Right from the Start (1994), Dealing with Individual Differences in the Early Childhood Classroom (1994), and Foundations of Early Childhood Education (1991).