The objective of this study was to investigate the reliability of three major domains of individual dynamic assessment (DA): (a) deficient cognitive functions (DCF), (b) types of mediation given during DA, and (c) non-intellective factors. A sample of 35 young adolescents was administered eight tests from the Learning Potential Assessment Device (LPAD) (Feuerstein, Rand, & Hoffman, 1979). The sample was composed of children diagnosed with learning disabilities and educable mental handicaps, and normally achieving children. The DA procedure for each case was videotaped for 8 to 15 hours and later rated for the three main domains. Results in general showed moderate reliability scores for DCF and mediational strategies and lower reliability scores for the non-intellective factors (NIF). Separate analyses were carried out for ratings which include a 0 category (examiners could not observe a behavior) and ratings without a 0 category. The results showed a general tendency for higher agreement among raters when the 0 category was removed. In type of mediation, ratings were similar with or without the 0 rating only in the training phase, when agreement was higher in approximately 10% of categories when 0 ratings were included than when not. These results were explained by referring to the interaction of type of task and phase of testing (situation) interaction.

The main objectives of this study were to investigate: (a) gender differences in spatial abilities of kindergartners, (b) the effects of a teaching, using dynamic assessment (DA), on cognitive modifiability of spatial abilities, and (c) the effects of task characteristics (rotation, symmetry, complexity) on mental rotation performance. Thirty two boys and 32 kindergarten girls, 5 to 6 years old, were administered the Spatial Relations subtest (PMA), the Mental Rotation subtest (CMB), the Visual Figure Ground test, and the Dynamic Embedded Figures Test. The results revealed a significant pre- to postteaching improvement in mental rotation and spatial visualization in both gender groups. Boys showed higher performance than girls on easy preteaching mental rotation tasks but the girls closed the gap on the postteaching test. On difficult mental rotation tasks (e.g., higher rotation or higher complexity) boys and girls showed similar pre-teaching performance, but boys showed higher performance than girls on the postteaching test. Pearson correlations between spatial and verbal abilities were higher among girls than among boys — a result which was explained by the girls’ tendency to use their verbal abilities for solving spatial problems, especially for the spatial visualization tasks. Boys tended to separate between the two domains and use a holistic spatial strategy.

The focus of this article is on the effects of mediated learning experience (MLE) interactions on children’s cognitive modifiability. In this article, I discuss the MLE theory, and selected research findings demonstrating the impact of MLE strategies in facilita ting cognitive modifiability. Research findings derive from mother–child interactions, peer-mediation and cognitive education programs. Mediation for transcendence (expanding) was found consistently as the most powerful strategy predicting cognitive modifiability and distal factors in samples of children with learning difficulties directly predict cognitive modifiability. Findings of peer-mediation studies indicate that children in experimental groups participating in the Peer Mediation with Young Children program showed better mediational teaching style and higher cognitive modifiability than children in control groups. Application of dynamic assessment as a central evaluation method reveals that the contribution of the cognitive education program was not simply supporting the development of a particular skill practiced during the program; it also involved teaching children how to benefit from mediation in a different setting and consequently improve their cognitive performance across other domains.

The authors proceed from the presentations at the 20th anniversary conference of the International Association for Cognitive Education and Psychology (IACEP), “Dynamic Assessment: Progress, Problems, and Prospects,” to present their reflections on the major issues of dynamic assessment (DA). Among the topics discussed are the following: what DA actually assesses, how DA informs instruction and intervention, and if mediation should be grounded in the students’ culture. The authors also respond to some of the critical points raised against DA and discuss progress and prospects in the field of DA. Les auteurs utilisent les présentations de la Conférence du vingtième anniversaire de l’IACEP « évaluation dynamique: progrès, problèmes et perspectives » pour présenter leurs réflexions sur les résultats importants touchant l’évaluation dynamique. Les thèmes discutés sont les suivants: qu’est-ce que l’évaluation dynamique évalue vraiment? Comment l’évaluation dynamique informe-t-elle sur l’instruction et l’intervention? La médiation doit-elle s’ancrer dans la culture des élèves? Les auteurs répondent aussi à quelques critiques dirigées contre l’évaluation dynamique et discutent des progrès et des perspectives dans le champ de l’évaluation dynamique. Die Autoren gehen von den Darbietungen auf der 20. Jubiläumskonferenz der IACEP mit dem Motto “Dynamische Diagnostik: Fortschritt, Probleme und Aussichten” aus, um ihre Überlegungen zu wesentlichen Themen der dynamischen Diagnostik (DA, Dynamic Assessment) vorzustellen. Darunter sind die folgenden: Was DA wirklich erfasst, welch informativer Wert DA für Unterricht und Intervention zukommt, und ob Mediation in der Kultur des Lerners begründet sein sollte. Die Autoren beantworten auch einige kritische Einwände gegen DA und diskutieren Fortschritt und Perspektiven in diesem Gegenstandsbereich Los autores exponen las presentaciones de la Conferencia celebrada con motivo del 20 Aniversario de la IACEP sobre la “Evaluación Dinámica: Desarrollo, Problemas y Perspectivas” cuyo propósito es la presentación de su propias reflexiones acerca del estado actual de la Evaluación Dinámica (DA). Los principales tópicos que se analizan son: qué evalúa realmente la Evaluación Dinámica, cómo la Evaluación Dinámica ilumina la instrucción y la intervención, y si la mediación debería basarse en la cultura de los estudiantes. Los autores también responden a algunos de los puntos críticos que emergen contra la Evaluación Dinámica, e igualmente discuten su desarrollo y las perspectivas. Gli autori a partire dalle presentazioni fatte in occasione del 20° Anniversario della Conferenza IACEP “Valutazione Dinamica: progressi, problemi e prospettive” continuano le loro riflessioni sulle principali questioni della Valutazione Dinamica (DA). Tra gli argomenti discussi vi sono: che cosa la DA in realt à valuta, come la DA fornisce istruzioni e modalit à di intervento, se la mediazione debba essere ancorata alla cultura dello studente. Gli autori rispondono anche ad alcuni punti critici sollevati contro la DA e discutono i progressi e le prospettive nel campo della DA.

Children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) exhibit specific difficulties in high-order components of emotional understanding that involve language (e.g., recognition of complex emotions from situations), or defining emotions and providing examples. The objectives of the current study were to study (a) modifiability of emotional understanding using a short-term mediation program aimed at enhancing emotional understanding among children with SLD as compared with typically developing (TD) children, (b) the correlation of language ability with emotional understanding. A sample of 64 boys with SLD and 33 TD boys (9–11 years old) were administered emotional understanding measures, and tests of language processing. The children were given the Language of Emotions Mediation Program and retested on the emotional understanding measures. Children with SLD revealed initial lower level of emotional understanding than TD children but higher pre- to postmediation improvement. The correlation between emotional understanding measures and verbal ability decreased from pre- to postmediation only in children with SLD. These findings indicate less cohesiveness between the two domains because of the mediation program.

The effects of a peer-mediation program and training in analogies versus math on mediation strategies, cognitive modifiability, and math were investigated with 78 tutor-tutee dyads. Experimental group tutors (EGT, n = 39) received the Peer-Mediation for Young Children program, whereas control group tutors (CGT, n = 39) received a substitute program. Grade 3 tutors taught kindergarten tutees analogies and math problems. Their interactions were videotaped and analyzed by the Observation of Mediation Interaction scale. Dynamic assessment measures were administered before and after the program. EGT showed higher levels of mediation strategies and cognitive modifiability than did CGT. EGT trained in teaching analogies showed higher mediation strategies and cognitive modifiability than did EGT trained in teaching math. EGT teaching math showed higher levels of mediation strategies than did EGT teaching analogies. EGT showed higher improvement in math than CGT. The findings are discussed in view of the mediated learning experience theory and transfer effects of intervention.

Children, 4–6 years of age, in special education kindergartens were randomly assigned to a classification training (n = 45) and a comparison (n = 49) group. Children in the training group were taught the Classification unit of Bright Start, whereas those in the comparison group received a regular content-oriented curriculum. Both groups were given pre- and posttests of classification, semantic categories, and conceptual and perceptual analogies. Children who received the classification training improved more on all tests than did those in the comparison group. Significant positive correlations were found between verbal conceptualization and classification, conceptual analogies, and perceptual analogies. Teaching classification appears to have effects that generalize to other domains of language and higher order thinking that are significant in the cognitive development of young children with developmental language delays. The findings support the interplay between thinking and language and positive cognitive developmental effects of training in classification.