The book examines the change processes of development, as well as the nature of the changes in language, perception, memory, conceptual understanding, and problem-solving that mark cognitive development. Eight central themes presented in the first chapter integrate and unify the presentation. It examines emerging topics such as the possibility of multiple intelligences, the influence of the social environment on children's thinking, and the role of principles in guiding learning. It discusses how children learn reading, writing, and mathematical skills, and details the learning abilities of blind, deaf, gifted, and retarded children. It highlights the major theories of cognitive development; Piaget, neo-Piagetian, information-processing, sociocultural, theory-theory, connectionist, and multiple intelligences.