indexes.Comprehension75-2041nd WinstonPre{ace The aim of this book is to provide a comprehensive but coherentaccount of comprehension and learning for students enrolled in educationalpsychology courses. It could be used as a supplement when a general edu-cational psychology text is employed to cover the conventional range ofeducational psychology topics, although instructors looking for a more inte-grated and contemporary approach might consider using this book as themain text. The book should also have utility in general courses on cognitivepsychology, psycholinguistics and applied linguistics, since it attempts toprovide a plain-language theoretical integration not otherwise available. The book reflects the current change of emphasis from learning to com-prehension in both psychology and education. Psychologists have becomedeeply interested in how knowledge and beliefs are represented in the brain,since the manner in which we comprehend the world is the foundation ofall our interaction with the environment--perceptually, intellectually andemotionally. Educators are becoming aware that many instructional prob-lems concern a child's learning ability far less than his comprehension ofwhat he is doing in school in the first place, and of what school is trying todo to him. In theory as well as in practice, comprehension is seen as thebasis of learning. This is not a methods book. The intention is to provoke and to helpteachers think, rather than depend on being told specifically what to do.Prior knowledge of psychology or linguistics is not required, although thecontents will lead readers into many areas that can be further explored. TheNotes contain suggestions for more detailed readings. An outline of this book, and a little more detail about its aims and un-derlying philosophy, will be found in the brief Introduction.Toronto, CanadaFebruary 1975Frank Smith