The productive thinking program

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Journal of School Psychology

Lawrence, M. M. Young inner city families: Development of ego strength under stress. New York: Human Science Press, 1975. Pp. 139, $10.95 cloth. This book has been needed for a long time. Its message is addressed specifically to persons working in helping roles in the inner city (social workers, counselors, psychiatrists, etc.). The prevailing assessment by inner city helpers that their inner city clients are helpless, laboring under unbeatable odds, and doomed to failure is handled with understanding and sensitivity, and the reader is then moved to consider an alternative hypothesis; the alternative being that inner city families have an as yet untapped resource, their ego strength. Ego strength is analagous to a force that keeps the individual moving, striving and surviving when all hope seems lost to the outside observer. Ego strength in this sense is related to a type of conditioning that the organism goes through when the norm of existence is adversity and the automatic response of the organism is to fight; to hang in there; to hold on. The suggestion is made that helpers in the inner city need to recognize this ego strength and take steps to use it in developing the treatment plans of their clients. Thus, a new attitude is suggested for the helper which is based on recognizing the strengths of his/her clients and building on these strengths to insure success of treatment. A subtle but very important point made by the author is that the recognition of ego strength in inner city clients opens the door for the use of psychotherapy in treatment. The possibility for using psychotherapy with Blacks and other poor inner city people represents some rather forward thinking in an area of considerable past controversy. Nevertheless, the author has a broad base of experience as a psychiatrist for a mental health team in Harlem, New York and presents a careful documentation of case studies illustrating the use of psychotherapy. Another important point of the book is its emphasis on using the mental health team as a primary instrument of intervention. The work of such a team is presented with candor and some helpful suggestions for those who are currently engaged in or plan to engage in mental health team work. The causes for the plight facing many inner city families, particularly children, were classified under three general types of incidents: nature, nurture, and noxia. The mental health worker is advised to pay particular attention to these types of incidents when working in the inner city. Incidents of nature were presented as constitutional and related to genetic and congenital deficiencies. For the most part the case studies presented to represent this type of incident showed children who were diagnosed as having minimal brain dysfunction. The incidence of minimal brain dysfunction was thought to be high in the inner city giv01a the prevailing inadequate health care and other vital services. Incidents of nurture are related to developmental lags caused by the child's failure to pass satisfa~orily through the unconscious and neurotic conflicts of childhood. For example, loving and being loved is important in human development. All children have this need, yet the children of the poor are often subject to an environmental press that frequently negates satisfaction of this need. As such, an incident of nurture might occur whereby the individual's capacity for loving and being loved can be adversely affected. Incidents of noxia are represented by trauma or severe injury. Noxia can be due to physical or emotional assault. Early separation from a loved one, as with death or divorce, might produce noxia. Clearly this book represents a first step toward the development of a more positive treatment attitude by inner city helpers. The expectation that inner city children and their families have ego strength is significant. Identification of the magnitude and direction of this strength as well as decisions about the most effective ways to use this strength should come next. The case study method of presenting material made the book exciting reading. Finally, the author, Dr. Margaret Lawrence, has made a rather sincere and important contribution to mental health, and this book is a testimony to her hard work. Billy and JoAnne Minor Oakland University Rochester, Michigan 48063

Covington, M. V., Crutchfield, R. S., Davies, L., & Olton, R. M., Jr. The productive thinking program. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill, 1974. $120.00 for one set. The educational climate for developing new curricula is probably more mixed at the present

Reviews of School Psychological Materials

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time than in recent years. With many state and federal agencies emphasizing a return to basic skills development and increased accountability for all educators, it seems unlikely that a process-oriented curriculum would emerge as a probable basis for upper elementary education. As Covington, Crutchfield, Davies and Olton have noted, however, a number of thinking or cognitive processes are required for advancement beyond the lower levels of knowledge acquisition. Growing out of the theory of coblnitive psychology and philosophy of promoting bases for life-long learning, The Productive Thinking Program is a combination of structured, sequential lessons which engage the student in progressively more advanced levels of problem solving involving more complicated processing skills. In essence the authors describe the program as a course in learning to think. The curriculum is weU-organized into 15 Basic Lessons and their accompanying Problem Sets which provide guided practice in using specific thinking strategies. A total of 16 thinking strategies arc presented and repeated in a number of Problem Sets. These strategies or guides emphasize problem identification, clarification, developing plans for problem solving, giving time to review the problem, generating multiple and unique solutions, utilizing and identifying available resources for solving the problem, and motivating or encouraging on task behavior in a problem solving situation. The 15 Basic Lessons are incorporated into a continuous story line in an attempt to promote student interest and involvement. The characters in the story exhibit productive as well as u n p r o d u c t i v e ,"nking behaviors. The characters also exhibit positive and negative attitudes toward problem sblving situations. The authors have attempted to depict a realistic setting with which the upper elementary child can easily associate. The purpose of each lesson is clearly described to the teacher in the Teacher's Guide which accompanies the Problem Sets. In order to develop a complete understanding of the lesson content, however, it is essential that the teacher study the actual Problem Sets. The Teacher's Guide provides an overview of each lesson with objectives, questions for discussion, specific points to cover in discussions, class exercises and supportive notes to aid the teacher in reinforcing productive thinking skills. Covington et al., stress the utility of the curriculum as a basic component to the total upper elementary program or as a specialized program for specific groups of children. The authors contend that the program requires the student to use a number of intellectual activities that form the basis of instruction in social studies, science, mathematics as well as language arts and reading. As an additional component in an existing curriculum, The Productive Thinking Program does not duplicate the content of other curriculum units. As a specialized program the authors suggest that the content is appropriate as art enrichment for high ability groups, or a remedial unit for slow learners, or a motivational unit for underachievers. While the traditional curriculum approach might prescribe different content or teaching strategies for different groups of children, Covington et al., contend that the thinking strategies included in the Program are essential for all children. In addition, the curriculum can bc implemented as a self-instructional component so that different children may progress at different rates. Nonetheless, the authors report that in classroom application the most c o m m o n approach is for the totalgroup or class to work on the same basic lesson plan, with each student working individuallyon each assignment. A n alternativemethod of organization, when the whole class is working on the same lesson, is to divide the class into small groups. These small groups then work through the assigned lesson together. In either case, as well as in the independent student-paced method, each student responds to lesson questions in a personal journal. Subsequently, the student and teacher can review periodicallythe dcvclopment and applicationof thinking skills.In most cases each student will respond in a notebook separate from the actual lesson book so that the lesson book may be used again.. On the surface The Productive Thinking Program appears to be an unique and quite useful addition to the upper elementary classroom. The research data which are provided by the authors in the Teacher's Guide are impressive and the face validity of the curriculum content is acceptable. Only one question arises as a result of studying the viability of the curriculum as a component in the typical upper elementary classroom. That is, what are the philosophical and educational prerequisites which are essential for the successful implementation of the program? The authors discuss the rationale encouraging the development of thinking skills in children and also emphasize the distinctions between content and process oriented curricula. It appears, however, that the authors have avoided the question of what teacher attitudes and knowledge are needed for successful implementation of the program. In essence, the teaching and administrative staff selecting new materials are assumed to be aware of the theoretical and philosophical orientations represented in particular materials. Frequently curriculum materials are represented as a

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Journal of School Psychology

viable adjunct to any existing school curriculum. While the influence of teacher attitude on the implementation of a particular curriculum may not be documented in the literature, most curriculum supervisors are aware of the realities of working with teachers. That is, most teachers need to be convinced that a new curriculum works, especially if that curriculum is inconsistent with existing philosophical orientations, as may be the case with The Productive Thinking Program. Unfortunately, as with most curriculum developers, the authors do not examine the teaching behaviors and teacher attitudes that promote the successful implementation of this curriculum. In conclusiop, The Productive Thinking Program is innovative in content and process. The Program encompasses much of what we know about the acquisition and development of knowledge in a cognitive-developmental framework. The scope and sequence of the lessons are consistent with the interests and the developmental characteristics of the upper elementary children. The Program represents a concrete effort to introduce process oriented learning into the traditionally subject oriented upper elementary curriculum. Michael L. Hanes University of Florida Gainesville, Florida 32611