ABSTRACT
The relationship between language and thinking has been a topic of debate for a very long time. It would not be useful to enter that debate here. However, nearly every program we have considered acknowledges the importance of language facility to effective thinking in one way or another. Some approaches focus on language, or symbol manipulation more generally, as the central theme. We turn now to a few examples of these. The distinguishing feature of these approaches is the idea that effective thinking requires “skill in a symbolic medium” (Olson, 1976). One must become an adroit manipulator of language, logical forms, computer programs, or other symbol systems that, in effect, can serve as vehicles for thought.
