A concept-attainment task was presented to 6-, 8-, and 11-yr.-old children (N = 96) to determine age-related differences in selection of action role or word-order problem-solving strategies. Children identified characters of puzzle pictures either on the basis of action role (agent-patient) or on the basis of word order (N1—N2) of sentences describing the puzzle pictures. Results indicated that a significantly greater number of 8-yr.-olds employed word-order strategies than 6- or 11-yr.-olds. An argument which accounts for these findings is advanced which focuses on the developing metalinguistic skills of 8-yr.-olds and an appreciation of the linear form of language which is brought to consciousness by the process of learning to read.
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