When the social boundaries between groups are breached, the tendency for people to erect and maintain symbolic boundaries intensifies. Drawing on extant perspectives on boundary maintenance, we distinguish between two strategies that people pursue in maintaining symbolic boundaries: boundary retention--entrenching themselves in pre-existing…

This review of literature presents research about young children's (ages 2-8) early experiences with comprehension. Using a theoretical framework for emergent comprehension, the review demonstrates how each research study contributes to a holistic theory of emergent comprehension. Influences on emergent comprehension such as children's…

Qualitative stories garnered from six students with mental retardation and published autobiographical and biographical stories by people with disabilities or their parents are used as a "research synthesis" to describe an intimate, caring relationship which is of central importance when constructing a non-traditional approach to literacy that…

Adolescents need to develop a positive sense of belonging, of competence and of self-worth. Clothing is a silent but powerful language. Adolescents use clothing to help them cope with changes. Clothing functions in a positive way in the transition period from childhood to adulthood. (Author/BEF)

Three profoundly retarded students (ages 6, 8, and 12) were taught prelanguage signalling behaviors (grasping the experimenter's finger and tapping the back of one hand with the other) to initiate co-active imitation behaviors with an adult. (JW)