L. S. Vygotsky, the psychologist and teacher from Byelorussia who became a central figure in Soviet psychological and educational circles in the 1920s and 1930s, has become a frequent citation in 21st-century scholarship. He is most-often invoked to support some form of instructional scaffolding, based on his idea of the zone of proximal…

Encourages teachers to evaluate the appropriateness of language activities in the light of the language competencies children possess. (DD)

In Shakespeare's "As You Like It," Jaques offers the image of the world--or society--as a stage on which "one man in his time plays many parts." The question is: how does he (or she) know how to play those parts? Jaques seems to be suggesting that individuals are the creation of society, and the parts they play are written in…

Describes ERIC resources that present research on children's language usage and development and that suggest activities for the promotion of language development. (ET)

An article first printed in "Elementary English" in September 1953 which reviews language acquisition and development in children. (DD)

Presents a historical perspective on child language research, termed "stingy" because of the lack of financial and institutional support. Speaks of the pioneers and present researchers who study child language as men and women of unusual determination and commitment. (HTH)

Presents observations of three children's styles of symbolic language focusing on how each leaned to different degrees on drawing and talking to create their imaginary worlds and thus faced different challenges in rendering those worlds in print. (SRT)

Describes the interrelationship of reading and writing and proposes a full-school program for reading and writing development that builds on the full range of personal use of written language. (JL)

South American educator and author Freire discusses qualities important for the teacher, his vision of education and the growth of young children, and the role of language and reading in that vision. (HTH)

Points out the types of information teachers can learn from children's "mistakes" in language, reading, and writing; urges teachers to look at "mistakes" analytically rather than from a correctional perspective. Notes the need for teachers to understand the developmental nature of language skills and to observe each child in many contexts. (ET)

Presents evidence revealing the complexity of young children's language understandings with regard to spelling patterns, parts of speech, and vocabulary; points out that teachers must build upon the language knowledge that children bring to school. (GT)

Discusses (1) the possibility of children developing meaningful lives, (2) literature as a way of understanding children's lives, and (3) the importance of understanding children's consciousness and how this might be done. (SRT)

Tells how children's spelling strategies offer a glimpse of their knowledge about words; describes a study indicating that children's knowledge about words develops sequentially and systematically over an extended period of time. Discusses implications of the study for spelling instruction. (GT)

Presents findings of ethnographic research on children's talk and behavior, specifically routines in spontaneous peer play and verbal routines in structured activities. Concludes that instructional strategies should incorporate some of the features of children's play routines and peer culture. (SRT)

Recounts the author's experiences as a 2-year-old Elvis Presley fan who learned how to recognize, retrieve, and play a large number of his favorite 45 rpm recordings. (RS)