This article reports on the development and preliminary implementation trials of a modular small-group intervention targeting syntax and vocabulary for children at high risk for reading comprehension difficulties in grades prekindergarten through first. The intervention, delivered by trained paraprofessionals, included 12 weeks of 20-minute…

Measures designed to explore word-finding ability were administered to 60 8- to 11-year-old learning-disabled and normal-learning children. Three stimulus contexts and high- and low-frequency words were used. Certain substitution types and secondary characteristics emerged as specific to learning-disabled children. (Author/SW)

The study investigated the referential communication ability of 40 learning disabled and 40 nonlearning disabled elementary school boys (ages 9 to 11). Results indicated that learning disabled Ss were less effective in providing descriptive information about objects than their nondisabled peers. (PHR)

Discusses the personal value of reading, its ability to provide excitement and adventure and to touch the reader's emotions. (DD)

The pragmatic competence of 33 learning disabled (LD) children (grades 2, 4 and 6) was examined on a task that allowed for the separate assessment of linguistic and social knowledge, i.e., the ability to appropriately vary politeness and persuasive strategies as a function of listener status. LD and non LD Ss made requests of four imaginary…

Among results of a comparison of 20 language disordered and 20 control children (ages 7-10) were that only the nonhandicapped children changed the number of complete episodes narrated as a function of the listener's shared information, while neither group altered the accuracy of conjunctive use as a function of the listener. (Author/DB)

Normal-hearing elementary school-age children (N=180) performed rote sequencing language tasks, named colors, and told their birthday. For the six automatic and semiautomatic expressive language tasks, maturational trends were noted for all observations. Central tendency values and standard deviations by grades for the six tasks are reported.…

Comparison of alpha amplitudes of 12 children with learning disabilities and 12 normally achieving controls in three task situations found no significant differences between groups in alpha amplitude but a significant task effect with the vigilance, story comprehension, and rehearsal conditions showing decreasing alpha amplitudes in both groups of…

Investigation of the impact of speaking rate variations in the linguistic input provided to 32 school-age children (half with specific language impairment (SLI) found both SLI and typical children had similar recognition accuracy, but SLI children had significantly more difficulty with the production of novel words presented at a fast rate.…

The study compared the effectiveness of peer and adult models in teaching an expressive language task to four autistic boys (9-11 years old). Ss had well developed imitative repertoires and some spontaneous language. Using a BCBC design, counterbalanced across modeling conditions and replicated across Ss, autistic Ss were taught to respond to…

Discusses a way to introduce students to idioms and figurative expressions while stimulating their interest in literature. (MB)

The study investigated changes in frequency of language used by six Down's syndrome children (six to seven years old) as they interacted with nonretarded peers within a normal school playground setting. As a group, Ss demonstrated a positive relationship between percentage of time engaged in interaction and increasing frequency on language use in…

The article summarized findings on the oral output of 40 gifted elementary school children who voluntarily attended language workshop sessions. Students were offered a wide range of oral expression, yet they exhibited haphazard and inconsistent oral abilities. Recommendations are made to improve the linguistic abilities of gifted children. (CL)

Hearing-impaired students can be encouraged to write creatively through such novelty book formats as: shape books, accordion-fold books, alphabet books, rebus books, books with page shape variations, diamante poems, play-along books, guessing books, pattern books, and pop-up and cutout books. (DB)

Twenty-three learning disabled (LD) children (age 8-12 years) and 15 nondisabled children (age 8-12 years) were individually administered the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Children's Revision (LNNB). Means and standard deviations for each of the test's scales were computed by group, and individual T-tests were calculated for…