Explores the child's use of language and suggests way to promote language development in the classroom. (MKM)

An experimental study investigating the interaction of linguistic complexity and performance in child language acquisition tests the hypothesis that children learning a first language acquire relatively complex sentences somewhat later than less complex sentences. In one of three tests, the subjects, 44 children aged 3.6 to 6 years, were presented…

Describes how to use wordless picture books to develop reading readiness and language competence. (MKM)

Concludes that choral reading poetry is a good small-group, or even whole class approach, to building oral reading fluency in terms of both theoretical support and feasibility in classroom teaching situations. (FL)

With early diagnosis and intervention, students with language delays can succeed. This paper presents warning signs and recommends seeking expert help, explaining that supporting such children involves such things as reading to them, using simple but grammatically correct sentences, and following their lead. A sidebar notes areas that may be…

Explores the patterns in children's talk about their writing, by means of transcribed conversations during daily writing/sharing sessions in a first grade classroom. Discusses the importance of this kind of talk. (HTH)

Argues that rather than using a spelling series and treating spelling as a subject separate from the other language arts, teachers should use a program that begins with encouraging invented spelling and moves to the use of high frequency word lists and spelling by meaning. (FL)

Conversational samples of 10 dyads of 4-year-old children during play were analyzed. All dyads evidenced some lengthy topics (13-91 utterances), characterized by 3 text-level functions: enacting scenarios, describing, and problem solving. Three-fourths of all dialogues were considered relatively short. (Author/JDD)

When assessed for speech/language development, 31 children (age 1-12) fitted with endotracheal tubes for more than 3 months beginning by age 13 months showed overall language functioning within normal limits and commensurate with cognitive ability. However, a pattern of expressive language disability was noted in the oldest group. (Author/JDD)

Many researchers now believe that the representations and processes underlying syntactical development are specific to a "language faculty." If so, reference animacy would not be expected to influence acquisition of linguistic structures such as the passive sentence construction. Specifically, children should be comparably able to…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores the nature of vocabulary and its implications for classroom instruction. After defining vocabulary and discussing some of the sources of English vocabulary, the digest examines how children's vocabularies develop. It then discusses the role of vocabulary…

The purpose of this two section, five-part monograph is to help teachers plan and organize instruction so that objectives of language learning may be met as part of technology activities. Its intended audiences are elementary teachers, elementary language arts consultants, technology teachers who work in a team with elementary teachers, and…

Two experiments investigated preschoolers' acquisition of spatial words in Mandarin Chinese. In one experiment, 5 groups of 10 children at 34, 39, 46, 52, and 57 months were tested for comprehension and production of 14 pairs of Chinese spatial words. In the comprehension test the children were asked to point to pictures corresponding to the words…

The way adults talk with children is important because different styles of interaction lead to different learning opportunities. Differences between child-parent linguistic interaction and child-teacher interactions are explored. Suggestions to help teachers interact more effectively are discussed. (DF)

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)