A review of 20 experimental, shared book reading (SBR) interventions using questioning strategies with preschool children was conducted. The studies were analyzed in terms of their quality, focus, and the questioning strategies employed. Although there were few methodological concerns about the studies conducted, treatment fidelity and…

Most educators are familiar with Lev Vygotsky's concept of the "zone of proximal development," yet the bulk of Vygotsky's pioneering theory of cognitive development largely remains unknown. This volume provides a systematic, authoritative overview of Vygotsky's work and its implications for educational research and practice. Major topics include…

Investigated in this study was the relationship between an inquiry approach to science instruction and language development. Four classes of sixth-grade children from two socioeconomic groups participated in the study. The treatment consisted of 12 inquiry film sessions and six discussion sessions, each session 40 minutes in length. At the end of…

A cross-sectional study of language comprehension in relation to cognitive functioning in 48 10-to 21-month-old children, four at each month of age, revealed significant correlations between comprehension and five sensorimotor subscales. (Author/PHR)

Approximately 500 works concerning acquisition of French as a first or second language by children from infancy to adolescence are listed. Although works on prelinguistic development are not included, research on comprehension during this period is. Studies of early simultaneous bilingual development are included if one of the languages is French.…

Research in progress on some unresolved issues regarding the relationship of cognitive development and language acquisition is reported, especially the relationship between conservation of length and knowledge of relevant comparative dimensional adjectives. Much further investigation is recommended and possible educational implications are…

The second edition of this best-selling textbook provides students and practitioners with a broad introduction to, and critical analysis of, the main theories and issues within the field of early childhood studies. The book adopts a multi-disciplinary approach and pulls together all the key themes involved in the study of young children and…

A multiple-choice test, involving college students, showed that an ability to recognize biological terms was to some extent independent of the ability to understand the ideas to which they referred. Thus, there could be an appreciation of biological concepts and principles in the absence of the accepted vocabulary. (BB)

An experimental and control group of thirty-two four and five year-old children received identical quantitative tasks except for the language used. Results showed that children's difficulties with simple arithmetic tasks were not purely linguistic. The conclusion supports the suggestion that the development of language is intertwined with…

Bilingualism, to be cognitively and academically beneficial, must be based on adequately developed first language skills. Two hypotheses, developmental interdependence and threshold, are integrated into a bilingual education model which treats background, child input, and educational treatment to explain educational outcomes. (Author/MH)

This study investigates how children, who have acquired a basic speech repertoire, introduce dialogues and how they then pursue their communicative purpose in the course of interaction. The subjects were 20 kindergarten children and 20 second graders, ranging in age from 5 to 5 1/2 and from 7 to 7 1/2. The significant questions pursued were: (1)…

The study, "Young Children Learning," used a sample of 30 four-year-old girls to examine children's language development, their cognitive processing, and the differential effects of home backgrounds. Discussed are the development of girls and the ideas that are being presented to them both implicitly and explicitly by home and school.…

A SUMMARY OF THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH RELEVANT TO THE PROBLEMS OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL DEPRIVATION IS PRESENTED IN AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY. THE HYPOTHESIS, METHODS, SAMPLING, FINDINGS, AND CONCLUSIONS ARE CONTAINED IN EACH REFERENCE. EACH IS CLASSIFIED AS TO HOME ENVIRONMENT, SIBLINGS AND PEER GROUP, INTRODUCTION TO SCHOOL, SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND…

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A CHILD'S SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND HIS DEVELOPMENT WAS STUDIED. A MAIN AREA OF CONCERN WAS CULTURAL DISADVANTAGE AMONG CHILDREN FROM LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. THESE CHILDREN NOT ONLY FELL BEHIND IN BASIC SCHOLASTIC GROWTH, BUT ALSO RESPONDED MINIMALLY TO THE FUNCTION OF THE SCHOOL. THE BASIC PHILOSPHY OF THE…

The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and practicability of a home-centered preschool intervention program for cognitive, language, and personality development of mother and child, based upon the use of paraprofessional educators who are themselves members of the population served. One question considered was…