Purpose: Narrative skill represents a higher-level linguistic skill that shows incremental development in the preschool years. During these years, there are considerable individual differences in this skill, with some children being highly skilled narrators (i.e., precocious) relative to peers of their age. In this study, we explored the…

State-funded prekindergarten (preK) programs are increasingly common across the country. This study estimated the effects of eight state-funded preK programs (Arkansas, California, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia) on children's learning using a regression discontinuity design. These programs vary with…

Research Findings: Children learn most of their vocabulary incidentally, by hearing words used in their environment. This study explored which kinds of presentations of words, without any direct instruction, yielded greater depth of target word knowledge. Changes in 56 kindergartners' depth of knowledge for each of 23 novel target words (N =…

A key element in vocabulary instruction is to get the students to "feel" the vocabulary and make it a part of their new language identity; that is, helping the students to "own" the terms is a top priority of language instructors. Using verbpathy as a tool meets this goal. The idea of using verbpathy in vocabulary instruction…

In this paper the authors briefly describe how features of the multilevel bi-factor model align with salient features of instruction. They then apply this framework to measure the extent to which teachers' instruction is supportive of vocabulary learning in second and third grade reading comprehension and vocabulary lessons. The results lend…

Children who enter kindergarten with a small vocabulary don't get taught enough words--particularly, sophisticated academic words--to close the gap, according to the latest in a series of studies by Michigan early-learning experts. The findings suggest many districts could be at a disadvantage in meeting the increased requirements for vocabulary…

This paper uses a regression discontinuity model to examine the effects on kindergarten entrance assessments of the Kalamazoo County Ready 4s (KC Ready 4s) program, a half-day pre-K program for four-year-olds in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. The results are based on test scores and other characteristics of up to 220 children participating in KC…

THE PROCESSES OF THOUGHT, OF CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT, AND OF VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY INTERRELATED. COMMUNICATION OF IDEAS DEPENDS UPON THE ABILITY TO ASSOCIATE WRITTEN AND VERBAL SYMBOLS WITH THE REFERENTS THROUGH A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS OF REORGANIZING AND INTEGRATING OLD AND NEW CONCEPTS. THE ABILITY TO ASSOCIATE, IN TURN, DEPENDS UPON…

THIS TEACHER'S MANUAL HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR TEACHERS WHO ADOPT THE TEXT--"FIRST LEVEL ARABIC, ELEMENTARY LITERARY ARABIC FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS." VARIOUS TECHNIQUES FOR APPLYING THE AUDIOLINGUAL APPROACH WERE DISCUSSED UNDER THE HEADINGS OF (1) HELPING STUDENTS TO MEMORIZE THE BASIC DIALOG SENTENCES, (2) HELPING STUDENTS USE BASIC DIALOG…

This document consists of the three issues of "FLESNews" published during school year 1992-1993. This newsletter of the National Network for Early Language Learning contains articles on a variety of topics in elementary school second language teaching, listings of instructional materials, classroom instructional activities, and…