Examines a task that can be applied in a uniform fashion across different languages to compare levels of vocabulary development in foreign-language learning. Results indicate that the lexical decision task can be a useful tool for the assessment and cross-linguistic comparison of lexical development in foreign-language learning. (37 references)…

Discusses changes occurring in two-, four-, and six-month-old infants' visual attention span, through a series of experiments examining their ability to orient to peripheral visual stimuli. The results obtained were consistent with the hypothesis that infants get faster with age in shifting attention to a spatial location. (AA)

Reports on an experiment where 64 elementary school students participated in reading, clapping, and vocalizing rhythms notated in color. Results after a 23-week treatment period revealed that the experimental group scored slightly higher reading both colored and uncolored notation than a control group. (MJP)

Describes the development of a 3-D virtual environment for secondary school and college physics and chemistry. Discusses individual learning styles; the effectiveness of visual stimuli in science education; implications of visual learning in designing instruction for differences in learning styles; and conceptual understanding. (LRW)

The relative effectiveness of 3 instructional procedures (sight word, fading, tactile-kinesthetic) in teaching 32 students (age 9-20) with moderate to severe mental retardation to read a series of monosyllabic words was investigated. No one experimental condition was superior to the others, and no skill acquisition differences were found in…

Two visually impaired children, aged 8 and 10, appeared to have severe difficulty in recognizing faces. After assessment, it became apparent that only one had unusually poor facial recognition skills. After training, which included matching face photographs, schematic faces, and digitized faces, there was no evidence of any improvement.…

Examines what linguistic devices speakers use to make an entity salient in a discourse and how they re-refer to discourse entities moving in and out of focus. Speakers' center of attention was manipulated via a videotaped basketball game. Speakers referred to prominent entities as subjects; when they referred to them as objects, they repeated the…

Argues that the nature of mental representation contributes little to the specification of synchronic syntactic competence. Psycholinguists, syntacticians, and morphologists can benefit from a collaborative approach to the construction of an integrative model of language and mind, covering competence, representation, processing, and acquisition.…

Twenty-three senior high school special education students were trained in the use of either a teacher-directed graphic advance organizer or a student/teacher-shared graphic advance organizer. Results revealed that the use of either type of advance organizer generated higher quiz scores in mathematics and science. (Author/JDD)

This paper reviews graphophonic factors underlying the development of reading competence and their relationship to functional aspects of reading. The paper suggests that attention be paid to aspects of visual form, such as the use of typographic and linguistic cues, to improve the operational effectiveness and motivational appeal of materials for…

Examines effects of different vocal models, response modes, and grade level on pitch-matching accuracy. Studies 163 children in grades K-3 and grades 7-8. Asks participants to echo singing performed by female and male voices. Finds no significant difference in response modes but significant differences in age-level ability and ability to match…

This article describes the use and development of communication systems for persons with severe intellectual and dual sensory impairments using tactually salient materials to refer to abstract and concrete objects and activities. A transdisciplinary model was used in teaching the use of these systems for requesting and decision-making processes.…

The aim of this study was to determine universal versus language-specific aspects of children's ability to organize cohesive anaphoric relations in discourse. Analyses examine narratives produced on the basis of two picture sentences by subjects of four ages (preschoolers, 7-year olds, 10-year olds, and adults) in four languages: English, German,…

Reviews selected research on the beneficial effects of tactile stimulation on infants. Examines the results of studies with animals, preterm infants, cocaine- and HIV-exposed preterm infants, and normal full-term infants. Briefly discusses caregiving implications and offers suggestions on how caregivers can incorporate tactile stimulation in…

Scientists and students often believe that if they just think harder about a problem, a solution will follow. However, thinking about one's thinking, or using metacognition, can be a more productive expenditure of mental energy. Introducing students to metacognition allows them to discover the value of reflection. This article presents a lesson on…