Predictive relations were examined between measures of 20 mothers' behavioural and verbal general and specific responsiveness and intrusive and supportive directiveness and their children's subsequent expressive vocabularies during three developmental periods with endpoints at the beginning, middle, and end of the second year: 0;10 to 1;1, 1;1 to…

To investigate the cognitive validity of scientific and quantitative reasoning items, "think-alouds" (verbal solutions) were elicited for a general education instrument. Several items were not aligned in terms of anticipated versus actual content, and the instrument's accuracy is questioned. We discuss study weaknesses and merits of this framework…

The purpose of this study was to assess whether verbal-motor performances deficits exhibited by individuals with Down syndrome limited their ability to acquire gross motor skills when given visual and verbal instruction together and then transferred to either a visual or verbal instructional mode to reproduce the movement. Nine individuals with…

Student-led chapter presentations provide an excellent opportunity for instructors to evaluate a student's comprehension of the assigned chapter, as well as the student's ability to present and convey information in a public forum. Although several instructors realize the benefits of requiring students to complete chapter presentations either as…

This study examined the quality of verbal exchanges between teachers and children in 4 primary classrooms and the 4-year-old groups in 4 child care centers in Australia. Data were collected during small group activities for a minimum of 4 hours. Interactions were audiotaped, transcribed, and divided into messages which are equivalent to clauses…

This study investigated verbal play, including teasing and self-mocking in a naturally occurring conversation, among four Chinese female friends. The study illustrates how these speakers engage in teasing activities and then discusses the implications and significance of verbal play. Examples are taken from a casual, playful conversation…

This paper reports on research conducted in the Language and Society Centre of the National Languages Institute of Australia, Monash University, into interaction in English between non-native speakers from different ethnolinguistic backgrounds. The project emphasizes two aspects of verbal interaction where language-specific rules are closely…

For educators, effective communication is an essential skill. This booklet is a collection of ideas, techniques, and tips to help educators strengthen their personal communication skills. The introduction discusses the need for administrators to communicate effectively with various audiences, describes the components of the communications process,…

In this study, fourth-grade special education students (n=78) and general education students (n=403) took a large-scale statewide test using standard test administration procedure and two major accommodations addressing response conditions and test administration. On both reading and math tests, students bubbled in answers on a separate sheet (the…

Findings of a study that used discourse analysis to explore the relationship of power and involvement to experience in supervisory conferences are presented in this paper. Based on Penman's (1980) content analysis scheme, conference talk between supervisors and teachers was analyzed according to manifest and latent levels of communication that…

Santeria is a religion which originated in West Africa and evolved from the syncretism of the culture of the Yoruba people with Catholicism in Cuba. Juanita, who was born in Puerto Rico and taught herself how to read and write, owns a "botanica," a retail shop specializing in Santeria paraphernalia. Juanita is a santera (priestess) in…

This research review sought to discover the forms of family verbal interaction that nurture language development in infants and toddlers, the function of different family members in this process, and the role of environmental factors in language development. Results indicate that speech to a child is significantly different from speech to an…

Focusing on work of interest to college English teachers and researchers, this book offers an annual classified listing of scholarship on written English at the college level. The book cites 1,925 articles, books, dissertations, and papers that, with few exceptions, were published during the 1991 calendar year. The bibliography lists each work…

Thirty-seven ways to communicate effectively with board members and superintendents regarding staff development are listed. Formal and informal methods for keeping them both informed and involved are suggested. (JH)

An investigation of structural aspects of television messages focused on the interaction between structure and content in the creation of meaning. A preliminary study using quantitative data analyzed 137 television news stories from the commercial networks on the fighting in El Salvador to determine how structural elements were used by…