Explores the underlying knowledge that children have about the relationship between the structure of requests and the relative status of speakers and listeners. Shows that the three age groups (preschoolers, 5-year-olds, and 10-year-olds) could systematically differentiate the requests by means of syntactic directness or semantics. (HOD)

Outlines M. Halliday's theory of language production, which suggests that the form of oral and written language is determined by the context in which language is generated, and shows how it can be used as a basis for curriculum development. (Author/HOD)

First-, third-, fifth-, and tenth-grade children listened to eight stories designed to elicit prosocial or self-protective display rules. Children predicted protagonists' verbal and facial expressions to emotion-laden situations. Findings indicated knowledge of control of emotional displays increases between first and fifth grades, but then levels…

Discussed is the deliberative process--the verbal interchange that is carried on, usually by a group, with the intent that some kind of curriculum plan, policy, or program will emerge. A case study involving a curriculum committee deliberating over a new science program for their Ontario (Canada) school board is presented. (RM)

Explores the discourse and speech acts used by Black children between the ages of 5 and 10 in one Midwestern community. Examines the rhetorical devices of teasing, name-calling, riddles, and joke-stories and hypothesizes as to the functional significance of each in the cultural environment. (SA)

Implications of using pupil-to-pupil discussion with mathematics classrooms are discussed, with different ways in which such discussion might promote mathematical understanding. A framework for instruction includes the learning of the computer language Logo. (MNS)

Distinguishes between Stanley Fish's idea of interpretive communities and rhetorical communities and asserts that because language is the passport to these communities, schools should seek ways to help students enter the communities to which they seek access. Cites evidence from an international study of writing to support the idea of rhetorical…

Small group interaction facilitates language development because students tend to be motivated by their peers. Language acquisition, classroom management, and teaching methodology are integrated within a social studies unit to illustrate how children learn. (DF)

The development of an advanced English course emphasizing communication skills for adult students is described. The course was intended to foster a broad range of conceptual and interpersonal abilities. (RM)

This aim of this study was to analyze the content of students' verbal interactions within a problem-based learning context in biology. This was achieved through the qualitative analysis of the verbal protocols of three groups of two clases of ninth-grade female students (average/high ability, high/high ability, and average/average ability). The…

Recent political imperatives have pushed the issue of teacher quality to the top of the reform agenda in U.S. education (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2001; Darling-Hammond & Youngs, 2002). While the recent focus on teacher quality may give us the illusion that it is a new topic, questions about the preparation, recruitment, and retention of good…

The verbal and nonverbal behaviors of 16 first-grade teachers were examined to assess differences based on sex and race of child and race of teacher. Results indicated that the White teachers directed more verbal praise and criticism and nonverbal praise toward males and more nonverbal criticism toward Black males. (Author/LC)

Affirmed that verbal behaviors (time speaking, initiated assertions, referrals received and first-person statements) were related to self-traits as measured by personality measures and a subjective self-report. The results are indicative of a proactive-reactive dimension of social interaction from both self and behavioral perspectives. (Author)

Overviews the contents of a three-unit booklet of Gestalt learning activities for elementary schoolchildren. Summarizes a program incorporating these activities, focusing on external and internal awareness and expressing feelings. Describes teacher and counselor roles in the program as well as student outcomes. Includes examples from each unit.…