Compares findings of four similar studies that analyzed patterns of teachers' verbal and nonverbal communication with different types of student populations. (JG)

The purpose of the exploratory study reported here was to examine the nature of teacher-pupil contact in informal junior classrooms in terms of the teacher's method of talking to children and the teacher's conversational approach. (Author/RK)

The unity of the teaching/learning process is sensitively discussed in terms of perception, dialogue, and mutual responsibility. (Editor)

Ninety-five children in 28 nursery school classrooms were used to investigate the relationships between teacher facilitative or directive verbal behavior in nursery school classrooms and seven aspects of child language change (receptive vocabulary, vocabulary of use, mean length of response, complexity of sentences, inquiry statements, dramatic…

Author described the problems of Alaskan natives who confront the "equal and alike" classroom teacher and who fail to learn. As well, she considered four different types of teachers in the classrooms of Alaska and how only one successfully taught her native students. (Editor/RK)

A collaborative writing process was found to be helpful in the development of literacy learning in a second-grade classroom. Steps of the collaborative writing process evolved through class discussions and included: (1) brainstorming for topics; (2) setting up a folder to collect writing; (3) prewriting; (4) writing; (5) sharing and revising; (6)…

This study of dimensions of variation in preschool teachers' classroom talk involved 10 white, middle-class, experienced teachers in developmental classes. Audio recordings and observations were made of 30 minutes of free play time, 5 minutes of transition time, and 25 minutes of group time. For 8 of the teachers, group time included 10 minutes of…

Reading aloud to kindergarten children makes good educational sense. For this group, teachers should emphasize the aspects of reading aloud that promote a love of story listening as a bridge to future reading. To read aloud well, teachers should: (1) use stories with strong plots, vivid characters, and interesting settings; (2) select a book they…

Teachers need not drop entirely the nonliterary aspects of classroom talk and response to put students back in touch with the aesthetic role of classroom reading. Affect is the "gut reaction" a reader experiences when his or her raw emotions are touched. This first level of response must be acknowledged, even encouraged, before moving on…

To gain more information about the language awareness of young children, a study examined the relationship between 14 middle class kindergarten children's oral language and their reading achievement in third, fourth, and fifth grades. Individual children's ranks on 61 oral language features derived from a previous microethnography were compared to…

This pamphlet maintains that genuine discussions require a different agenda and teacher approach from other types of classroom sessions, and uses actual classroom transcripts as evidence and illustration. The first section, "Discussion as a Special Event," analyzes the patterns of common classroom interactions, finding a formal and…

To gain insights into what makes student/teacher conversations about writing more and less successful, a sample of freshman composition teachers was asked to tape record all of their writing conferences. In addition, student writing samples were collected. In all, the tape recordings of 48 writing conferences were transcribed and prepared for…

Communication prostheses are critical components of the nonvocal child's communication process, but are only one component. This article focuses on the steps involved in communicative interaction processes and the potential barriers to the development of effective interaction and analysis of nonvocal communicative interactions. A discussion of the…

Children from different backgrounds come to school speaking a wide variety of dialects. Questions concerning the use of dialects in schools have become increasingly complex and controversial in recent years. A central issue is the requirement of a standard dialect in school. Some find it discriminatory, others find it necessary to broaden student…

If what is known about selective processes of perception is coupled with awareness of the extremely rapid pace of classroom interaction, the classroom setting becomes one in which differential teacher expectations are likely to be formed and maintained. In fact, research findings reveal the power of teacher expectations: high teacher expectations…