Children's first-language perception base takes shape gradually from birth onwards. Empirical research has confirmed that children may continue to fall short of age-based expectations in their speech perception. The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of various perception processes in both reading and learning disabled children.…

This paper looks at the acquisition of articles and related nominal functional properties (the status of classifier, the singular-plural distinction) in English and French by native speakers of Hong Kong Cantonese. Two experimental studies are reported. In the generative SLA literature, there is disagreement as to which properties of the grammar…

The current study examined the social and language development of 345 Spanish-speaking pre-kindergartners who attended pre-kindergarten programs that varied widely in how much Spanish was spoken in the classroom by the teacher. Previous studies on English language learners have focused on how the language of instruction impacts children's language…

In 118 children followed from age 2 to 5 (59 with autism, 24 with PDD-NOS and 35 with non-spectrum developmental disabilities), age 2 and age 3 scores of non-verbal ability, receptive communication, expressive communication and socialization were compared as predictors of receptive and expressive language at age 5. Non-verbal cognitive ability at…

State agencies have been exploring a variety of options for addressing the Office of Special Education Program's (OSEP) requirements for measuring outcomes for children in early intervention (Part C) or preschool (Section 619) programs. OSEP requires the measurement of children's performance in three outcome areas: (a) acquisition and use of…

Designed to be a resource to help educational practitioners, researchers, and other interested persons in the national and international community to understand terms used in contemporary and historical writings about literacy, this dictionary provides authenticated definitions of the technical terminology of the nature, study, and practice of…

Four papers originating from the Kesher project, a project in Israel involving the construction, implementation, and scientific evaluation of an original Hebrew language intervention program for preschool (ages 0 to 6) children with hearing impairments, are presented. The four papers included are: (1) "Language Intervention in Prelinguistic…

This publication (one of a series) contains 14 articles which report the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instruments for its investigation, and practical applications. Articles include: "The Universality of Intrinsic FO of Vowels: (D. H. Whalen and Andrea G. Levitt); "Intrinsic F0 of Vowels in the Babbling of 6-,…

A current project is underway to develop a multimedia system that would support the teaching and learning of Chinese characters, as well as provide a platform for conducting research into the cognitive aspects of Chinese language acquisition. Although the number of commonly used Chinese characters amounts to thousands, there are many structural…

Based on intense observations of one child's development from 1 to 3 years of age, this book describes how children acquire the knowledge they need to become persons. The book has 13 chapters, divided chronologically. Topics covered include: (1) personhood and social identity, and methodological issues; (2) 15-16 months, doing a lot with a little,…

Using a lighthearted and simple approach, this 23-minute videotape in English and Spanish versions presents interactions between parents and children while reading books. The children in the videotape range in age from 0 to 5 years. The video is introduced by scenes of children enjoying books while narration discussing the impact of reading to…

Education helps children select and progress toward appropriate goals. One of the impediments to education for American students is their lack of skill in English. Clear insight into the essentials of language comes from observing how the variables function in a model language such as Esperanto. Once children understand the basic anatomy of…

A discussion of the biological and developmental issues in early second language learning first looks at psycholinguistic research on brain growth patterns and the relationship of first and second language learning. Focus is on three phenomena observed in the self-organization of living systems: selection of input data; organization of specialized…

The first two volumes of the Research in English Acquisition and Development (READ) Institute journal, which cover 1993-1995, contain reports of research and programs in English-as-a-Second-Language instruction, bilingual education, and services to limited-English-proficient individuals. Articles include: "Second Language Teaching: A Theoretical…

The 23 articles chosen for this anthology of Yetta M. Goodman's writings were chosen based on historical importance, centrality to her body of work, availability, and/or ongoing relevance to teachers. The articles in the anthology are grouped to reflect major themes (culture and community; miscue analysis, reading strategies, and comprehension;…