Presents a longitudinal study on the acquisition of first-, second-, and third-person pronouns in 12 French- and 12 English- speaking children. Findings revealed that the mastery of pronouns did not follow the developmental sequence predicted by the speech-role hypothesis; the person-role hypothesis was valid when children were speaking; and the…

Presents four bilingual education workshop sessions: (1) educational needs of bilingual children and the rationale for bilingual education; (2) developing teachers' role in bilingual education, including building home language skills and enhancing language development; (3) building teacher-parent relationships through positive personal contacts;…

Studied semantic and cognitive development of Korean-speaking and English-speaking children. Found that categorization and a naming spurt emerged later in Korean speakers than in English speakers, while means-ends abilities and success/failure words emerged earlier in Korean speakers than in English speakers. Also, Korean-speaking mothers…

Argues that use of theme-based curricula for preschool children is developmentally appropriate, provides an integrated approach to teaching and learning, enhances learning, and yields high levels of achievement. Provides supporting data from brain research and learning psychology. Includes a sample thematic unit and guidance for creating thematic…

Explores how the emerging literacy stage emphasizes the child's primary role in his or her individual progression in becoming literate. Provides guidance to teachers and parents to promote a child's language experimentation by emphasizing a supportive environment and enhancing natural learning by encouraging reading to children, self-directed…

This article describes how a first-grade teacher used poetry to provide students of diverse ability levels with reading and language activities that stimulated their interest and improved basic skills. Activities with poetry included reading the poems aloud individually and as a group, discussing and analyzing the poems' words and meanings, and…

Discusses the relations in learning between primary (L1) and second languages, including the theme of language learning and face-to-face verbal interaction; the conjunction of research in language learning and in bilingualism; and work on the role of metalinguistc activities in this area. Notes that the ethnographic data collected show that resort…

Examines the results of a nonce-verb test administered to adults and children in five hispanophone communities to determine their control of the inflectional morphology of the Spanish verbal system. Results indicate that adults have less access to natural productive verbal processes than do children. Notes that these results have implications for…

Parents of 153 children with autism completed a questionnaire on early childhood behaviors of concern and age of onset. Parents identified the following concerns: gross motor difficulties; social awareness deficits; communication problems; and unusual preoccupations. There was a significant interval between parents first noticing abnormalities and…

Describes how computers, when cast in a holistic framework, can be a natural complement to students' literacy development. Discusses how six teachers use computers in holistic literacy instruction. (MG)

Offers several suggestions for activities to be used with Big Books, including: tracking print, thinking along, cloze activities, and examining text features. (MG)

Summarizes the findings of "The Veltman Report," published by the Hispanic Policy Development Project. Hispanic residents and citizens of the United States are learning English and using English in addition to Spanish, a language shift process that spans three generations. Components of language acquisition are outlined. Policy…

Highlights the crucial role of language in child development, including intellectual development and the development of the brain. Describes the types of messages children receive from their parents' words, the importance of talking with children and exposing children to words without pictures, and ways schools can help parents develop children's…

In a study of first-language transfer and second-language (L2) acquisition of reflexive binding, the interpretation of English reflexives by native speakers of Serbo-Croatian was investigated using two types of written sentence comprehension tasks. Results support the transfer hypothesis and suggest learners have access to Universal Grammar in L2…

Reports on a longitudinal study on the effects of students' early linguistic development and family background on test performance when the students reach the end of their compulsory schooling years. Finds a considerable degree of continuity between early language development and later examination performance. (CFR)