Dutch children (ten five year olds and ten seven year olds) were asked to repeat two-clause sentences that varied in internal semantic cohesiveness. Results showed that semantic factors were primary in determining the five year olds' performance, while seven year olds, though possibly not insensitive to semantic variables, were retaining syntactic…

Based on an empirical study of over 3,000 learning disabled children and on a review of research, the paper outlines intellectual, attention and verbal mediation, social-affective, and oral and written characteristics of learning disabled students. Among the findings reported are the following: the median educational retardation is one grade below…

The ways in which preschoolers use the word "but" were studied. It was found that the eight preschoolers, who ranged in age from 3;9 to 5;5, were able to use "but" to express a number of different types of adversative relationships. "But" introduced clauses containing information that: (1) contrasted with shared knowledge about the usual state of…

The influence of five programs of the Mt. Druitt Early Childhood Project on the development of preschool children's vocabulary and syntactical skills was assessed in a pretest/posttest design. Programs differed in the amount of structure they imposed on the language experiences of the children and in the content they specified. Different measures…

Thirty-one eight-year-old boys were the subjects of a study to determine the relationship between language skills in infancy and reading skills at elementary school age. As infants, the boys had been taped in interaction sessions with their mothers. The level of skill development of the infants was measured according to the principles of…

Based on the belief that learning can take place in the home as well as in the school, this booklet was developed as a means of helping parents contribute to the improvement of their children's oral communication skills. Various sections of the booklet contain the following: (1) a discussion of children's communication behaviors, including an…

Several conclusions about child language were drawn from the data collected during the Bristol longitudinal study, "Language at Home and at School": (1) the amount of speech that adults address to their children is significantly associated with the children's rate of progress; (2) although many topics are introduced by parents, an equal…

Eleven selected language programs made available between 1967 and 1975 are described. The introduction explores the theoretical perspectives at work during the past 15 years and discusses the factors which should influence language program choice, how children acquire language skills, and techniques for evaluating the success of language…

A preliminary study was conducted to identify the precipitating conditions and strategies used for vocabulary acquisition and to relate these findings to one theory of elementary and post-elementary cognitive development. Twenty-six college seniors were asked three questions regarding precipitating conditions and strategies used for vocabulary…

The acquisition of imitative responses without reinforcement was investigated with infants by eliminating contingent reinforcement through the use of videotaped models. Twenty-nine male and female infants were randomly assigned to one of two groups, a Rhythmic Vocalization Group or a Conversation Control Group. Infants in the first group were…

Following a review of the literature, the paper describes a total communication approach to the language development of a 4-year-old autistic child. It is explained that the child was videotaped while being trained to simultaneously use elements of American sign language together with the correct spoken word or words. Training procedures are…

Presented are rating scales designed to assess severity in communication problems of elementary and secondary students and described is a training program connected with the scales. The scales are explained to provide a 5-point rating for language, voice, articulation, and fluency. The training program section includes sample historical…

Data on the development of fundamental frequency patterns and the emergence of semantic relations during the "one word period" in child language development are reported in this study. The research focuses on the changes that occur as children progress from producing single words to sequences of single words and finally to producing…

Designed for school personnel, the booklet discusses identification strategies for elementary and secondary gifted and talented (G/T) students with specific recommendations for language learning. The role of foreign languages in the education of G/T students is discussed and identification of giftedness in language learning is surveyed. The…

Multiple effects of an increased rate of teacher questions on the verbal behavior of three institutionalized severely retarded children were investigated. Teachers were observed in training situations with the Ss and were then instructed to increase the number of questions requiring answers other than "yes" or "no." Results showed that the…