The analysis of videotaped, naturally occurring, adult-child interaction led to the isolation of the clarification request as a consistent feature of adult interactive styles. The importance of these demands, their nature, how adults deal with them, and their effects on children's communicative development are discussed. (CHK)

A review of the literature regarding the training of parents as language facilitators for young language-handicapped children includes a description of the University of South Carolina Parent Training Program, which offers short-term training in desirable interactive styles, elicitation of appropriate language, and language facilitative…

Examines the frequency with which a child hears prose, poetry, and songs in the classroom from preschool to second grade. Indicates that children at all levels heard stories daily, whereas poetry received little attention. Argues that the language of literature is most evident in poetry and provides examples to support this conjecture. (JD)

Speech samples were elicited twice (four months apart) from a 4-year-old language delayed child. Clinical analysis involved examination of conversational turns and words, length of unit, speech act variables, amount of speech, and syntax. Although results clearly indicated an unmistakable surge in expressive language, analysis did not explain the…

A model of communicative development is described that includes seven progressively more complex levels of competence and a set of six criteria (communicative features) for individual assessment at particular developmental levels. Research evidence supporting the model is reviewed. Implications for assessment and intervention with communicatively…

A review of recent research trends in Italy regarding cognitive and communicative development of deaf children indicates that deaf children's potential for communicative and cognitive growth is enormous. This potential may be realized if provision is made for an educational environment based on a multiple code, gestural communication, spoken…

Examination of the types of linguistic knowledge that affect three- to nine-year-olds' (N=60) and adults' (N=12) ability to understand and produce novel compounds in Hebrew revealed that comprehension was achieved ahead of production. Knowledge of morphological form had little effect on comprehension, but was crucial to production. (Author/CB)

A rationale for the importance of analyzing spontaneous language use by persons with severe disabilities is offered. Use of a continuum of cues can help evaluate language needs and serve as the basis of a training program. Three recent studies demonstrating procedures for teaching spontaneous language use are reviewed. (Author/DB)

Longitudinal observation of 12 infants, including measures of child behavior and maternal language and child language, revealed that most subjects acquired a balanced distribution of object labels and social-centered words and phrases. (Author/CB)

Communication in mother-infant dyads and mother-infant-sibling triads was examined to determine how variation in the number of people and type of activity affect the ways language is used by all participants. Homebased observations were made of 16 first- and 16 later-born children when they were between 18 and 23 months old. (Author/BN)

The article describes a high-risk infant program which is designed to facilitate mothers' use of positive communicative interaction strategies. The various components of the Mother-Infant Communication Project model are described, as are the specific communicative strategies targeted by the program, and the intervention techniques utilized.…

This article surveys literature of research based on several early childhood bilingual education programs and guidelines. Common findings of each are outlined. It also includes a case study of instructional discourse in teaching language minority kindergarten children. (JL)

Twenty-one language disordered children ages three through seven diagnosed with autism, mental retardation, and/or developmental aphasia received a mean number of 74 signed speech training sessions. Seventeen children learned at least one word, and seven children learned multiple-word phrases. Most language learned was retained in a six-month…

A contrastive analysis of Hebrew and English dress and cooking verbs and their noun/object collocations supports a series of generalizations about second-language learning and reveals that psychosociolinguistic and situational factors influence the behavior of both native and foreign users of language. (Author/CB)