This collection of articles discusses various ways of teaching English to college, high school, and elementary students. The contents include: -Values in Today's Society: A Non-Lecture Composition Course," which discusses ways that college students are encouraged to participate in and direct class discussions; "Gambits: A Teacher Centered Language…

This study hypothesized that disadvantaged black children could achieve higher creativity scores if they were provided with stimulating experiences appropriate to psychological warm-up immediately before they were tested for figural and verbal creative thinking ability. The subjects were 105 first grade children divided into three experimental…

Films that are relevant for people involved in Head Start Child Development Programs are described. The 34 films are available on a free-loan basis, and instructions for ordering them are included. Description information for each film includes film content, length in minutes, and whether black and white or color. (DP)

In Part One of this study of both racial attitudes in and the influence of race on social interaction between preschool children, "The Acquisition of Racial Attitudes," there is a discussion of mechanisms of racial attitude transmission, and a review of other studies. Part Two, "Sociological Correlates of Racial Attitude…

This paper discusses findings from a study of the speech patterns of 10 mothers interacting with their own younger child, their own older child, and with an adult. Results are discussed in terms of the temporal-acoustic pattern and content of the mothers' speech. Two claims are made about the kinds of speech a child hears: (1) The flow of speech…

A series of three studies investigated the role of play materials in supporting social interactions of nursery school children. Subjects were 14 boys and 11 girls, 4 and 5 years of age, who came from a variety of socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. Observations were made for 16 days, during the free play hour at each of four play centers: art,…

Drama can act as a bridge between the classroom and the real world in teaching students to communicate in a second language. Teaching techniques using drama to help improve students' pronunciation of English as a second language are described, as they relate to articulation, pitch, volume, rate, and variety. (CB)

Two procedures were compared for reducing violent or aggressive theme play of six preschool children with behavior disorders and five normally developing peers. Contingency statements followed by a modified time-out produced consistently lower rates of violent theme play than did verbal prompts to engage in more appropriate types of play.…

A total of 48 children (aged 4-14) with severe pervasive developmental disturbance, exhibiting mutism, echolalia, or nonecholalic speech, were observed in their communicative behaviors across modalities. Levels of symbolization in gesture, play, and drawing were significantly intercorrelated and were most strongly correlated with the criterion…

Analyzes and compares the exploration, play, and problem-solving activities of typically developing (average) and at-risk infants when they manipulate novel objects. (BB)

Describes learning experiences for preschool and primary age children involving simple machines. Discusses how toys give children an opportunity to explore and understand the technical aspects of our world. Surveys a variety of commercially produced toys to help children explore friction and motion. (CW)

Provides a historical review of the concept of childhood beginning with childhood as a natural state and ending with childhood as a socially constructed reality. (SRT)

Presents a method of defining cooccurring constellations or "packages" of maternal facial-visual engagement and head or hand stimulation during face-to-face play with an infant. The functional relevance of these packages is documented in case studies of one four-month-old infant playing with his mother and a stranger. (Author/CB)

The use of play as a means of teaching elementary mathematics is discussed. Earlier work is summarized and fresh results offered, particularly those concerned with the retention and transfer of play-acquired learning. The mathematical content chosen (factor, multiple, prime number, common factor, prime factor, and factorizing) is discussed. (CT)