Encourages teachers to foster students' metaphoric thought. (DD)

Discusses experiences and activities to encourage language development in children younger than six. (BR)

In this study two retarded toddlers were separately taught to imitate words emitted by nonretarded agemates through application of a peer imitation training procedure. The extent of generalized imitation by the retarded was measured in a structured generalization setting and a free play setting. (Author/SB)

Discusses children's language development in relation to reading and presents seven stages of conceptual reorganization among children that allow for progressively greater power of word discrimination. (JM)

This study examined the ability of 4-year-old children to understand the propositional components (presuppositions and assertions) of semantically complex propositions and to deduce what such components together imply. (BRT)

Reviewed are the fundamental shifts which have taken place in the way students of language acquisition and language disorders approach their work. (Author/SBH)

A replication and extention of a previous study involved 61 children aged three to five, who were asked to carry out certain instructions. Results indicate that children do observe the distinction between definite and indefinite pronouns as it applies to quantity. (Author/RM)

In an investigation of comprehension strategies in young children, children in R. Brown's Stages I, II, and III responded to commands varying in length, grammaticality, and meaning. (SB)

Class-made scrapbooks with mounted photographs (taken by the teacher) of hearing-impaired preschool students in previous learning activities were used to encourage students' language development and improve their communication skills. Suggestions for teachers regarding supplies and equipment and hints for taking good pictures are offered. (CB)

Results from these two studies show that fast mapping--gaining information about a word from how it is used in a sentence, what words it is contrasted with, and other factors--can be used successfully by children two to four years old to form quick and rough hypotheses about the meaning of a word. (PCB)

The article addresses theoretical issues and possible problems related to the assessment of phonemic awareness. A definition of phonemic awareness is offered and applied to the acquisition and self-regulation of verbal and written language. Included is an examination of several commercially available tests as well as tasks used in research…

Analyzes research regarding children's acquisition and understanding of modal meaning. Results indicate that eight-year-olds have only a rudimentary system of modal meaning, and 12-year-olds' systems were not isomorphic with the adult system. (Author/CB)

In three experiments, children five- to 10-years-old were assessed on their comprehension of simple and compound comparatives using a picture-question answering task. Ability to use appropriate reference points increased with age on both the simple and compound comparative relations. (PCB)

The need to teach precursors to literacy as part of preschool language therapy with language-disordered children is stressed. Assessment and intervention approaches include developing the child's ability to use language in instructional contexts and facilitating language awareness (such as word and phonological consciousness). (DB)