Results indicated that the more frequently the children studied expressed emotion, the older the age of language achievements; and the more time spent in neutral affect, the younger the age of language achievements. (PCB)

Structural play-language relationships and diversity of symbolic play skills were compared with five language impaired and five nonimpaired children (ages 27-39 months). Findings indicated differences in mean length of utterance, mean length of sequence, and quantitative and qualitative aspects of symbolic play. (Author/DB)

Use of logographic symbol systems with severely communication-disordered children led to a comparison of the relative ease of learning logographs from the Bliss and Rebus symbol systems with 32 normal preschoolers. Results indicated that Rebus symbols were recalled with significantly greater accuracy than Bliss symbols. (Author/DB)

The paper focuses on the modal auxiliary system in English as it pertains to language development in language-impaired and normal children. The syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic functions of modals are described. Assessment and intervention guidelines are offered. (Author/DB)

The comprehension of humor is described as a developmental ability related to children's cognitive, linguistic, and metalinguistic development. Examples illustrate the content and structure of riddles and jokes, as well as developmental changes in children's understanding. Ways to assess and develop humor comprehension are also discussed.…

Mildly mentally retarded adolescents (N=14) and mental age-matched nonretarded children participated in three experiments examining language processing efficiency. Results suggested that the retarded and nonretarded differ in the speed with which the semantic-analytic processes are executed but not necessarily the phonological encoding processes…

Claims that the way people symbolize their experiences in speaking, listening, and writing can help them to understand literature and, ultimately, their personal life experiences. Claims that making meaning is fundamental to all language learning and that reading literature is analogous to other language learning experiences. (JD)

Examined five possible rules that children might use to interpret the terms "big" and "little." Increasing consistency in rule usage appeared to be the most significant developmental progression for children between the ages of three and five with respect to these terms. (Author/RH)

Describes the spontaneous development of 13 symbolic gestures in a normal infant from 12 to 17 months. Sixteen additional symbolic gestures were purposefully taught. Vocal development was advanced, indicating that gesturing is not necessarily related to poor vocal skills. Data support the hypothesis that sensorimotor behaviors are natural…

The article examines causes of adult illiteracy and notes the effects of failure to progress at the early stages of reading development, often due to inadequate language experience and stimulation. Suggestions for promoting language acquisition and comprehension are offered. (CL)

Three experiments were designed to test preschool, first, and second graders' understanding of the term "word." A modified aural discrimination task required children to discriminate word from nonword stimuli. Results indicated that children's word concepts have been underestimated. (Author/BS)

A unit on idioms used written stories, environmental situations, creative storytelling, and posters to help hearing impaired 10- to 12-year-olds understand and use idiomatic language. (CL)

Describes a study designed to discover how children approach the mass-count distinction as it applies to the use of "much" and "many." Results indicate that children do not approach the co-occurrence conditions of "much" and "many" with various nouns from a semantic point of view, but rather from a…

Longitudinal samples of meaningful speech of 34 normally developing children were analyzed to determine the range and types of consonantal phones produced at 15, 18, 21, and 24 months. Findings are related to other longitudinal research in early phonological development and to studies of babbling and correct productions. (Author/CL)

The article argues that even extremely young children can be taught to program microcomputers from their very first contact. A teaching strategy is proposed, having more in common with the teaching of language than with the more traditional didactic-reinforcement cycle commonly employed in the text books. (Author/CL)