Noting that young children learn to talk at different ages but within certain developmental boundaries, this document presents two charts to help parents facilitate their toddler's speech. The first chart lists characteristics to look for in a growing, healthy baby at various ages between 3 months and 24 months, and suggestions for when to talk to…

The Vietnamese folk tale "The Magic Crossbow" is presented in English (left page) and Vietnamese (facing right page), with an accompanying teacher's guide. The heroic story is based on true events in Vietnam during the 3rd century B.C. The teacher guide offers suggestions for classroom use of the folk story. It begins with specific…

The Cambodian folk tale "The Mountain of the Men and the Mountain of the Women" is presented in English (left page) and Khmer (facing right page), with an accompanying teacher's guide. The story, told by a 78-year-old Cambodian Buddhist monk, is part of a longer legend about an unmarried queen who changes marriage customs so she can ask a man to…

The Laotian folk tale "Four Champa Trees" is presented in English (left page) and Lao (facing right page), with an accompanying teacher's guide. The story is part of a much longer legend told in the oral tradition of the Lao people. The teacher's guide offers suggestions for classroom use of the folk story. It begins with specific…

This study investigated the effects of systematic use of similarities between the native and second languages on the lexical competence of second language learners. Subjects were 209 first- and second-year English-speaking university students in French language classes. The students were pre- and post-tested for their visual recognition of…

Intended for teachers of grades K-2, this book aims to inspire students with the award-winning art and stories found in Caldecott books. The book uses Caldecott winners as springboards to provide lively, literature-based learning experiences--from projects that encourage children's own artistic expression to fun and creative activities that…

Suggestions are offered for teaching vocabulary in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL)/English-as-a-foreign-Language (EFL) instruction. Five components in vocabulary development are seen as crucial: meeting vocabulary for the first time; establishing previously-encountered vocabulary; enriching previously-met vocabulary; developing word-decoding…

Four studies conducted over a 2-year period systematically evaluated the effectiveness of interactive instructional practices in the vocabulary learning and reading comprehension of learning disabled students. The design of the four studies was similar in that comparisons were made among three different interactive teaching strategies (semantic…

A study was conducted to aid in the process of finding vocabulary instruction that would lead to more effective comprehension. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in the comprehension of the two samples of students when one sample was taught the vocabulary of the entire selection while the other was taught the…

This curriculum guide contains workplace-specific instructional materials developed for use in a rural workplace literacy demonstration project. Contents include instructional objectives, pre- and posttests, learning activities (some locally developed and some selected from commercially prepared materials), and job simulations. Learning activities…

This resource is designed to assist rural adult literacy students. It deals with chemicals on the farm and aims to help students understand the technical language, concepts, and operations associated with spraying safely and effectively. The kit proceeds step-by-step from purchase to disposal. Material is divided into two sections. Section 1…

The effects of an integrated language arts instructional program on reading comprehension skills of learning lab students were examined using the Analytical Reading Inventory, and their attitudes toward recreational and academic reading were assessed using the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey. Subjects were at-risk fifth and sixth grade…

An instructional strategy adapted the Big Book reading experience to the adolescent student to increase enthusiasm for reading, vocabulary development, and sound word attack and comprehension strategies. Criteria for choosing books to read aloud with teenagers include: (1) select well written books; (2) select books that reflect students'…

This article examines the concept of simplification in second language (SL) learning, reviewing research on the simplified input that both naturalistic and classroom SL learners receive. Research indicates that simplified input, particularly if derived from naturally occurring interactions, does aid comprehension but has not been shown to…

A teacher's manual is presented for "The Working Experience," a series of three texts for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students. The series builds on oral skills to develop reading and writing ability while still expanding oral English-language proficiency. Because one of the basic principles underlying the series is the idea that students…