Considers the stories that children read, hear, and make part of their lives. Focuses on the text with the understanding that texts live only when read by a person in a particular context. (MG)

Discusses the advantages of using video materials in teaching Spanish at an intermediate level, where there are typically several levels of language knowledge and ability. Such materials improve students' ability to understand language context, listening comprehension, discussion skills, and awareness of different uses of language. (CB)

Presents authentic Spanish rhymes and jingles that elementary school foreign language teachers can incorporate in classroom activities. The rhymes not only introduce children to the oral and cultural traditions of the language but also serve as language drills for increasing Spanish vocabulary. (CB)

Assessment of two-year-olds' (N=22) acquisition of words for referents of previously learned words indicated that young children found it easier to learn a new word when they were able to contrast its referent with that of a word they already knew. (Author/CB)

Describes a "Vichian" approach (involving linguistic imagination and creativity) to the exploration of basic pedagogical matters in classroom language teaching. The approach is based on principles involving: (1) concrete language knowledge; (2) development from the concrete to the abstract; (3) the role of metaphor in verbal creativity;…

Discussed is how strange words frequently reveal their meanings through contextual use, similarity to known vocabulary, by their sounds, or by analysis of their parts. Twelve words from the discipline of biology are analyzed using analysis of their parts. (KR)

Patterns of developmental change in phonetic perception are critical to theory development. Many previous studies document a decline in nonnative phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months of age. However, much less experimental attention has been paid to developmental change in native-language phonetic perception over the same time period. We…

This resource book is one in a series containing lesson plans for grades 1-3 designed to support children's literature books sharing familiar social studies themes. "Celebrations" presents eight different children's books related to the theme. For each book social studies concepts are presented, followed by four activities called "windows." Some…

This paper presents a guide to the selection and use of finger plays with children. Finger plays are defined as brief stories that rhyme and can be dramatized by fingers. After touching briefly on the origins of finger plays, the paper lists several uses for this activity, including motivating students, introducing new themes or units, and…

Article described the Language Experience Approach, a process that attempted to bring a child's oral language and the experiences that are meaningful to him to the task of reading. (Author/RK)

Article focused on the power of visuals - to carry information, to evoke emotion, to order thinking - a new and growing power in the education of children. (Author/RK)

Containing numerous vocabulary-building activities and exercises, this guidebook is designed to help elementary students learn to manipulate language as they gain concrete experiences with words, increase their "word power," and have fun. The activities described involve dictionary games, synonyms, "saidonyms" (alternatives for…

The relevance of poetry as a component of language teaching is argued and ways to incorporate poems into English as second language (ESL) lessons are suggested. Literature is valuable as a language learning experience because the language of literature is interesting and memorable and serves as a link with English speaking culture. The study of…

Ethnic identity patterns and motivations of selected subgroups of Quebec French and English-Canadian parents, who were compared with parents who send their children to "other" language schools (i.e., French-Canadians to English language schools and English-Canadians to French language schools) with those whose children attend schools…