Presents seven reading activities involving the preschool classroom writing environment, using big books and predictable books, using cereal boxes to foster emergent literacy, using editorials, visual-auditory links, reading outside the classroom, and ownership of writing. (MG)

Describes British study that monitored and evaluated the cognitive development and academic attainments of Down's Syndrome children ages 3-10 over a two-year period. Comparisons with mainstream schools and special schools are made in the areas of children's expressive language, comprehension, numeracy, verbal fluency, drawing ability, and reading.…

Proposes ways to create a language curriculum based on children's "sensitive periods" as described by Montessori. Suggests that ages 6 through 12 are a sensitive period for using imagination. Creative expression should be an integral part of the entire curriculum, and creative expression can be stimulated through many sources of writing…

A study of Head Start preschoolers and families suggests emergent literacy is supported by the Home Based Reading Project, but only when teachers teach parents strategies in simple language, offer a library of quality books, and provide materials highlighting reading practices and effective literacy interactions. Parents play a crucial role in…

Advances a framework for teacher-assisted computer implementation based on Vygotsky's theory of socially mediated cognitive development. The approach suggested by this framework acknowledges critical roles of adults or more skilled partners in task performance and knowledge construction. Describes an application of the approach used to provide…

This study investigated parents' and teachers' expectations of Auditory-Verbal therapy and the child's language development. Data were collected by questionnaires that were distributed to parents and teachers at three early intervention centers. Twenty matching questionnaires were completed and returned. The results of this study showed that the…

The aim of this paper is to advance understanding of the theoretical basis for the difficulties many children who are deaf or hard of hearing face when learning spoken English grammar. The association between learning syntactical grammar and pre-verbal social interactions is explored and related to the effects of prelingual hearing loss. We…

Recent research on vocabulary development is reviewed, highlighting issues related to diverse learners. The review included studies of students who are low performers; learning or reading disabled; remedial readers; high achievers; and students who are culturally disadvantaged, language delayed, and linguistically diverse. Areas of convergence in…

Noting the scientifically substantiated link between children's early family experience and their later intellectual growth, this book describes a longitudinal study of the circumstances of early language learning and the central role of home and family in the emergence of language and word learning. The vocabularies of 42 children were studied…

This book focuses on supporting young children's learning and development. Chapters are drawn from seminars held at the University of Hertfordshire in the Spring and Summer of 1994. The book discusses three aspects of support (support for young children, support for adults, and supportive frameworks) in five chapters: (1) "Support in the early…

Noting that care and teaching can be provided simultaneously by a knowledgeable, responsive, warm and loving parent or child care workers, this infant and toddler handbook provides developmentally sequenced cognitive, social, motor, and language activities, called "invitations," for infants and toddlers from birth to 24 months. Chapter 1,…

This document presents an annotated listing of articles, conference papers, book chapters, papers, and books published in 1995 as a result of investigations carried on at the University of Pittsburgh's Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC). The publications are organized alphabetically by author and chronologically within each author's…

This pilot study compared developmental outcomes, academic achievement, and parent involvement for children attending a Title I full-day kindergarten with those of children attending a Title I half-day program in New Albany, Indiana. The subjects were nine children from the full-day program and ten children from the half-day program. The…

This paper addresses the impact of language loss on culture and the need for developing effective strategies for language restoration. Culture is expressed through language; when language is lost, those things that represent a way of life, a way of valuing, and human reality are also lost. However, if you talk to members of a particular culture…

Suggesting that teachers must develop a philosophy of language arts instruction to guide their teaching, this book provides teachers in language arts or combined language arts and reading courses with the knowledge base and practical ideas they need to plan and implement a literature-based language arts program in which children are actively…