A study was conducted to examine the interrelationships between drawing, early writing, and the context of talk in which both phenomena occur. Participant observation methodology was used in a self-contained public school kindergarten in order to gather daily data during a 3-month period. Specifically, children freely drew and wrote in an…

The paper describes the development of a computerized symbol processing system which allows nonspeaking severely handicapped persons to create communication electronically. Two pilot studies investigated the use of Rebus and Bliss Symbols with either an Apple Graphics Tablet or the Power Pad, a peripheral which allowed users to activate the…

The class of media characteristics, which is generic to them and which may be of potentially great relevance to learning, is the way in which media select, highlight, structure, and present information, i.e., their "languages" or symbol systems. How, if at all, and why do symbol systems, in general, differentially relate to cognition and learning?…

This paper develops a theoretical context for the concept that visual literacy involves a specific type of information processing that has been discussed in the literature on symbolism and epistemology for a number of years. Literacy is discussed first, as a general process of information processing involving the generation of knowledge through…

This paper examines historical processes in American Sign Language (ASL) and shows that there is a tendency for signs to change in the direction of arbitrariness, rather than maintaining a level of iconicity. Changes at the formational level are seen as contributing to language-internal consistency, at the expense of transparency. (Author/CLK)

HOW CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT MENTAL ABILITIES PERCEIVE LEARNING TASKS WAS STUDIED. THREE GROUPS OF 10 CHILDREN EACH (5 BOYS AND 5 GIRLS) WERE THE SUBJECTS OF THIS PROJECT. THE CHILDREN WERE SELECTED SO THAT THE GROUPS WERE HIGHLY SIMILAR IN CHRONOLOGICAL AGE, BUT DIFFERED DISTINCTLY IN IQ. ONE GROUP WAS COMPOSED OF GIFTED CHILDREN FROM A GIVEN SCHOOL…

Both the method of the New Critics and the modern student's interest in "macro-questions" are briefly discussed by way of introduction. The primary concern of the essay, however, is for an ampler conception of metaphor. Instances of "advanced metaphorical thinking," among them More's "Utopia," Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason," and Pascal's…

This paper discusses teaching "Black Elk Speaks" in the college classroom and examines how symbolic language is generated in our own experience. An activity is described in which students' dreams were performed in order that the students might better see how the dream functions in "Black Elk Speaks." The activity resulted in a discussion of the…

Semiotic research increasingly reveals the basic importance of structure at all levels of genetic, linguistic, and social process. The paradox that structure not only liberates but also imprisons has been familiar to members of many different cultures, and the search for personal release in transcendent states of feeling contrapuntally illuminates…

After discussing the nature of theory itself, the author explains her concept of the Unified Communication Theory, which rests on the assumption that there exists in all living structures a potential communication factor which is delimited by species and ontogeny. An organism develops "symbol fixation" at the level where its perceptual abilities…

This article discusses the relationship between human gestures and the development of Chinese characters. The four main principles of Chinese writing are outlined, and the characters are discussed in terms of whole bodily attitudes, spatial relationships, and foot and manual gestures. (CLK)

This study explored the relationship between symbolic representation in dramatic play and art and cognitive and reading readiness levels of kindergarten children. Results indicated children at different cognitive levels performed significantly differently on the Metropolitan Reading Readiness Test and spent significantly different amounts of time…

Literature is reviewed on augmentative and alternative communication research and intervention for individuals with severe intellectual disabilities. The review focuses on prerequisites for intervention, symbol systems and sets, computer technology, and teaching strategies. Future research directions are outlined, and clinical and educational…

Discusses research results that demonstrate that nonlinguistic symbolic deficits of language-impaired children may actually reflect resource allocation constraints and cross-modality deficits. Discusses implications of studies that contrast symbolic action development in normally developing children with that in children with specific language…

Presents observations of three children's styles of symbolic language focusing on how each leaned to different degrees on drawing and talking to create their imaginary worlds and thus faced different challenges in rendering those worlds in print. (SRT)