Compared spelling procedures of normal and reading-disabled French-speaking children matched for reading achievement. Found that, at the lowest reading level, word frequency effects were absent and phonological context effects on rule application were seen only in normal readers. As reading ability improved, word frequency and phonological context…

Notes that speech intelligibility has traditionally been measured by presenting words mixed in noise to listeners for identification at different signal-to-noise ratios. The words are produced in isolation or in sequence contexts where the predictability of specific items can be varied. Emphasizes that the technique provides valuable data about…

Describes a study that explores the perceptions that children (N=36) have about what it means to engage in mathematics. The study, which took place in reform-minded classrooms, concludes that children have a variety of perceptions and most do not feel that success is determined by speed and accuracy. Contains 20 references. (DDR)

Focuses on listening activities in the second-language classroom. After discussing problems related to listening and listening as a test versus listening as a learning experience, the article suggests that the teacher exploit what is known about the language and the world to make listening part of a learning whole as opposed to a distinct…

"Neo-Hahnian" approaches to outdoor adventure education assume their programs "build character." Social psychology research has found that "character" is almost entirely illusory. Outdoor adventure education programs may provide situations that elicit certain behaviors, but the belief in character building must be…

Studied personal context and continuity in the thinking of 23 Swedish students from grade 2 through grade 8 using data from a longitudinal study of conceptualizations of ecological processes. While there was substantial conceptual development, there was also a strong element of personal continuity for these students. (SLD)

Drew on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-- Kindergarten cohort 1998-1999 to examine kindergarten teachers' perceptions of children's school readiness. Found a strong emphasis on social aspects of learning. Female teachers valued social aspects of learning more than did males. Younger teachers valued academic skills more than older…

Two experiments examined how different frustration contexts affect the instrumental and emotional responses of 4- to 5-month-olds. Both experiments showed that arm responses increased when the contingent stimulus was lost or reduced but decreased when control of the stimulus was lost under noncontingency. Facial expressions of anger, but not…

Introduces alternative approach to a controversial issue in Czech linguistics--the semantics of verbs of the type "rikavat,""delavat," and so on. The article demonstrates that these verbs can be called habitual verbs in the Peircean sense of the term "habit," and the key to the semantics of these verbs is recognizing…

A narrative approach to moral development sees a role for language in moral experience and regards the self as dialogic, or relational, as opposed to the epistemic self of the cognitive-developmental approach. This article reviews empirical foundations of the narrative approach, explores the dialogic conception of the self, and considers…

The relative magnitude of teacher effects on student achievement was examined considering effects of classroom heterogeneity, student achievement level, and class size on academic growth in the context of the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System. Results show teacher effects to be dominant factors affecting student gain. (SLD)

Examined children's, adolescents', and college students' judgments of children's and adults' rights to freedom of speech and religion in societal, school, and family contexts. Found that endorsements of these freedoms were increasingly affected by social context and agent with age. College students were less likely than others to affirm children's…

Explores how the discourse context of metaphorical language supports children's understanding of sociocultural norms. Classroom data are examined to determine how language, situation, and interaction assist in the interpretation of metaphorically used language. (46 references) (Author/CK)

Considers the relevance of the points raised in the preceding articles in this issue to the sociolinguistic development of children with speech and language impairments. Notes that such children often have low self-esteem and that their inability to negotiate an identity for themselves through discussion with their peers may contribute to this…

Gail Kelly's work on colonial education in Indochina and French West Africa focused on the importance of studying schooling in its social context, called for the integrative study of schooling processes as a more productive approach than traditional input-output models, and examined the relationship between education and social change in colonial…