This study of infants with low birthweight and significant or mild intraventricular hemorrhage showed that the association of mothers' interactive behaviors with infants' exploratory play responses was dependent on both the age and medical risk status of the child. The timing of mothers' attention-directing strategies and the level of structure…

Mothers in the Mother-Infant Communication Project (MICP), designed to facilitate caregivers' uses of communicative interaction strategies with their high-risk infants, scored better than comparison mothers on caregiving environment quality. Children of MICP mothers who received a group experience in addition to home visits performed better on…

This study is a partial replication of a set of studies conducted to investigate the effects of unequal status on speech variation. It was found that, in some respects, first- and second-language variation may be quantitatively different. (52 references) (JL)

Effects of 2 cooperative conditions on group discussions and metacognitive awareness of 206 fourth- and fifth-graders were examined. Discussions for those in the strategy condition (which emphasized the connection between strategy use and learning) were more focused toward substantive task content than for those in the reward-receiving condition.…

This paper examines relationships and interactions among the consumer (with a developmental disability), his or her family, and agency staff as they impact the consumer's life course and lifestyle. Approaches and activities to enhance effective relationships include setting policies that support these relationships, training staff with this…

Explores perceptions of student teachers of English as a Second Language regarding usefulness of school experience in learning to teach. Describes a training program in Hong Kong involving an additional period of exposure to secondary school before the practice teaching period. This program focuses on acquainting student teachers with school…

Surveys initial student perceptions of a university-level computer-assisted language learning (CALL) course. Over 100 Japanese first-year students were questioned about the influence of CALL in their language classroom and on language education in Japan in general. Their views are presented and analyzed in the context of teaching and learning…

Terrell's natural approach suggests that such interactive activities as music and art induce and improve student communication in language learning. Explanation of the method's steps uses the poem "Abenamar" as an example. The teacher first presents the work in historical context, then reads the work accompanied by visual aids, then…

Part of a larger study that focuses on the interactional practices in a number of primary classrooms in several different sociolinguistic areas of Brunei Darussalam, this study looks at how teachers and learners in two classrooms accomplish lessons through the use of two languages--Malay and English--in order to unpack the meaning of the written…

Examines the potential usefulness of intensive interaction as an educational methodology with pupils whose learning difficulties are compounded by autism. Review of empirical case-study evidence together with questionnaire and interview data from teachers suggests that this intensive approach to developing fundamental social and communication…

This study used ethnographic techniques to observe and analyze the communication patterns of two Latina college students in order to better understand the poor performance of many Latino students in college-level composition classes. Both students experienced frustration, anger, suspicion, and mistrust. They felt that school was trying to change…

This study compared effects of either a teacher-mediated social skills intervention or an integrated activities intervention on social interaction among young (ages four to six) children with and without hearing impairments. The social skills intervention successfully increased social interactions among deaf and hard-of-hearing children, but…

Examines the student-discipline policies developed for an inner-city elementary school and grounded in a philosophy of developing individual locus of control. Recommendations for other schools are based on an interactionist theory of student discipline that sees schooling as a process promoting internal control. High expectations for all students…

Whether there is a gender-by-item interaction that makes easy mathematics test items easier for females than for males and difficult items harder for females than for males was tested in two studies, involving 10,321 eighth graders and 5332 ninth graders and results from nine mathematics tests. The hypothesis was generally supported, as discussed.…

One college teacher's narrative of events and interactions within her classroom, focusing on differing perceptions of racial issues and ethnicity, is used to illustrate the value of narrative as a means of reflecting on teaching practice. It is argued that narrative allows the storyteller to explore self-identity by configuring personal events…