Judgements about the acceptability of anomalous and non-anomalous sentences were elicted from children between the ages of 2;0 and 5;0. The aim was to see how the children's direct experience might affect their recognition of semantic constraints, and how far their experience would generalize. (Author)

Investigates the similarities and differences in individual approaches to the linguistic organization of narrative. The study identified strategies used, including thematic subject, nominal and anaphoric. Findings reveal that a variety of strategies was adopted by all age groups and that ability to maintain a strategy across the narrative's…

Tested assumption that variability in home literacy environments has no effect on individual differences in reading development. Found that variability in shared reading interactions was significantly related to growth in phonological awareness even after accounting for the effects of age, oral language, and phonological awareness at the beginning…

Summarizes progressions between 2 and 6 years of age in children's power of concentration, ability to express ideas, build logical relationships, structure spoken words, and play with the semantic, phonetic, syntactical, and morphological aspects of oral language. Notes that the progression depends on the educator's interaction with the child.…

Examines the interrelationships between young children's literacy growth and music development. Discusses five ways in which song picture books promote language growth. Suggests early childhood activities and materials for using song picture books as a resource for an integrated, developmentally appropriate curriculum. (Author/KB)

This study examined the temporal reliability of four quantitative measurements of linguistic behaviors in 20 preschool children observed in a naturalistic setting. Although inadequate reliability was found for the measure which used total number of words, very high reliability coefficients were obtained for the measures which used number of…

This article describes the EpiSLI diagnostic system for identifying specific language impairment in kindergarten children for the purpose of epidemiological research. The system employs five composite scores representing norm-referenced performance in three domains of language (vocabulary, grammar, and narration) and two modalities (comprehension…

Kindergarten children (n=101) were tested on the Bankson Language Test Second Edition and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Revised Screening Test and were given the tests again 7 months later. Results showed that the children scored higher on both tests at the second administration, without intervention from a speech-language…

Provides a definition of dyslexia and characteristics of students who have this condition. Claims that when teaching dyslexic students, teachers may need to change the academic environment to enable students to demonstrate what they know. Provides suggestions to teachers on how the needs of dyslexic students can be met in the regular classroom.…

Describes hummingbirds and how they can serve as sources of learning and enjoyment for young children. Gives information on feeding, breeding, and behavior of hummingbirds, and on their natural predators. Outlines activities for "discovery," making feeders, watching and charting hummingbirds, and other creative learning activities. (BGC)

Analyzes monolingual Spanish- and German-speaking children's production of target consonant clusters at early stages of acquisition from a phonological representational perspective. At the beginning stages, target clusters are reduced to a single consonantal position, due to lack of branching of the syllable constituents. At later stages, cluster…

Eighteen preschoolers with language impairments who had participated in a highly effective five-month intervention that focused on expressive grammar received an additional five-month intervention. Although participants improved during Phase 2, improvements generally were not as strong as those noted for Phase l. The costly clinician-administered…

Addresses, from a neurobiological perspective, the input-intake distinction commonly made in applied linguistics and the role of selective attention in transforming input to intake. The study places primary emphasis upon a neural structure (the nucleus reticularis thalami) that appears to be essential for selective attention. (79 references)…

Twenty-eight studies on instruction in natural environments with children with disabilities were examined from an effective teaching perspective. Results indicate that more powerful and uniform effects with instruction in natural environments may be produced by adapting some practices and principles of effective group instruction, including…

This article reflects on a review of 28 studies on instruction in natural environments with children with disabilities that indicated instruction in natural environments may benefit from adapting some practices and principles of effective group instruction. Discusses using milieu teaching for language development in preschool children. (CR)