Discusses the characteristics of a nurturing and of a constraining classroom environment and the effects of each on children's learning to write. (HTH)

Summarizes a number of studies which have attempted to document the prevalence of otitis media among American Indians. Reviews findings concerning psycho-educational consequences of otitis media and mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and their importance in American Indian education. Recommends procedures for creating an optional language listening…

Describes 192 studies published between July and December 1978 which deal with bilingualism and bidialectalism; language and verbal learning; literature, humanities, and media; teacher education; and written and oral communication at all educational levels. (DD)

Examined the pattern of deletion of final "/t/" and "/d/" in word final consonant clusters in 3- and 4-year-old children (n=16) and their degree of mastery of phonological and grammatical constraints. Results indicate that children as young as three had mastered the phonological constraints on (-t, d) deletion and that the…

Historical and current trends, practices, and perspectives regarding manual communication in educating deaf children are discussed, including Manually Coded English systems and American Sign Language. Issues concerning choice of sign language/systems and instructional strategies that support sign usage (such as Total Communication, Simultaneous…

Discusses the role of narration in the adapted verbal interactions between child and adult that help children acquire and master language, from birth on. Notes that, when a child attempts to retell stories read aloud, he or she can progressively master the kind of syntactically structured and decontextualized language necessary for access to…

Presents four articles in the context of workshop discussions on characteristics of environments that promote language development: (1) "Children's Conversations: Why are They Important?"; (2) "Ways of Talking: Respecting Differences"; (3) Paul's Talk: Teachers and Parents Look at a Child's Language"; and (4) "In the…

This study evaluated effects of training parents of 33 children (ages 3 to 6) with mild/moderate language delays in either effective joint book-reading techniques (using the Whitehurst Dialogic Reading Training Program) or more general conversational instruction. Results suggest the potential of the book-reading training for facilitating language…

Introduces recent ERIC documents on the effects of child care on children's development. Provides citations on eight books and four journal articles with abstracts and ordering information. (MOK)

This article examines research evidence on the effects of preschool reading practices on young children, emphasizing the role of school-based programs for young disadvantaged children. The analysis notes positive effects from story reading programs and presents practical guidelines related to group size, rereadings, vocabulary instruction, and…

This article describes an application of a general outcome measurement system, Individual Growth and Development Indicators, with 68 preschoolers (ages 3-6). Results indicate the measures were easy to use; efficient in administration, scoring, and data interpretation; and provided valuable information for making early childhood education and…

Discusses language and interpersonal communication skills in light of the pervasiveness of electronic devices, that do not require speaking. Correlates the lack of communication skills to the rise in violence in America. Concludes that we cannot allow the proliferation of information technology to vitiate the strength of our personal communication…

Describes the education of hearing-impaired infants and young children between 0-5 years of age at the Japan Oral School for the Deaf. Summarizes the school's three educational principles: utilization of residual hearing through hearing aids, early identification of hearing loss and early intervention, and auditory-oral interaction for…

Evaluates the effect of didactic techniques used during storybook reading on young children's acquisition of new vocabulary introduced in storybooks under three reading conditions: single-reading; repeated-reading and questioning. Findings suggest that didactic techniques used by adults have differential effects on preschoolers' receptive and…

Describes the collaborative instruction provided by a special education reading teacher and a speech-language pathologist to disadvantaged high school special education students, most with learning disabilities or mild-to-moderate mental retardation. It discusses teaching issues such as motivation, phonology, language use patterns, and…