This paper reviews theoretical writings on the importance and function of imaginative play in the development of young children, and describes measurement instruments and instructional aids used for imaginative play in home and school settings. A historical summary of the function of play in the young child's life is presented. Early theories saw…

The purpose of this investigation was to make a cross-cultural study of the abilities of Anglo-, Black-, and Mexican-American young children of low status parents to process a given set of language and thought universals. The 27 subjects (nine subjects in each ethnic group) were divided into three subgroups according to age-grade levels, 5, 6, and…

Reviews recent research showing that creative composition should begin in kindergarten. Presents practical ways teachers can help young children learn to write and thus to read. (FL)

Describes and provides examples of how storytelling can help develop children's language ability. Argues that the goal is not to teach children language but to create an environment that will allow language learning to occur naturally. (SRT)

Suggests that Whole Language is not the whole word approach, nor merely teaching skills in context, nor the Language Experience approach, nor a new term for the Open Classroom, but rather a point of view about language, literacy, and content learning. (JC)

Examination of the first 50 words of three blind children revealed that the early vocabulary paralleled that of seeing children in terms of age and speed of acquisition. Differences between the two groups were related to factors which were highly influenced by experience (including visual experience). (Author/CB)

A longitudinal study of the acquisition of telephone skills among five preschool children analyzed play telephone interactions and real telephone conversations for similarities and changes in performance. (MSE)

Claims that although a child-oriented classroom is organized by the teacher, the curriculum is enacted by everyone, and that dialogues in which teachers and children develop together provides the core of this enactment. (MM)

Examines the role of metalinguistic abilities in the initial stages of learning to read. Indicates that children's ability to acquire low-level metalinguistic skills depends in part on their level of operativity, and that phonological and syntactic awareness play more important roles in beginning reading than does pragmatic awareness. (JK)

Dutch native children and Turkish immigrant children, born and reared in the Netherlands, were asked to tell a story from a series of pictures, at age six and again at age eight. The Turkish children exhibited about the same level of narrative proficiency in Dutch as their Dutch peers. (Author/LMO)

The article describes a language and communication program for severely disabled children that focuses on establishing a balanced and matched communicative relationship between the child and his or her natural teachers. Four developmental areas are discussed in relation to the establishment of social-communication habits: social play,…

Investigates the relationship between auditory and visual processing modality and strategy instruction in first- and second-grade children. Determines sentence strategy to be effective for both auditory and visual processing. (HOD)

Summarizes and updates original study done on reading and writing development of a preschool child. (SRT)

As increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse young children enter preschool through second grade classrooms, teachers are faced with complex challenges as they struggle to meet children's needs. This document is the third of a three-part videotape training series designed for preservice teachers, child care providers, and…

Examining some of the cognitive tools accompanying development of oral language in young children--tools that are somewhat suppressed with literacy development--can lead to educational principles that transcend the traditional focus on either the knowledge base or the child's mind. Of particular importance are the use of stories to give affective…