This monograph describes the experience of a Japanese family raising their children bilingually in Japan by adopting English as the home language. Both parents are native Japanese who went to graduate school in the United States and now teach English at the college level. Although both parents are very proficient in English, they recognize they…

Across the United States, most American Indian children speak English as a first language. This fact allows a unique strategy for teaching an indigenous language as a second language. In all indigenous language programs, formal introduction to linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, can provide methods to help children "unlearn" aspects…

This paper offers a collection of educational tools for those educators looking for a practical theory of second language acquisition. Educators working with English as a second language (ESL) learners should consider the following factors in trying to develop a working theory: (1) an understanding of what language is, classroom learning, the…

This encyclopedia of language teaching and learning is an authoritative handbook dealing with all aspects of this field of study. It has been produced specifically for language teaching professionals, but can also be used as a general reference work for academic studies at a postgraduate level. A comprehensive range of articles on contemporary…

This report discusses the identification and treatment of young children with autism. It is divided into four components that include a summary of areas that should be addressed when designing programs and services for young children with autism. The first part describes characteristics of autism, differences between autism-related disorders, and…

Over the past decade, education reforms have raised the educational bar for all children in the United States--including newcomers. These reforms place tremendous pressures on children and teachers. In addition to mastering the content-area curriculum, children must become skilled users of language. They must be highly competent in reading and…

This book is a resource and activity guide for early childhood educators and care providers that helps to enhance the development of early and emerging literacy skills in young children. Its philosophy is based on the premise that both language and literacy development begin at birth and that educators and caretakers of young children have a…

Recent research points to the inborn abilities of infants and shows how early experiences influence cognitive skills. This book presents activities for parents and their infants--building on activities babies instinctively love--to develop their unique abilities. The book is organized around six intellectual skills: (1) problem solving; (2)…

This is a Spanish adaptation of the English version of the book, "Brainworks: From Birth to Kindergarten. The book is to be used with a multimedia presentation that is available on computer diskette. The book and multimedia presentation are designed to help parents and childcare providers understand the concept of early exposure and exploration…

The second-year implementation of Graduation 2010, a districtwide public-school initiative, had its beginnings in brain-based research and involvement from both school and community. The original plan for the program had eight strands: (1) Arts; (2) Music; (3) Foreign Language; (4) Reading/Language Development; (5) Thinking Skills; (6)…

This book is to be used with a multimedia presentation that is available on compact disc. The book and multimedia presentation are designed to help parents and childcare providers understand the concept of early exposure and exploration that is followed by increased development of synaptic connections and ultimately prepares children to handle…

Drawing upon the burgeoning research in neurology, as well as stories of real children, this book charts the brain's development, from conception through the critical first 5 years of life. In examining the many factors that play crucial roles in that process, the book explores the evolution of the senses, motor skills, social and emotional…

Reviews research showing the positive effects of reading aloud to preschool children in the areas of language development, reading interests, reading and academic readiness, and social attitudes. (FL)

Examines the effects of audience adaptation and social cognitive ability on the syntactic strategies employed by four different age groups in the writing of persuasive discourse. (EKN)

Investigates in two longitudinal, observational studies among 3-year-old children the extent to which early experience, caregiver intervention and language mastery activities are more predictive of IQ and other measures of intellectual competence than are child-initiated activities and nonlanguage-oriented experiences. (Author/RH)