Studies the developmental stages deaf children pass through in acquiring the adult forms of pronominal classifiers in American Sign Language. Data were obtained on production, comprehension, and imitation from nine children aged 3 to 11. Complexities of classifier usage influence the learning strategies used. (PJM)

Distinguishes "aesthetic reading," in which readers are absorbed in the experience of making meaning from verbal signs, from "efferent reading" (reading for information); indicates how recent findings about language acquisition support this model of the reading process; and suggests implications for reading instruction, with emphasis on the…

When task-related variables are carefully controlled, the referential communication paradigm provides a useful assessment tool for focusing on characteristics of the speaker in a communicative setting. It serves as a useful instructional tool by providing negative listener feedback for inadequate descriptions. (Author)

Contrasts what is taught by child language theorists and the traditional speech communication educators and suggests a new curricula which will better prepare children as competent communicators. Outlines needs and methods of disseminating new information so that it will be incorporated into the language arts curricula. (JMF)

A mother recounts her experiences teaching receptive language to her 3-year-old cerebral palsied, mentally retarded daughter. A chart outlines the objectives in language acquisition, the indication(s) of achievement, and date of achievement. (PHR)

Discusses the need for systematic exploration of claims about the advantages of language experience dictations; recommends that teachers guide the rereading and editing of early dictations to facilitate comprehending behaviors, and that they help children explore writing conventions as their dictations indicate a readiness to learn them. (ET)

Reports part of a continuing project to develop a theory of children's first-language acquisition using computer modeling techniques. Notes the correspondence of structures formed by the computer program with recognized structures in English. Discusses anomalies in the program's performance. (RL)

Presents findings from an in-depth study of children's composing processes in an effort to explain handwriting performance in relation to child development and the writing process. (GT)

The pragmatic and semantic categories used by Ss varied across age groups. Results are discussed with regard to age, expressive modality, mean length of utterances, and hearing loss. There was much variation among these parameters in communicative development across Ss. (Author/DLS)

The influence of the oral input of five deaf mothers on the language development of their two-year-old children was investigated. The results indicated that children, when cognitively ready, need little exposure to the normal model language to learn to speak during the early stages of development. (Author/DLS)

Twenty true-false statements are discussed as a way of presenting the scientific knowledge base on which school programs for developing literacy can be built. (Author/MLF)

Three elements relating to reading in mathematics are discussed: language and mathematics, readability and mathematics materials, and suggestions for improvement of reading in mathematics. (MP)

As children move toward learning specified forms of writing, they organize print in their environment and learn generalized communication strategies. Learning to write is developmentally similar to the acquisition of oral language. Ten stages are suggested for understanding the development of children's writing. (JN)

A case study of a six-year-old reveals that unfounded assumptions about language growth and development may debilitate rather than facilitate the process of language literacy. Recommendations are made for open-entry language activities where constraints are allowed to evolve in a risk free language environment. (JN)

Among the various methods used by a classroom teacher to encourage writing in her first grade class are letter writing, writing a book, writing notes to each other, and keeping journals. The desire to communicate is the primary motivating factor in the development of both oral and written language. (JN)