Children identified as late talkers at 20-34 months of age were followed yearly throughout the preschool period. Data suggest that the longer a language delay persists, the less the chance of spontaneous recovery during the preschool period. Late-talking girls had less chance for spontaneous recovery than did late-talking boys. (Author/JDD)

Explores the relations between temperament, communicative competence, and humor expression among four- and five-year-old nursery school children. Shows that ratings of communicative competence and various dimensions of temperament account for a significant proportion of the variance in the reported frequency of children's laughter and verbal and…

Patterns of teacher and student verbal behavior within a framework of reinforcement theory were analyzed through the use of a modified form of the Observation Schedule and Record 4V (OScAR). The study examined the extent to which the rewarding teacher's classroom discourse served as a model for the verbal style of a student among his peers. Data…

Directed both to parents and to professionals, the manual explains factors involved in normal and abnormal language development. Language disorders are discussed, and methods and sources of help are described. (JD)