The National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLII), a consortium funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), prepares special education leaders to become experts in research on intensive intervention for students with disabilities who have persistent and severe academic (e.g., reading and math) and behavioral…

This established text--now revised and updated--reveals how spoken language skills are acquired and how they affect children's later reading and writing achievement. With a unique focus on the needs of educators, the book examines the foundations of language in the developing brain. It explores the relationship of language processes to core…

From expert authors, this book guides educators to conduct assessments that inform daily instruction and identify the assets that emergent bilinguals bring to the classroom. Effective practices are reviewed for screening, assessment, and progress monitoring in the areas of oral language, beginning reading skills, vocabulary and comprehension in…

Being able to use other languages is an essential tool for the modern world. While the image of the world as "a global village" is indeed popular, it does not always correspond to reality. A village would tend to be relatively homogeneous in terms of culture and language. Surely, this monocultural, monolingual picture does not reflect the…

In this practitioners' guide, a recognized reading expert explains how educators, parents, and concerned citizens can spot ineffective reading programs that may hide under the "scientifically-based" banner. Although the term "whole language" is not commonly used today, programs based on its premises remain popular. These…

The Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) field continues to experience increased valuing of experiential practitioner knowledge. A welcome result of this evolution has been the broadening of research perspectives. The 16 practitioner narratives in "Insights on Teaching Speaking in TESOL" are written by…

Proposes an interactive model of vocabulary acquisition that accounts for acquisition of knowledge and the mental processes involved in vocabulary acquisition, emphasizing the characterization of mental processes more than any other aspects. The model, which can account for first or second languages, attempts to capture how vocabulary is…

Current research increasingly highlights the role of early literacy in young children's development--and informs practices and policies that promote success among diverse learners. This handbook presents cutting-edge knowledge on all aspects of literacy learning in the early years. Volume 2 provides additional perspectives on important topics…

Analyzes the design requirements of a multimedia conceptual dictionary, drawing on research identifying the role of the conceptual dictionary in native language vocabulary acquisition. The article considers both the traditional role of the dictionary in language learning and that of the conceptual dictionary and how this role can be supported by…

This paper discusses the use of skits and dialogues in a first-year Chinese course to help novice learners enhance their communicative skills. Because novice learners of Chinese lack the appropriate vocabulary and grammar knowledge to express themselves freely, skits can help them use their limited knowledge to communicate in an effective manner.…

This manual presents instructional units designed to offer a break from daily classroom routines in German instruction. These audio-motor units provide variety and listening practice, introduce new vocabulary in context, and present cultural materials in a novel way. Suggestions for classroom use include acting out commands, using gestures,…

This article describes a paired storytelling technique that can be used in bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classrooms to help motivate students to maximize reading comprehension. The technique involves having the students: (1) pair off; (2) discuss the story theme; (3) read half of the story; (4) take notes on their half of the…

This paper discusses the factors that either facilitate or inhibit vocabulary learning and suggests practical classroom techniques for beginning and more advanced students. Vocabulary acquisition is related to the learning situation and to the form, meaning, and grammatical role of the new item in the target language. The focus of the teaching…

When selecting audiotapes for use in foreign language classrooms, teachers should consider factors affecting listening activities, including: second language vocabulary level of students; amount of information students must retain; rate of speech; subject matter and factual knowledge level of students; and grammatical knowledge of students. (CB)

This article discusses an action research project that investigated how a 10-year-old boy with learning disabilities, whose first language was Korean, was supported. His individualized instruction involved labeling items in the room, reading sentences that included priority sight words, practicing with consonant blends and vocabulary words, games,…