Investigated the communicative interactions of dyads of 4- to 5-year olds during pretend play involving routine, or scripted, events as a function of the children's knowledge of the scripts. The study utilized measures of the quantity and quality of interaction and the strategies employed by the children to establish mutual knowledge. (37…

Ten-minute video recordings of the dyadic interactions between seven deaf children (mean age 5.5 years) and their communication partners (either deaf or hearing) were analyzed. Findings are reported in terms of interaction variables (initiation, continuation, ending, and complexity) and communicative modalities (sign, actions, conventional…

This study compared interactions in 18 families headed by either deaf or hearing parents with an eldest hearing child (aged 7 to 11). Transcripts of parent/child dyadic interactions during a vacation planning activity were analyzed. There were no significant differences between children in the two groups, though deaf parents demonstrated less…

Joint attention and topic initiation in caregiver-child interactions were explored in relation to language gains of 28 children with Down syndrome (DS) and 17 typical children. DS caregivers spent more time in joint attention than controls. Receptive language gains were associated with caregivers maintaining attention to child-selected toys and…

Examines the socialization of anxiety based on analyses of narrative interactions between an agoraphobic woman, her husband, son, and daughter, who has been diagnosed with separation anxiety. Notes that although children of agoraphobic parents are at risk for developing anxiety, little is known about the socialization process and anxiety may be…

Explores how the discourse context of metaphorical language supports children's understanding of sociocultural norms. Classroom data are examined to determine how language, situation, and interaction assist in the interpretation of metaphorically used language. (46 references) (Author/CK)

This study collected normative behavioral data from extemporaneous 3-minute conversations of 50 typically developing adolescents. Analysis found the following high frequency behaviors: directing gaze at the partner, nodding and showing neutral and positive facial expressions, using back-channel responses, and giving contingent responses.…

Case studies of three kindergarten students with social difficulties illustrate an intervention program emphasizing a sequential peer-entry hierarchy in which children move from low-risk strategies to high-risk strategies and use props to facilitate the production of high-risk verbal statements. Increases were found in use of props and verbal…

This article first reviews the literature on parent professional collaboration under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and then applies Mikhail Bakhtin's notions of discourse and dialogism to accounts of parent-professional interactions as reflected in the literature. The differing perspectives of the professional educator and a…

A study investigated the process of instructional consultation with feedback, a faculty development method in which faculty consult instructional specialists. It looked at patterns of verbal interaction between consultants and teachers, differences in communication patterns of novice and experienced consultants, and whether the four recognized…

Describes the development of the Multidimensional Audioconferencing Classification System (MACS), an instrument for the tabulation, analysis, and interpretation of audioconferencing instructional interactions. MACS draws on three theoretical and empirical streams: (1) systematic small group interaction analysis; (2) systematic classroom…

This article presents a triadic interaction model that builds on and expands the strengths of the parent-infant dyad by providing contextual and interpersonal support for their interactions. The model gives explicit attention to the interactions among the three members of the early intervention triad: child, parent, and interventionist.…

Four interaction analysis systems served as the basis of a descriptive self-study in which 10 supervisory conferences between a graduate student clinician in speech-language pathology and her doctoral-level supervisor were transcribed and analyzed. Results are reviewed to profile a supervisor's and supervisee's objectives, critique the instruments…

Three matched groups--hearing mother-hearing child, hearing mother-deaf child, and deaf mother-deaf child--were videotaped. Hearing mothers of deaf children were less likely to adapt their interactional strategies to meet their children's communicative needs and achieve intersubjectivity than were the other mothers. Results support Lev S.…

In this study, 23 young children with developmental delays interacted with an adult, who conducted 2 play sessions using 2 interactive styles differing in the adult's use of topic-continuing wh-questions. Use of the questions supported child conversational continuations at all language levels. (DB)