Based on the premise that children learn language best in daily playful interactions with people, this guide for parents and professionals was designed to assist them in working with a child who is beginning to talk or who is not using language very much in their social and learning lives, especially with children with disabilities. The bulk of…

Two studies examined children's first references to the mental states of perception, desire, and belief in themselves and others. In Study 1, children interacted with their mothers in a laboratory setting at 14, 20, and 32 months of age (n=52); in Study 2, children were observed in their homes at 3-month intervals from 18 to 42 months (n=32).…

People have strong ideas about children growing up with a second or third language. These ideas influence how they look at other people's children, and influence how professionals such as teachers, doctors, and speech therapists advise parents of children growing up bilingually. This digest seeks to dispel some of the myths about children growing…

This book explores the nature and purposes of formulaic language, examining patterns across research from the fields of discourse analysis, first language acquisition, language pathology, and applied linguistics. There are 14 chapters in 6 parts. Part 1, "What Formulaic Sequences Are," includes (1) "The Whole and the…

Critical review and discussion of John Macnamara's "Nurseries, Streets and Classrooms," Modern Language Journal, v57 n5-6 p250-4 Sep-Oct 1973. (RL)

Paper presented at the 66th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Denver, Colorado, August 31, 1971. (DD)

Children who learn to speak at an early age have mothers whose basic mode of disciplining is verbal. Charts; bibliography. (AF)

The distinction between deep and surface levels of language; the intersection of learning theory and cognitive development; and the linguistic competence of the pre-literate child and the illiterate adult are highlighted. Author argues that T-G Grammar will be a powerful aid to recognizing and dealing with problems of mass literacy education.…

Revised version of paper appearing in: F. Williams (editor), Language and Poverty: Perspectives on a Theme," Chicago, Markham, 1970. Interprets differences in child language associated with class as a systematic difference in choice of linguistic options as a function of the situation as perceived by the child. (JM)

Argues that the specialized knowledge that writing demands can only be acquired through a particular kind of reading. Illustrates how this kind of reading occurs and considers ways teachers can facilitate such learning. (JL)

The frequency and type of inappropriate word extensions (i.e., use of ball for moon) in the spontaneous speech of nine young language disordered children (2.8 to 3.4 years old) were studied. The percentage of inappropriate word extensions of these children was comparable to that of normal children at the same level of linguistic development.…

Suggests that children's use of social scripts for the production of sustained dialog in peer interaction depends on the nature of role play and that their attempts at script expansion are precursors to adults' recognition of the potential of conversation for self-expression. (FL)

Points out that all good teachers can use kidwatching in the classroom to monitor children's knowledge and growth in literacy. (JL)

Presents a working definition of negativism and a reconstruction of its development in the first year of life. New issues concerning the origins and nature of negativism are raised in the light of recent findings concerning attachment, autonomy, and temperament. Special attention is given to the development of "No" and symbolic negation.…