It is proposed that since patterns and routines seem to be of great importance in the early stages of first and second language learning, classroom conditions can promote similar early progress, both holistically and in the development of an internalized generative grammar. In addition, a modeled text is found to be more productive than unmodeled…

Observers viewed silent videotapes of elementary school children listening to a lesson. Some of the stimulus children were listening to either a very easy or a very difficult lesson; consequently, their nonverbal behavior occurred naturally and spontaneously. Other stimulus children were instructed to pretend (role play) that they understood or…

All learning takes place through the unification of body and mind. Within the realm of motor skill learning, the term mental practice has been used to explain this phenomenon. It has been found that individuals can use their imaginations to learn and to improve upon their performance. Mental practice can be used by teachers who have too little…

Various research studies concerned with the feedback from proprioceptors which accompany movement and the way in which this information is relevant to the control of activity are brought together in this volume. It is intended for the use of those who have some basic knowledge of human anatomy and physiology as well as an acquaintance with…

In pattern drills, the context must be clear. Frequent repetition is necessary, and spontaneity must be sought. Intonation must be considered as well as content and structure. Pattern drill should start with one sentence, but progress beyond the sentence level, to free use of the materials. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

This study assessed the differential effectiveness of two types of response delays on correct responding (with communicative gestures) by three individuals with severe mental handicaps to training instructions. Results showed that response delay was effective in increasing the number of correct responses in two of the three individuals. (DB)

Effective instructional strategies used to teach language skills to 24 elementary aged students with autism or moderate mental retardation included the use of choral responding; the use of student-to-student responding; the frequent rotation of materials while teaching 2 to 3 concepts; and the use of random, unpredictable trials for student…

Relative efficiency of hand raising and response cards within the context of an ABAB design when teaching time to middle school students with moderate and severe disabilities was investigated. Effects of the two strategies were assessed on four dependent variables: (a) student active responding, (b) on-task behavior, (c) inappropriate behavior,…

The instructional techniques and materials for classroom use presented are based on a three-tiered model for the practice of grammatical structures that avoids the common problem of trying to elicit normal, spontaneous conversation. Situations are devised that by their nature tend to evoke only particular structures. The first tier of the model…

This study used the Montague-Riley Test to introduce a new scoring procedure that revealed errors in cognitive processes occurring at subcomponents of an electricity problem. The test, consisting of four parts with 36 open-ended problems each, was administered to 250 high school students. A computer program, ELTEST, was written applying a…

This experiment was designed to better understand the effects of individual differences, intent to learn, and stimulus familiarity on frequency judgment accuracy. Half of the participants in the study heard popular songs, and the other half listened to unfamiliar songs. Participants were subdivided into three more groups, introducing the "intent…

This study explored questions concerning the specificity of facial expression of emotions in infants. A sample of 27 infants (nine each at ages 10, 11, and 12 months) were tested in six experimental and six control conditions. Two of the experimental conditions were designed to elicit fear, two happiness, and two surprise. Videotapes of the…

To test some aspects of Skinnerian programed instruction, a 241-frame program on Swedish grammar was presented to students 10 to 12 years old. Skinnerian insistence on student-constructed overt responses and on presenting the "key answer" after each frame were contrasted with covert responses and key answer frequencies less than 100…

Filmed 30 infants monthly between one and seven months of age where mothers or unfamiliar women responded to their cries by picking up or talking to the infants. Results suggest that infants develop conditioned associations among distress-relief patterns by one month, and cognitive expectations by four or five months. (Author/BB)

Presents a method of defining cooccurring constellations or "packages" of maternal facial-visual engagement and head or hand stimulation during face-to-face play with an infant. The functional relevance of these packages is documented in case studies of one four-month-old infant playing with his mother and a stranger. (Author/CB)