To determine the effects of two facets of the adult's input in a child's acquisition of syntactic structures and vocabulary, fifteen classrooms of kindergarten, first, and second grade children from four middle socioeconomic class schools were assigned to either a literature group (which provided exposure to reading rich in varied syntactic structures and vocabulary) or a share-discussion group (which allowed the child opportunity to practice his own language with feedback from adults). Twelve undergraduates in education participated in the experimental programs, which lasted for twelve weeks. Findings indicated that there were no significant differences between treatment groups on acquisition of either syntactic structures or vocabulary, nor were there significant interaction effects of treatment, grade level, or sex on the acquisition of either syntactic structures or vocabulary. (Author/MF)