This article discusses language comprehension and developing skills with emergent readers, in particular verbal reasoning and language structures, that are necessary for later reading comprehension.

Presents an overview of research findings concerning children's storytelling and then considers a number of issues that need to be addressed, including the importance of children's expectations about what a story is and whether this "sense of story" is important in learning to read. (FL)

Argues that a reading program must focus on teaching what it is attempting to teach--reading--and that the extent to which the language strand contributes to reading ability is the extent to which it is justifiable in the reading program. (FL)

Suggests that a diagnosis of minimal brain dysfunction does not help the teacher remediate the problem and is, in fact, incidental in aiding the child to overcome his deficiencies. (TO)

Reviews several studies showing that learning to type enhances children's language arts skills. Describes a program that successfully taught typing to elementary school children. (FL)

The author shares activities for use in the primary classroom that require active participation with nursery rhymes through dramatization. The activities involve repeated readings, reading in context, and examining rhyming components, and help to develop young children's phonemic awareness and oral language skills.

Argues that there is more to background experience than general knowledge--that concepts of print, language, story structue, and of reading's usefulness are equally important in developing early reading skills. (FL)

Reports that extending practice in oral language skills from kindergarten through the primary grades has a significant impact on Mexican American students' performance on a reading test. (FL)

Provides a statement one reading-language skills teacher prepared for his colleagues concerning the services he could offer them and listing what he expected in return from both teachers and students. (FL)

Argues that in language development, children display a sustained and conscious effort to learn (L) words and expressions, assimilate (A) the language system, and acquire fluency (F) in using it to communicate. Maintains the same is true in literacy development. (FL)

Argues that using the themes and stories of humans' earliest heritage can enhance language and learning for children. (FL)

Reports findings of a study of randomly selected Caldecott Award-winning books, suggesting that they can be used as a powerful resource for stimulating language development. Presents ideas for using the books in the classroom. (FL)

Suggests that Whole Language is not the whole word approach, nor merely teaching skills in context, nor the Language Experience approach, nor a new term for the Open Classroom, but rather a point of view about language, literacy, and content learning. (JC)