Various socio-environmental influences (social class, preschool education, and home environment) on the development of receptive language in preschool children were investigated. Only middle class children benefitted significantly from nursery school experience. (BW)

Annual evaluation of the speech perception performance of 34 prelingually deafened children, grouped into those who received cochlear implants either before or after age 5, found open-set word recognition performance was significantly better for children implanted before age 5. Amount of daily use of the implant significantly affected all measures…

Describes experiences with developing language and listening skills through storytelling in two multigraded elementary classrooms. Discusses how to: launch the program through literature and storytellers; implement the program, including storytelling ideas; maintain a supportive environment; assess children using anecdotal observation sheets; and…

Background: Individuals with Down syndrome consistently perform less well than appropriately matched comparison groups on tests of verbal short-term memory, despite performing relatively well on non-verbal short-term memory tasks. However, it is not clear whether these findings constitute evidence for a selective deficit in verbal short-term…

The study investigates strategies and contexts for supporting the literacy development of young, augmented speakers, whose difficulties in literacy learning are not explained by their levels of cognition alone. Indeed, quantitative and qualitative differences exist in their literacy experiences at home and school. In this study, four primary…

Two criteria for the automatic encoding of learning, instructional manipulation, and stimulus characteristics were studied in subjects who judged the frequency of occurrence of words, letters, and nonwords. In Experiment 1, six word lists were constructed with varying frequency of alphabet letters. A variety of instructions were presented (whether…

This book, for either college or secondary-school speech or rhetoric courses, defines persuasive speaking as essentially a process or activity and discusses the elements which facilitate analyzing that process. Sections deal with (1) the nature and history of persuasive speaking, especially classical and modern canons of rhetoric, (2) the…

The communication patterns among Africans and American blacks are rooted in similarities. Both groups are constricted within societal communication networks, with blacks occupying peripheral positions. Special cognitive and linguistic handicaps erect obstinate barriers to reforms in the distribution and reciprocity of power. The assertion of black…

Lying and interpersonal manipulation seem to be in the communicational and behavioral repertory of all people, yet little scientific data are known about these phenomena. Deception and Machiavellianism in interpersonal verbal and nonverbal communication can be observed through content and interaction analysis as manifest in visible and audible…

The School and Home Enrichment Program for Severely Handicapped Children includes 332 activities. Focus is on the development of sensory responsiveness, eating skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, expressive language, receptive language, personal hygiene, dressing, and social interaction that can be used by parents or teachers as a…

Based on McLoyd's (1990) model of African American children's development, this study examined the linkages between poverty, maternal psychological distress, marital conflict, the home environment, and children's outcomes among a sample of 805 African American 4- to 9-year-olds whose families were interviewed in 1992 as part of the National…

The language of severely subnormal children was studied in several experiments; problems of testing and analysis were discussed. Attempts were also made to study facial expression as a part of communication. (See TM 504 595 for availability). (Author/CTM)

Forty Dutch individuals (ages 2-34) with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome were tested using an extensive battery of intelligence, social competency, temperament, behavior, articulation, and receptive and expressive language measures. Results indicated that intelligence level was usually low and individuals were remarkably consistent in their social…

Evaluation of a collaborative service delivery model involving a speech-language pathologist and regular teachers of two inner city primary grade classrooms found that, in comparison to standard practice control classrooms, experimental students showed superior gains in receptive vocabulary, expressive vocabulary, beginning sound awareness, and…

The Educational Sign Skills Evaluation (ESSE) was developed to provide a means of identifying the dominant signing style of an individual and to provide feedback on areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. It provides an overall expressive skills rating as well as information on the type, level, and degree of understanding demonstrated…