In the present study, the speech of twenty-four normally speaking toddlers and twenty-eight late talking toddlers was analyzed with respect to the syllable structures produced during a speech sample. The groups were matched with regard to age, sex, and socio-economic status, all passed a hearing screening, and all scored at least 85 on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.

There is a growing group of researchers who believe that narrative skills are the bridge from oral language to literacy (Culatta, Page, & Ellis, 1983; Roth & Spekman, 1989; Westby, 1989). Narrative production requires higher level language skills to create a cohesive discourse unit using decontextualized language. Narrative ability has also been found to be the best predictor for normal speech and language development for preschoolers with language impairments (Bishop & Edmundson, 1987) and reading comprehension achievement for learning-disabled, school-age children (Feagans & Applebaum, 1986) . These same skills are prerequisites for achievement of literacy and school success. The purpose of the present study was to compare the story retelling ability of 4-year-olds who did not achieve normal expressive language milestones at age 2 with those who did. The original group size was 22 children with normal expressive vocabulary size at age 24-34 months, and 23 children whose expressive vocabulary size fell below the normal range at 24-34 months referred to as "late talkers."

Children's narrative language plays a critical role in guiding the transition between oral language and literacy (Roth & Spekman, 1989; Westby, 1989). Narrative comprehension and production by normally achieving and language delayed school-aged children have been studied. Many of these studies have involved story retellings. Few have studied how spontaneously produced narratives are organized especially by young children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cognitive skills as measured by Piagetian tasks at approximately 2 years of age and expressive and receptive language scores from tests administered to the same children 2 years later. The questions this study sought to answer were: 1. Is there a significant difference in the performance of normal children and late-talking children on Piagetian cognitive assessment at age 2? 2. Is there a significant relationship between the cognitive scores at age 2 and language scores at age 4 in each of the two diagnostic groups? Sixty-four subjects participated in this study, 27 children with normal language and 37 children considered to be late talkers. These children are part of the Portland Language Development Project, a longitudinal study being conducted at Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. The instruments used to gather data for this study were the Uzgiris-Hunt Scales of Infant Psychological Development, the Test of Language Development (TOLD), and the Developmental Sentence Score (DSS). No significant difference was found between normal children and late-talking children on Piagetian tasks. No significant correlation was found between cognitive scores at age 2 and language scores at age 4. The only significant difference found between the groups was in relation to expressive language. The DSS and the expressive language score on the TOLD were significantly different between the normal and late talkers.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

The participants in this qualitative study were parents of children in grades 1-3 who attended an elementary school in a low-income, predominantly Latino urban neighborhood. The children were identified as struggling readers through teacher nomination and standardized assessments, and they received reading and writing intervention through an in-school pullout program and through a once-a-week, afterschool University-sponsored tutoring program. The purpose of this study was to gather the views of parents about their children's experiences in literacy learning and intervention, parents’ perspective of their role in their child’s literacy learning, as well as the ways parents described their child as a literacy learner. Fourteen parents were interviewed regarding literacy practices in their homes, views of school literacy instruction, need for information on helping their children at home, and suggestions for improving home-school connections. Follow-up / text

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Much work has been accomplished in the preparation of life science curricular materials for average and above average students at the secondary level; however, very little has been prepared for slow learners. The number of slow learners attending the public schools is substantial enough to have encouraged many public schools to establish homogeneously grouped classes specifically for these students. With the establishment of special classes for slow learners the need for materials specifically de. signed for these students becomes apparent.In answer to this need the present research undertaking was instituted. The research focused upon the development and testing of an eight-week unit of study in life science and evolved through three phases: (1) preparation, writing, and assembly of a student text and a teacher's handbook; (2) preliminary testing during a pilot study; and (3) comprehensive testing with five classes of homogeneously grouped slow learners.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.