This book reports on the extensive longitudinal study of children's language development by B. Hart and T. Risley. Their detailed recording of children's language experience over the first three years of life provides a valuable example of assessing environmental quality. Implications for improving day care and academic achievement are discussed.…

"Forbidden Signs" explores the debate between manualists and oralists in deaf education into political, pedagogical, scientific, philosophical, historical, racial, sexual, economic, and linguistic contexts. The biggest weakness of the book is that it is a history only of the attitudes of hearing people toward oralism and manualism. (SLD)

These two books take a similar approach to educational administration in asserting that good administration is a matter of philosophy. The philosophies they support are quite different, however, with "Outstanding School Administrators" taking a business management approach and "Leadership for the Schoolhouse" accepting a communitarian philosophy.…

"Schoolyard Bullies" deals with the Sullivan Royal Commission on Education in British Columbia (Canada), the school reform it initiated, usually called "Year 2000," and what has happened in the province's schools since that reform effort was abandoned. New emphases in reform efforts in British Columbia stress vocationalism. (SLD)

The effective schools movement, explored by P. Coleman and L. LaRoque, has not brought about meaningful change in education because advocates assume that there are norms and values on which all can agree. It is argued that these themes are at odds with the real world. (SLD)

In a recent article, D. Stewart has misrepresented the positions of some of those who view teachers as facilitators of learning. The author defines four principles that represent a sensible interpretation of facilitating learning. The idea of the teacher as facilitator actually holds great promise for improved teaching. (SLD)