The software programs "Toddlers' Tutor" and "Story Machine" have been used along with fingerspelling and sign language interpretation with deaf and mentally retarded students. Improvements have been noted in the reception/expression of basic and expanded forms of signed and written language. (Author/CL)

Analysis of videotaped interaction of 20 hearing impaired preschoolers showed that Ss were acquiring language using the same semantic categories, syntactic forms, and functional uses as normally developing children but at later chronological ages. All of the hearing-impaired children were developing a rule system consistent with patterns of normal…

Discussed are the acquisition of native sign language by deaf children and the factors which must be considered by teachers in providing a transition from sign language to the oral method. (KW)

This reprint of a 1970 article examines some emergent concepts of psycholinguistics and relates them to the development of a language-training program for children with deafness. It discusses the stages and process of language development, and the advantages and disadvantages of the total-communication approach, oral communication, and the…

Summarizes characteristics of Hispanic students at the Texas School for the Deaf. It discusses trilingual (American Sign Language, English, Spanish) situations and problems related to multilingual home and school environments. A model is proposed for language instruction and support-services programs. (DB)

Compared were the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS) and a modified version of the ABS (which allowed alternative methods of communication such as sign language) with 134 deaf-blind persons, three to 30 years old. Among results were that alternative communication methods had no effect on nine of 10 ABS domains. (Author/MC)

Materials written by T. H. Gallaudet on the subject of sign language and communication are reviewed that indicate that some of his ideas regarding the use of sign language in teaching deaf students may have been partially misunderstood. (Author/SW)

The computer assisted evaluation approach used at the California School for the Deaf-Fremont focuses on reading and language skill development. An inventory of computer lessons has been developed to match appropriate activities to student needs. Examples of lessons geared for different language ability levels are provided. (CL)

A three-year project at the California School for the Deaf-Riverside has focused on developing an interactive computer-videodisc system to teach language and reading skills to hearing impaired students. Preliminary results have revealed that the system appears to be an effective, motivating instructional tool. (CL)

This paper offers a rationale for the use of conversational approaches to teach language to deaf students, encourages teachers to reexamine how they teach and how they structure their classrooms and curriculums, and describes activities that teachers can use to encourage conversation in their classrooms. (Author/JDD)

The study compared comprehension of American Sign Language (ASL) between 12 deaf subjects in a program using Signing Exact English (SEE-2) and 14 deaf subjects in a residential program using Signed English, Pidgin Signed English, and ASL. Students exposed to SEE-2 could comprehend ASL as well as residential school peers. (Author/DB)

Metalinguistic abilities of 20 hearing-impaired children, aged 4-10, were assessed by asking them to judge synonymy of sentence pairs presented in Signed English, Pidgin Sign English, and American Sign Language. None of the children had developed metalinguistic abilities in any of the sign language systems. (Author/JDD)