Integrating inquiry science and language development for English language learners

The traditional approach to the education of language minority students separates English language development from content instruction because it is assumed that English language proficiency is a prerequisite for subject matter learning. The authors of this article take the alternate view that the integration of inquiry science and language acquisition enhances learning in both domains. The report describes a conceptual framework for science–language integration and the development of a five‐level rubric to assess teachers' understanding of curricular integration. The science–language integration rubric describes the growth of teacher expertise as a continuum from a view of science and language as discreet unrelated domains to the recognition of the superordinate processes that create a synergistic relationship between inquiry science and language development. Examples from teacher interviews are used to illustrate teacher thinking at each level. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 664–687, 2002     

Concurrent and predictive validity of parent reports of child language at ages 2 and 3 years

The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI; Dale, 1996; Fenson et al., 1994), parent reports about language skills, are being used increasingly in studies of theoretical and public health importance. This study (N = 113) correlated scores on the CDI at ages 2 and 3 years with scores at age 3 years on tests of cognition and receptive language and measures from parent-child conversation. Associations indicated reasonable concurrent and predictive validity. The findings suggest that satisfactory vocabulary scores at age 2 are likely to predict normal language skills at age 3, although some children with limited skills at age 3 will have had satisfactory scores at age 2. Many children with poor vocabulary scores at 2 will have normal skills at 3.     

Child adaptational development in contexts of interparental conflict over time

This multi-method study sought to identify parameters of developmental change and stability of child reaction patterns to interparental conflict in the context of family relations in a sample of 223 6-year-old children and their parents followed over the course of one year. Consistent with the sensitization hypothesis, interparental withdrawal and hostility each consistently and uniquely predicted child distress reactions to conflict even after analytically controlling for parental warmth. Associations were found across multiple domains of child responding (i.e., overt negative affect, subjective negative affect, internal representations) and both concurrent and prospective, autoregressive analyses. Results of the autoregressive path analyses indicated moderate stability in each of the domains of conflict reactivity over the 1-year longitudinal period.     

金缕梅科银缕梅属与帕罗堤属的亲缘关系——核糖体DNA ITS序列证据

本文对金缕梅科弗特吉族(Molinadendron和Matudaea除外)的细胞核核糖体DNA ITS片段进行了序列分析，在此基础上对该族的演化关系、尤其是中国特有属银缕梅属的系统位置进行了最简约分支分析。基本结果如下：其一，蚊母族和狭义的弗特吉族均不形成自己的单系分支，因此，支持Endress的处理，即合并两族为广义的弗特吉族；其二，银缕梅属同帕罗堤属有着密切的亲缘关系，支持形态学和解剖学结论；其三，根据该片段核苷酸序列的演化速率推算出的银缕梅属和帕罗堤属间分化时间为晚中新世。此结论大致与化石记录相符。     

Infant responsivity to curvature.

The reactions of 112 10-month-old male infants to the property of curvature were examined using a habituation paradigm with lever pressing as an instrumental response. 4 levels of curvature (straightt line, minimal curve, moderate curve, large curve) each served as a standard (habituation) stimulus and as a transformation stimulus in 9 separate experimental conditions. Results revealed a greater initial dishabituation of reinforced instrumental responding in those conditions crossing the curved/straight boundary; furthermore, this initial dishabituation was sustained throughout the transformation phase of the experiment in those conditions which involved changes from straight to curved, but not curved to straight. Results are interpreted as implying a special attention-recruiting value for curvature in 10-month old infants.     

Diversity among Spanish-speaking English language learners: profiles of early literacy skills in kindergarten

This study explored heterogeneity in literacy development among 2,300 Hispanic children receiving English as a Second Language (ESL) services at the start of kindergarten. Two research questions guided this work: (1) Do Spanish-speaking English language learners receiving ESL services in the fall of kindergarten demonstrate homogeneous early literacy skills, or are there distinct patterns of achievement across measures of phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and orthography? and (2) if there are distinct profiles, to what extent do they predict literacy achievement at the end of kindergarten and the beginning of first grade? Using cluster analysis, the authors identified four distinct literacy profiles derived from fall kindergarten measures of phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and phonetic spelling. These profiles were found to be associated with literacy outcomes in spring of kindergarten and fall of first grade. The two profiles that were associated with greater success on later measures of concept of word in text, letter sound knowledge, word reading, and spelling were the two that included stronger performance on orthographic skills (i.e., alphabet knowledge and phonetic spelling). These findings demonstrated that there is heterogeneity among Hispanic ESL students at kindergarten entry and suggested that literacy instruction must be differentiated from the very beginning in order to meet students’ individual needs. The findings also suggested that orthographic skills should be assessed and taught early on. While phonological awareness may be a necessary precursor to reading, phonological awareness in the absence of orthographic skills may not be sufficient.     

Attitudes and learning disabilities: A literature review for school psychologists

Most LD students spend the major part of the school day within the regular classroom. Research, however, supports the rejected status of these students. The purpose of this presentation is to: (a) review research pertaining to the feelings professionals and peers have about learning disabled students, and (b) review those factors that may be important for consideration when attempting to modify these perceptions. School psychologists should address the attitudinal issues with a knowledge and basic conceptualization of various strategies that may be utilized to initiate attitude modification programs.     

Performance-Based Assessment: Implications of Task Specificity

How generalizable are the scores from performance-based assessments? How can we best increase the gener-alizability of results? What level of generalizability is needed for different testing purposes?