-> I may really mean language development.  When I speak of language
-> acquisition I am referring to the acquiring of language (and
-> vocabulary).
Personally, (and who knows, maybe I'm just some kind of a nut?) I prefer
the term language development over language acquisition for what you
were using the term for in your previous post.
-> I am basing my use of the term on Brian Cambourne, an Australian
-> researcher,
I am going to have to make an effort to get ahold of something by this
guy, he's been mentioned so much here.
-> who, after observing children successfully engaging in literacy
-> learning developed a set of seven conditions he believed were
-> necessary for successful language acquisition.  Cambourne said these
-> conditions applied to adults as well as children.
The seven conditions sound interesting. However, you do not say they are
based on "research" (sorry to keep bringing this up, and I hope it's not
too annoying to you, but I am seriously trying to ascertain to some
extent through this discussion, how much of Whole Language is just
popular fad, and how much actually has any support in science). Again, I
find them appealing. But, did he have control groups? Did he conduct a
study? I am going to try to get the school librarian to get a copy of
this book for me, so I might find some of these answers out myself.
My point is, though, that if he hasn't done these things, then really
his opinion and observations impress me little more than my own opinions
and observations. Not on the same topic, of course. I've done precious
little work with reading in early childhood. However, in math
instruction I'm fairly experienced, fairly opinionated, and have my
ideas what works in the classroom and what doesn't. Where my
philosophies and Mr. Cambourne's _may_ be in conflict (and perhaps they
are not in conflict at all, but just for the sake of argument), then
which one of us is right?
Maybe I'm being ridiculous and overly argumentative here. Maybe I should
just stop participating in this discussion, because as I said before, I
have very little experience in early childhood reading instruction.
-> Also from my my graduate course in early childhood this quote found
-> in the text book *A* *Practical* *Guide* *to* *Early* *Childhood*
-> *Curriculum*  p. 102
->
-> "Since the foundation of literacy is language development, early
-> childhood teachers must be aware of the development of language, as
-> well as the factors that influence its development."
I certainly can't argue with that quote. It seems common sense to me.
Sheila
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