Following fast on the heels of Joel Davis's Mother Tongue ( LJ 12/93) is another provocative and skillfully written book by an MIT professor who specializes in the language development of children. While Pinker covers some of the same ground as did Davis, he argues that an "innate grammatical machinery of the brain" exists, which allows children to "reinvent" language on their own. Basing his ideas on Noam Chomsky's Universal Grammar theory, Pinker describes language as a "discrete combinatorial system" that might easily have evolved via natural selection.
Teaching young children requires more than an ability to set goals, apply techniques and assess outcomes. It involves developing trusting relationships, deciding what children need to know, creating secure and stimulating learning environments and working cooperatively with other significant adults in the children's lives. This book will help teachers prepare for and make the most of the teaching practice in a variety of early childhood settings.
What is Dyslexia?: A Book Explaining Dyslexia for Kids and Adults to Use Together
Added by: Maria | Karma: 3098.81 | Non-Fiction | 19 November 2008
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"What is Dyslexia?" is designed to help adults explain dyslexia to children.The author provides information about all the most common types of dyslexia: trouble with sounds, trouble remembering how letters and words look, trouble finding words, and mixed dyslexia. He deals with the basic facts and adopts a style which is accessible to children without talking down to them. This book includes clear examples which children will be able to understand, as well as activities for parents to do with their children. The author emphasises that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and that having dyslexia is okay.This book will be valuable for parents of children with dyslexia, as well as other adults working with children with dyslexia.