TY - JOUR
T1 - What Are You Talking About?
T2 - Semantic Analysis of Preschool Children's Conversational Topics in Home and Preschool Settings
AU - Marvin, Christine A.
AU - Beukelman, David R.
AU - Brockhaus, Jynell
AU - Kast, Lisa
N1 - Funding Information:
Special thanks are extended to Kathleen Cavanaugh, Tara Cochrane, Christi Corr, Katie Greiss, Kate Kasal, and Denise Bilyeu for their assistance in data collection, transcription, and coding. Their efforts were supported in part by Grant #H029B0081, US Department of Education, Division for Personnel Preparation.
PY - 1994/1
Y1 - 1994/1
N2 - This study explored the semantic content of the conversational topics used by 10 nondisabled preschool children at home and at preschool. The spontaneous speech of the children was tape recorded using voice-activated tape players. The children wore the recorder as they engaged in routine activities with teachers, peers, and family. The speech samples represented 2 to 2.5 hours of preschool and home activity for each child. Overall, the 10 children referred predominantly to the here and now and to themselves. The children appeared to reference past and future less frequently and fantasy more frequently at school than at home. Parents and siblings were referenced infrequently at school, while teachers were referenced infrequently at home. The most common and frequent semantic referents at home and at school were similar and referred to objects (toys and food), events (actions, play, projects), and ideas about people's traits or conditions. Implications for the development of augmentative and alternative (AAC) systems for young children are discussed relative to maximizing children's opportunities for language learning, conversation, and participation in the home and preschool settings with nondisabled peers and family members.
AB - This study explored the semantic content of the conversational topics used by 10 nondisabled preschool children at home and at preschool. The spontaneous speech of the children was tape recorded using voice-activated tape players. The children wore the recorder as they engaged in routine activities with teachers, peers, and family. The speech samples represented 2 to 2.5 hours of preschool and home activity for each child. Overall, the 10 children referred predominantly to the here and now and to themselves. The children appeared to reference past and future less frequently and fantasy more frequently at school than at home. Parents and siblings were referenced infrequently at school, while teachers were referenced infrequently at home. The most common and frequent semantic referents at home and at school were similar and referred to objects (toys and food), events (actions, play, projects), and ideas about people's traits or conditions. Implications for the development of augmentative and alternative (AAC) systems for young children are discussed relative to maximizing children's opportunities for language learning, conversation, and participation in the home and preschool settings with nondisabled peers and family members.
KW - communication
KW - home
KW - preschool
KW - school
KW - topics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939482192&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84939482192&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/07434619412331276780
DO - 10.1080/07434619412331276780
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84939482192
VL - 10
SP - 75
EP - 86
JO - AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication
JF - AAC: Augmentative and Alternative Communication
SN - 0743-4618
IS - 2
ER -