Children's books, brain development, and language acquisition Explorations in Developmental Psychology Series

This book correlates English-speaking children?s brain development and acquisition of language with the linguistic input that comes from children?s books. Drawing from the most current research on the developing brain, the author demonstrates how language acquisition is exclusively interactive, and highlights the benefit that accrues when that interaction includes the exploratory language play found in early childhood literature. Through discussions of specific domains of grammar, the relation of these domains to children?s literature through scaffolding, and the resultant linguistic and cognitive advantages for the child, this volume offers an innovative approach to early brain maturation.

Figures Tables Introduction 1. Delightful Sounds: Phonetics to Phonology 2. Matching World to Mind: the Lexicon 3. Morphemes A-morphing 4. Morphosyntax and Semantics 5. Interfacing Language and Cognition 6. Becoming homo narrans 7. Entrainment through Story 8. The Language of Cooperation Conclusion Children’s books cited Index

Ralf Thiede is an associate professor of English at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA.