Wells, Gordon. 1987. The meaning makers : children learning language and using language to learn. Book. London: Hodder and Stoughton
Notes
Starts with quoting Chomsky "language is a window on the mind" interpreting this: "by studying regularities of the sentences that a speaker of a language can produce or understand...we can discover the nature of knowledge that he or she must possess, and from that we can draw conclusions about the workings of the mind itself." describing this as "Heady stuff for someone concerned with the education of young children." (p. ix) Before outlining research talks about stories and facts - it is important how the stories fit the facts.Describes a large-scale longitudinal study in the UK (Bristol) on child language development between 1 and 10.Concludes with:"We are the meaning makers--every one of us: children, parents, and teachers. To try to make sense, to construct stories, and to share them with others in speech and in writing is an essential part of being human. For those of us who are more knowledgeable and more mature--parents and teachers--the responsibility is clear: to interact with those in our care in such as way as to foster and enrich