Converging themes of research from developmental linguistics, linguistics, and neuropsychology are reviewed. Research indicates that (a) language development precedes and is discrete from logical development; (b) there is a physiologically based and universal human aptitude for functional oral language; and (c) language comprehension is a dynamic system of processing that selectively synthesizes surface stimuli on the basis of organizational structures that precede the utterance of any linguistic communication. The implication of these research themes is extended to special education, and a linguistic rather than a logical instructional approach to reading is recommended.
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