Book excerpt: Based on an examination of research on the language acquisition of children, the articles in this book are organized into three interrelated sections. Section one, "Language and the Young Language Learner," focuses on what and how children learn as they begin to acquire their language. The topic of language differences is also explored. Articles in section two, "Language Growth in Educational Environments," center on creating in the school environment a context that will foster the further language development of children. Some articles focus on the beginnings of reading and writing in the very young child; others present implications for language arts education--speaking, reading, writing--applicable to the full range of students in the elementary school. The final section,"Evaluation in Language Education," deals with techniques and issues related to accountability in the language arts and points to new directions in the search for information about how children learn and develop language. (HO)