The purpose of Project I.E.P. (Intervention for Early Progress) was to discover whether young children with handicaps who were exposed to structured, print-rich environments with opportunities to engage in a variety of preliteracy and literacy experiences would develop behaviors indicative of early “reading'' and “writing.'' Thus, Project I.E.P. sought to replicate emergent literacy studies previously conducted with youngsters with and without handicaps. The results of a year-long study confirm the findings of an exploratory investigation in emergent literacy conducted with very young children with handicaps. Emergent literacy behaviors were developed in a group of children ( n = 14; mean CA = 5.4) identified as having special needs who were exposed to numerous structured literacy activities every day. A statistically significant difference in concepts of print from pre- to posttest between experimental and control groups was found. The children's independent book interactions were found to progress in complexity and sustained attention, and they demonstrated a marked preference for certain types of books in the classroom library over the period of study. Finally, the “writing'' behaviors of participants also increased in complexity, variety, and structure over the period of the study. Theoretical and practical implications for how we view literacy development in general, as well as how and when special education literacy programs are implemented, are considered.

The present descriptive study was a year-long investigation into the literacy development of nine elementary students with mild to moderate mental retardation (mean CA = 9.8; IQ scores available for seven students, mean IQ = 57.7; IQ range = 40-76). The teacher instructed the students using a balanced, multimethod, multilevel language arts framework that blended more traditional approaches to teaching reading, such as phonics and basal instruction, with holistic and contextualized approaches that included reading children's literature and process writing. The children made measurable gains in several areas, including the use of word identification and reading comprehension strategies, metalinguistics, written language, and confidence with the written word. The authors suggest practical applications for classroom teachers. earning how to read and write t printed language appears to dominate the early schooling of most children in the United States. In con-

This article describes a study designed to examine the association of demographic, psychological, and environmental characteristics of a sample of low socioeconomic status, Mexican American students in elementary and middle school and their reported use of nine substances. Students in grades four, five, and six (N = 2295; males 52% and females 48%) located in a metropolitan school district in South Texas were surveyed in order to ascertain information pertaining to the initiation and/or ongoing use of substances. Regression analyses were employed to determine the relative contribution of variables measured to lifetime use of both minor and major substances. Results indicate that a specific combination of variables were predictive of both minor and major substance use for the subjects surveyed. Implications for future research and substance intervention are included.

The purpose of this investigation was to explore and document ways in which behaviors indicative of emerging literacy may be promoted in a group of preschool children ( n=14; mean CA=5.2) with mild to moderate disabilities. Classroom procedures included immersing the children in a literature-rich environment with multiple daily readings by adults of a small number of familiar and predictable books. Structured techniques were used to encourage the children independently to interact with books. Results indicate that the literacy development of children with disabilities, like youngsters without disabilities, can be influenced through classroom curriculum and procedures.

Juvenile delinquency and substance use among American youth have become major concerns in today’s society. The various paths that adolescents may take into lives of delinquency are varied and complex. One potentially fruitful avenue for researchers to explore is adolescent use of free time and its relationship to delinquency. This study was designed to develop and validate a typology of leisure time activities using a scale developed for this study called the Adolescent Leisure Time Activity Scale (ALTAS). An additional purpose of the study was to examine the association between participation in the type of leisure activity and delinquent behavior among low socioeconomic status middle and senior high school Mexican American adolescents. The sample for the study consisted of 2,651 Mexican American adolescents. Results indicate that a higher level of involvement in delinquency was significantly associated with increased participation in unsupervised socialization with friends and less frequent participation in organized leisure and sport activities and in activities at home. Different associations of leisure activities and delinquent acts also were observed between male and female participants.