Language development, mealtime, and school readiness

[George Allen]

Dear Colleagues,

A nurse colleague of mine is PI on an NIH-funded project looking at how
appropriate mealtime interactions can improve children's nutrition.  She
and her project administrator agree that it might be good to look at
whether this relatively complex situation can be used to aid in both
language and social development and thereby improve readiness for school.
Does any of you know of any projects currently under way that are looking
at the linguistic and/or social aspects of preschool children's mealtimes?

Thanks very much for your assistance with this question.
/George Allen

George D. Allen <alleng at msu.edu>
Michigan State University College of Nursing
A230 Life Sciences Bldg., E. Lansing MI 48824-1317
Voice: (517) 353-5976; Fax: (517) 353-9553

"We already have distance learning in most university science courses; it's
called the lecture."  -- Donald Kennedy, "Science,"
August 31, 2001, p. 1557.