Teaching Children to Identify and Respond to Pragmatic Language Functions in Narrative Text.

Finds that first graders who received direct instruction in awareness of four pragmatic language functions (heuristic, imaginative, regulatory, and personal) evidenced greater recognition and awareness of these functions in narrative than did uninstructed children. Implies that it is useful to cultivate such pragmatic awareness to promote comprehension of, and response to, narrative is useful. (SR)