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University Daily Kansan
Campus/Area
Thursday, Nov. 21, 1985
By John Williams Of the Kansan staff
Toys mav aid language development
Toys may keep children out of their parents' hair for a while, and may play an important part in children learning a language, the coordinator of the KU Infant Laboratory says.
Marion O'Brien, the coordinator, said yesterday that a study conducted last year by the laboratory in Haworth Hall indicated that certain toys, such as dolls, stimulated better learning environments than other toys, such as trucks.
For the study, families were put into a play setting in which they had three stereotypical toys to play with: trucks, dolls and neutral toys, such as tops or figures. The families did not have a choice of which toys to play with.
Twenty children and their parents participated in the KU study. All children were 18 to 24 months old
"Something unique about the experiment was watching fathers and sons play with dolls, something you would not see in a home," she said.
The transcripts of the play sessions have not been analyzed yet, but O'Brien said that it seemed
that when trucks were being played with, almost no language was used. Ten percent of the noise in the room consisted of truck-motor sounds simulated by the parents and children.
More language was used with dolls, however, including the naming of toys, colors and other objects in the play area, she said.
Children generally choose certain toys to play with by 18 months of age, and those choices become wider with age. she said.
"Labeling helps children learn language, so it appears that girls playing with dolls have chosen an environment that is more stimulating to develop language," she said.
Keith Nagle, St. Louis senior and a research assistant for the study, said that parents also talked slower and varied the pitch of their voice more with the dolls. Children would pay more attention to a voice that varied, compared to a voice that was almost monotone.
"Our impression is that the change in stimulus helps in the child's perception," Nagle said.
The study's findings cannot be substantiated until information and voice samples are analyzed by the computer in the department of speech-
"It's very limited so far," she said. "It's hard to draw big generalizations when you're just beginning."
language-hearing: sciences and disorders, O'Brien said.
O'Brien said she had no immediate plans to do more studies, but more could be done by moving the study into homes and out of the unfamiliar environment of a small room.
"In doing our studies, we need to think about the educational components, so the selection of toys may be an educational factor."
She said the experiment was an offshoot of another study to answer questions on whether mothers and fathers talk differently to children when they play. Most experts think that the father gives orders, while the mother gives more suggestions to children.
To find differences in the parents' speech, O'Brien examined language to find the number of nouns and verbs used and the length of sentences.
"What we got was something unexpected," she said. "There was almost no difference between the way mothers and fathers talked to the children when they were playing."
More money needed for state, panel says
The Associated Press
TOEKA — Income shortfalls, financing cuts, tax increases and exemptions all were discussed yesterday by the Legislative Budget Committee, and a consensus seemed to form that increased revenue will be needed to finance state government in the coming year.
Rep. Bill Bunten, R-Topeka and chairman of the panel which is composed of legislative leadership, said he was convinced that the state would need more money to pay all its bills in the coming year.
He said he formed his opinion after reading recent state reports that indicated that tax-generated
revenues would fall $55 million short of original expectations in this fiscal year, which ends June 30, 1986. The report projected that revenues would drop alr-ost $133 million below original expert predictions during the next 18 months.
Bunten suggested that lawmakers could sufficiently prop up the ailing general fund with additional revenue by creating a state lottery, allowing additional drilling of natural gas wells in existing fields in southwest Kansas and by closing existing exemptions to the state sales tax.
The committee is formulating its final report to be submitted to the 1986 Legislature when it convenes in January.
Dedicated endowment trustee dies at 84
By Liz Maggard Of the Kansan staff
On the last day of his life, Riley Burcham displayed the total dedication to the University of Kansas that he consistently had shown over a 40-year span, the executive director of the University of Kansas Alumni Association said yesterday.
Mr. Burcham, a former banker and well-known community leader, died Tuesday afternoon at Lawrence Memorial Hospital after suffering an apparent heart attack
Mr. Burcham, 84, had been taken to the hospital Tuesday morning
after becoming ill at his home, 1624 Stratford Road.
"At a time when most people would be thinking only of their own health problems, he was more concerned
Fred Williams, the director of the Alumni Association, said he received a message from Mr. Burcham's wife, Alberta, at about 10 a.m. Tuesday.
"His wife called at Riley's request," Williams said. "The message was that he had suffered an angina attack and would not be able to attend an alumni development committee meeting Saturday. However, he wanted us to know that we could still count on him doing everything he could in the coming year.
On Oct. 4, Mr. Burcham was awarded the Fred Elworth
about not being able to keep his commitment to the University."
Although he was not a KU graduate, Mr. Burcham was an associate member of the Alumni Association and had been an active supporter of the University since moving to Lawrence in 1943, Williams said.
A member of the Kansas University Endowment Association's board of trustees for almost 40 years, Mr. Burcham was chairman of the board's finance committee at the time of his death. He also was a member of the board's audit committee.
Medallion, the highest honor the Alumni Association can bestow on an individual. It is awarded for outstanding service to the University.
Mr. Burcham was born March 7,
1901, in Fulton. He is survived by his
wife, Alberta, of the home, and a son,
William C. Burcham, Overland Park.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the First Christian Church, 1000 Kentucky St. The Rev. Ron Goodman will officiate. Burial will be at the Memorial Park Cemetery. Lawrence Masonic Lodge No. 6 will conduct graveside services.
The family suggests memorials in his name to the Endowment Association or to the First Christian Church.
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