College of Education News

With 58 slides full of anecdotes, research, and charts, Dr. Howard Goldstein presented the fourth annual Goldstick Lecture in Communication Disorders, hosted by the College of Education’s Department of Special Eduation.  Goldstein, the research director of the Schoenbaum Family Center and Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at The Ohio State University sought audience participation from the audience of 100+ as he presented.

“Can you say ‘sibling?” Goldstein asked the crowd.

“Sibling,” attendees replied in sync as Goldstein directed attention to a slide reflective of his recent study. Mothers were given a word explanation script with storybooks and were instructed not only to read but to point out and explain vocabulary, such as “sibling,” to children. As a result, Goldstein concluded, a direct correlation between mothers’ explanations and childrens’ utterances emerged. Goldstein’s research could provide insight into closing vocabulary gaps in children: the more utterances the greater likelihood for expanding vocabulary. If children have low oral language skills in Kindergarten, Goldstick says it’s an almost guaranteed predictor that the child will have below-average reading skills in high school and beyond.

Goldstein’s visit at the University of Illinois resulted from the generosity of Phillip and Beverly Goldstick, who drove down from Chicago to attend the event.

Although neither Phillip nor Beverly hold a degree from the College of Education, their investment in the Department of Special Education hits close to home: their granddaughter, Marissa, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome – a condition similar to autism that makes traditional communication nearly impossible for a child.  As a result, the Goldsticks not only recognized the importance of supporting neurological research, but also fostering awareness.

“Marissa is now 22 years old, “ Phillip said, facing the audience after Goldstein’s lecture. “One of our motivations to establishing this program is that we’ve had a lot of experience working with special needs teacher at school. We know there is a great need for special needs teachers, and the quality of those teachers are critical.”

Afterwards, the audience, including Dean Mary Kalantzis and Chancellor Richard Herman convened for a reception in honor of the lecture.

In Spring 2005, the Goldsticks established the endowment of The Goldstick Initiative for the Study of Communication Disorders. In addition to the lecture series, the endowment also funds The Goldstick Family Doctoral Fellowships, and The Goldstick Family Scholar in Communication Disorders. Jim Halle is the first Goldstick Scholar in the College of Education. He has held this position since 2005 - when the Goldstick Initiative was established. Lori Erbrederis, recipient of The Goldstick Family Doctoral Fellowship, will begin her Ph.D. studies in Special Education in Fall 2009.

“It is a rare opportunity we have to visit an university to renew our interactions with colleagues and meet new colleagues,” Goldstein said. “This is a very special opportunity.”

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