Instructor Reaction to Verbal and Nonverbal‐Visual Styles: An Example of Navajo and Caucasian Children 1

The extent to which instructors attended differentially to thirteen Navajo and seven Caucasian children was assessed in an urban classroom using a formal observation technique. Significant differences in instructor attention were experienced by the two groups. These differences were attributed to the contrasting verbal and nonverbal‐visual styles displayed by the Caucasian and Navajo children. An evaluation program is offered which attempts to offset the tendency of instructors to attend differentially to children displaying diverse behavioral styles in the classroom. NAVAJOS, CLASSROOM, VERBAL BEHAVIOR, NONVERBAL‐VISUAL BEHAVIOR.