Children's learning processes will be the focus of two University Forum lectures in April.

On April 9, UNLV music professor Lelouda Stamou will speak on "Music and Brain Development Before and After Birth." She will discuss how parents can provide the basis for a lifetime of musical development in their children by creating a rich musical environment early on.

According to Stamou, early musical stimulation can greatly increase the intellectual development of many children who grow up in impoverished or at-risk situations.

On April 12, Diane McGuinness, a psychology professor at the University of South Florida, will discuss "How All Children Can Be Taught to Read."

According to McGuinness, 43 percent of American children read below accepted standards for their age and grade. In her presentation, she will introduce some radical new ways of teaching children how to read that have been far more successful than traditional methods.

All University Forum lectures are free and open to the public. Both lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History.

The University Forum lecture series is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and is underwritten by the UNLV Foundation. The April 12 lecture is cosponsored by the Hank Greenspun School of Communication, the psychology department, and UNLV's Center for Teaching and Learning. For additional information on the series, call 895-3401.