Conversations and Language: Literacy Foundations 1

This is the first in a series of resource posts focused on the foundations of literacy development. Find all the resource posts for preschool teachers on the UPreK website.

Children develop skills in preschool that lead to reading as they grow older. Literacy foundations begin with language development and communication milestones. Teachers can promote early literacy development by supporting and developing conversation skills.

Although it's impossible to list everything, here are some high leverage practices for promoting language development:

• Be a responsive partner in conversations with children and teach children to listen to one another. Be attuned and available during play. Children are more likely to engage when you are nearby and playing with them. Which children are you are most likely to engage with? How can you encourage conversation with all children? 

• Remember wait time. Children may need 5-10 seconds of silence (or even longer) before they respond. Test it out! How long is 10 seconds of silence?

• Build and extend on children's language.  With preschoolers, aim for 3-5 conversational turns for each speaker. You can give more information or an explanation, ask about thoughts/opinions, help them consider another perspective or another time, or create an imaginary story. "Oh, your train is going to the zoo! I wonder what the passengers will see there." 

• Use self-talk and parallel talk to describe what you and others are doing. Imagine yourself as a sports commentator. This gives children language models and new vocabulary. "My puppy is hurt. I'm going to give him a bandage."

• Encourage children's story-telling by asking relevant questions and making comments that show you are listening. A ratio of 3-5 comments: 1 question is a more naturalistic conversation. This weekend I went on a hike in the woods with my friends.

• Use intentional open-ended "why" and "how" questions to encourage children to share their thinking and problem-solving: "How did you get the tower so tall?"  Research shows that much of the language adults use with children is directive. Be intentional about using open-ended and conversational language!

• Encourage conversation with peers: hold a turn and talk with a partner at circle time, start a discussion at mealtimes, or step into play to set up a conversation-rich dramatic play scenario and then fade out ("I'm driving my truck to get some sand. Can you shovel it in? Look, Ian wants help too." or "I think Mia's baby might be hungry too.") This kind of set-up can work in many different classroom centers.

• Promote use of home languages in multilingual children and promote language with joint activities and verbal and nonverbal responses 

• Use pretend play to promote language: Help children understand roles in dramatic play and provide play scenarios that build context-specific vocabulary. Are you running a hair salon? May I have an appointment please?

Dig Deeper:

• Language Development VELS, pp 52-61 - a broad overview of what children should know and be able to do birth through third grade in receptive and expressive language

• The Hanen Centre offers a fabulous online training for early childhood educators called Learning Language and Loving It: A Guide to Promoting Children's Social, Language, and Literacy Development in Early Childhood Settings. If you can't get to an online training, there is also a book/DVD combo available. Especially appropriate for teachers of infants, toddlers, and young preschoolers and/or those with language delays.

• Connect families with the resources available from Talking is Teaching

• Head Start's Planned Language Approach includes tips on developing Oral Language and Vocabulary. 

• Teacher Tom has a blog post called Even Our Words Can Be Loose Parts

• The Language Development playlist from Speech in a Sec has some excellent videos about wait time and comments

• The book Literacy Learning for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Key Practices for Educators by Tanya S. Wright, Sonia Q. Cabell, Nell K. Duke, & Mariana Souto-Manning is based in research and has excellent tips for early childhood educators.