Teacher Talk The Importance of a Language Rich Preschool Environment Preschool Coordinators meeting October 18, 2005 Patsy L.Pierce, Ph.D., Office of School Readiness More at Four Program

What is the best indicator of quality in early childhood programs? Relationships Among staff Between staff and children Between staff and parents Between parents and children

How do we build quality relationships? Mutual Respect Trust Communication

Good Adult Communication skills… Build Quality Relationships, which Build Self-Esteem in young children, which Build Communication skills in young children (e.g., vocabulary, syntax), which Build learning in other domains and leads to Success, happiness, continued growth and development

Good Communication Skills SUCCESS

In other WORDS… Children who do not hear a lot of talk and who are not encouraged to talk themselves often have problems learning to read (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborne, 2003)

How do we communicate? Stop, Look and Listen Seek first to understand, then to be understood – Stephen Covey Take Listening Skills Inventory

Encourage Rather Than Praise Participate in childrens play Encourage children to describe their efforts, ideas, and products Acknowledge childrens work and ideas by making specific comments: describe (not all at once): Physical movement, control of tools, use of space, self-help-skills in working on a project, control or expression of emotions, vocabulary to describe the product, writing associated with creations; math and science concepts, revealed self-identity, interactions High/Scope Education Research Foundation; Nilsen, B. (2001). Week by Week: Plans for Observing and Recording Young Children ACCEPTANCE OF EXPLORATION AND CREATIVITY; TRUE INTEREST; NEW VOCABULARY AND APPROPRIATE SYNTAX

Practice making descriptive comments and asking open- ended/descriptive questions

Hold Real Conversations ECERS (item 18) Exemplary: –Staff have individual conversations with most of the children; –Children are asked questions to encourage them to give longer and more complex answers (younger child is asked what or where questions; older child is asked why or how questions. ELLCO (item 6) Exemplary: –The tone of classroom conversations is positive and show respect for childrens contributions, encouraging children to speak from their different perspectives and experience; –Teachers listen attentively to children, encourage children to listen to each other, and deliberately foster a climate in which differing opinions & ideas are valued; –Teachers display fairness in treatment of children from differing ability gender, racial, and cultural groups We should be having at least 3 conversations with each child every week.

ECERS (item 32) Exemplary: –Staff seem to enjoy being with the children –Staff encourage the development of mutual respect between children and adults (staff wait until children finish asking questions before answering; encourage children in a polite way to listen when adults speak) ELLCO (item 7) Exemplary: –Teachers appear to be aware of childrens oral language abilities, considering both normative and individualist patterns of development in 1 st and 2 nd language development; –Teachers plan sufficient time for conversations. Children are systematically encouraged to use oral language to share experiences, discuss and plan activities for broader intellectual purposes (e.g., analyzing, predicting, problem solving, reflecting on learning); –Goals & opportunities for extended use of oral language are coordinated with goals for literacy and content area learning; –Regular, intentional efforts are made to expand childrens vocabulary. Real conversations take at least 4 turns on one topic.

Converse about books, songs, stories, and experiences Relate to personal experiences (your own and the childrens) Make appropriate linguistic adaptations Follow the CAR –Comment and WAIT (5 seconds) –Ask questions and WAIT –Respond by adding a little more

Yackety, Yack and let them talk back! Show affection and sincere interest in children; Send congruent verbal and non verbal messages; Invite children into extended conversations with peers and adults; Listen attentively to what children have to say. Use childrens interests as a basis for conversation; Speak courteously to children; Plan or take advantage of spontaneous opportunities to talk with each child informally; Refrain from talking judgmentally about children/others to them or in front of them. Look at Classroom Observation form

Thank you for your conversations!