Language and the Intentional Teacher

In her article in the January/February 2009 issue of Exchange, "Think Before you (Inter)act: What it Means to Be an Intentional Teacher," Anne Epstein provides guidance on how to support child-guided learning and when to engage in adult-guided learning. In the area of language and literacy, she provides these ideas on child-guided learning:

"Children learn to listen, initiate, and respond in conversation with others. This verbal facility is a foundation of ­literacy development. To promote these essential skills:

• Be careful not to dominate when talking with ­children. Lean toward more child than adult talk.
• Model active listening. Wait for children to form and express their thoughts. Get down on their level, make eye contact, repeat or clarify what they say to show you have heard them.
• Play games with verbal directions, such as Simon Says (but without winners and losers).
• Expand children’s verbalizations. For example, if a toddler says, 'Me, banana', you might say, 'You are going to eat that banana.'
• Support sociodramatic play by providing props for role playing and pretending.
• Pretend to misunderstand ambiguous gestures to encourage children to add words. Use humor. For example, if a child points to his/her head for help with a hat, put a shoe there instead.
• Use questions but not in excess. Ask questions that encourage children to think and expand their answers. Avoid questions that have a single brief or ‘correct’ answer.
• Talk to other adults in the presence of children. Model good syntax and varied vocabulary."

Anne Epstein's article is one of four articles in the Beginnings Workshop, "The Intentional Teacher." You can also purchase any of the other 89 Beginnings Workshops in the following categories:

• Child Development
• Program Development
• Professional Development
• Language and Literacy
• Curriculum Issues
• Environments
• Parents

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For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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