Teachers support the growth of preschool age children's oral language through continuous use of effective early literacy strategies, including:

• expanding a child's vocabulary by using the child's words and adding a little bit more.

• providing rich interesting experiences that cause children to think, wonder, and seek out words that describe their experiences.

• providing rich experiences that give children something to talk about with their peers and with adults.

• providing words to describe what children are doing, using, and interested in learning.

• using day to day routines to talk with each child to help reinforce the desire and purpose of extended conversations.

• offering varied types or genre of books, including non-fiction, poetry, classic tales, and children's own dictated stories to capture a child's interest and build word practice.

• exposing children to "rare words" that a child typically does not hear.

• pausing during a story to talk about words and bridge their meaning to prior knowledge.

• referring back to newly acquired words to build retention and allow the child to develop ownership of it as part of their own personal word bank - their own personal vocabulary.

• using new words intentionally so the child has experience using and hearing them.

• documenting significant words on a word wall in their room that changes according to the current topic of study or theme.

Supporting Oral Language in the home and community...

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