Increasing Teacher Listening & Child Talk MAGIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES 8
THE “MAGIC 8” CLASSROOM PRACTICES Reduce time spent in transition 1. Improving level of instruction 2. Creating a positive climate 3. Increasing teacher listening to children 4. Planning sequential activities 5. Promoting associative and cooperative interactions 6. Fostering high levels of engagement 7. Providing math opportunities 8. 2017-18 Initiative: Focus on Literacy Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 2 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
WHY LISTENING TO CHILDREN MATTERS Increased T eacher Listening leads to more opportunities for Child Talk. Children in classrooms Children who were with teachers who listened observed talking more more had greater gains in frequently had greater Math , Vocabulary , and gains in the above- Knowledge of Letters & mentioned skills and Sight Words . Self-Regulation . MATH LETTER & SIGHT SELF-REGULATION WORD VOCABULARY IDENTIFICATION Communication prosocial skills These patterns were particularly true for children who entered pre-k with lower skills than their peers! Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 3 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING CHILD TALK ASK AUTHENTIC, ALLOW WAIT POSITIVELY EXTEND AND OPEN-ENDED TIME FOR ACKNOWLEDGE ELABORATE QUESTIONS RESPONSES CONTRIBUTIONS UTTERANCES DISCUSSION POINT: PROVIDE SCAFFOLDS FOR Remember what if felt like when ENCOURAGE PROVIDE EXTEND AND CHILDREN WITH CONVERSATION SCAFFOLDS FOR ELABORATE someone cared about what you LIMITED AMONG PEERS LOW-LANGUAGE UTTERANCES LANGUAGE thought when you were a child. SKILLS How can you create those opportunities for your students? Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 4 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
USE AUTHENTIC OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS Ask questions that show children you really What do you care about what they are thinking! think about… Avoid simple “yes” or “no” questions, or those with only one correct answer. How can we… Book Discussion Cards provided by Creative T ell me Curriculum (or other curriculum) give excellent examples of about…. open-ended questions to ask during or after read-alouds I wonder… Brainstorm question stems to post at adult height in different areas of the room This relieves the pressure of having to come up What would questions on the spot happen if… What would Strive for Five! you do… Aim for 5 conversational turns during exchanges with children How did you… Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 5 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
ALLOW WAIT TIME FOR RESPONSES It takes time for young children to process When I tell you to information and formulate responses! ‘ think big ’, I want you to take some time Silence while waiting for a response during a group and think about discussion can be overwhelming for teachers and children your answer. Then, touch your nose to Try setting up routines and expectations that encourage show me you are children to take time to think about their answers ready. DISCUSSION POINT: Do you find it challenging to practice wait time? Why? Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 6 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
POSITIVELY ACKNOWLEDGE CONTRIBUTIONS Speaking up can feel very risky for children who are shy or less skilled with language. Keep this in mind, and be enthusiastic about their contributions to the exchange! Remember the first rule of improvisational comedy! “Yes, and…” Differentiate your responses to off-topic comments. For a child who often contributes: For a child who rarely contributes: Identify a link between child’s Encourage participation and find a comment and current topic – OR-- Ask way to ask more questions them to tell more about it later , and bring attention back to topic at hand. DISCUSSION POINT: Set aside a time for children to come How can you use the “yes, and…” talk to you . principle in your classroom? Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 7 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
EXTEND & ELABORATE SHORT UTTERANCES Follow children’s interest by observing their play before trying to engage in conversation CHILD : I drive car. Echo what the child says and add on details Model correct grammar without directly correcting children TEACHER : You are driving the car down the road! TEACHER : Wow, you think the CHILD : The Wolf goed to Wolf went to the house made of stone the other house made of and blew it down? Hmm…What do rocks and he blewed it you think would happen if he couldn’t DISCUSSION POINT: down too! blow the house down? What is one activity or time of the day when you could use “extend and elaborate” strategies with an individual child? Particularly useful for ELL children Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 8 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
ENCOURAGE CONVERSATION AMONG PEERS T each children how to actively listen to what How can we others are saying show Charlotte Keep eyes on the speaker (even if it means turning around) we care about Do not talk while the speaker is talking what she’s saying? Highlight and compare children’s responses “Selah, your idea sounds different from Cameron’s…” Suggest questions for peers to ask each other “Jayla, why don’t you ask Tyler to tell you what he likes to do when he’s wearing his new shoes. “ DISCUSSION POINT: Turn & Talk / Shoulder Partners What expectations have you established for speaking and listening “Turn to your Shoulder Partner and tell during group time? them…” Call on a few children to share their friends’ responses Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 9 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
PROVIDE SCAFFOLDS FOR CHILDREN WITH LIMITED LANGUAGE SKILLS Use picture cards to help children make requests or tell stories CHILD : Points to “snack” card. TEACHER : You want a delicious snack? Pair common phrases with sign language or translations from children’s home language Children’s families can be excellent resources to help bring multilingual materials into the classroom Use predictable phrases or songs to elicit utterances TEACHER : Ready, set… CHILD : /g/ DISCUSSION POINT: TEACHER : That’s right, GO ! Do you make a conscious effort to engage children with lower language skills in verbal interactions? How? Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 10 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
HENNY PENNY BOOK DISCUSSION: ROLE PLAY Creative Curriculum discussion cards provide some wonderful questions for checking children’s comprehension and promoting discussion! So , let’s practice! Each group has a copy of the discussion questions provided for Henny Penny One teacher and 3-4 children for each group “Children” will choose a role from a hat (don’t tell your group!) “Teachers” will ask some of these questions and practice strategies for promoting conversation about the story (feel free to orient “children” to the story elements as needed ) You can shift roles as time permits Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 11 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
HENNY PENNY BOOK DISCUSSION: ROLE PLAY Child Roles: I REALLY want The teacher is I’m getting to tell you not listening to frustrated I have soooo I don’t like this I have to go to about these me, so I’m going because my many questions story. the bathroom. worms I found to tell my idea friends keep for you. one time. to my neighbor. talking over me. I’m I make I’m excited distracted/off- My responses spontaneous I want to I need help about the story, task because I are thoughtful personal answer EVERY finding words to but I have a don’t but very hard to experiences or question. express my idea. misconception. understand the hear. another text. question. Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 12 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
SPECIAL THANKS & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES We are grateful to the following MNPS Pre-K Instructional Coaches and Multi-Classroom Leaders for their invaluable feedback in developing these materials: SeTara DeThrow Holly Stone Carrie Head Ashley Aldridge Susan McClain Wilson Stephanie Mullins Rhiannon Wilson REFERENCES: Reese, E., Leyva, D., Sparks, A., & Grolnick, W. (2010) Maternal elaborative reminiscing increases low- income children’s narrative skills relative to dialogic reading. Early Education and Development, 21(3), 318-342. DOI: 10.1080/104092892010481552 Wasik, B.A. & Iannone-Campbell, C. (2012) Developing vocabulary through purposeful, strategic conversations. The Reading T eacher, https://my.vanderbilt.edu/mnpspartnership/ 66(2), 321-332. DOI:10.1002/TRTR.01095 Magic 8 Professional Development Series | 8 13 INCREASING TEACHER LISTENING & CHILD TALK
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