The "Art" of Conversing with Children

Many consider holding conversations to be a primary teaching technique of early childhood educators. Everyone, however, can practice techniques to carry on meaningful and facilitative conversations with young children that foster language development during play. Facilitating language and higher order thinking skills can be intentionally and explicitly implemented in an implicit way during play. 

Research shows that teachers and caregivers tend to display “verbal domination” in their conversations with young ones.  Many tend to limit conversation to giving direction and instructing on a concept.  The discussion, then, is not a discussion at all—it tends to be linear (one-way questions, one-way response) rather than reciprocal (open-ended questions with two- or three-way responses between adult and child; Dickinson et al, 2004).

Caregivers and teachers can assess their verbal interactions with children by:

            -Using open-ended questions—the more the better!

            -Describing the child’s actions as they play—adjective 
            awareness!

            -Repeating what the child says and add a little more 

             information—build on discussion the child initiates! 
            -Commenting on an object and describe its function, 
             size, shape or other meaningful attribute.

Be sure to reflect not only on the quantity, but also on the quality of conversation!

This blog adapted from Promoting Oral Language Development, Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This blog post is also published Positively Naperville, a printed guide of community events, volunteer opportunities and local lore. The publication is distributed to 35,000 homeowners by the first of every month. 

Using BIG words with Preschoolers

Sagacious, sophisticated and sedulous may not seem like words that one would use in everyday conversation with a preschooler; however, research indicates that parents and caregivers who talk with children using unusual words provide exposure to new words and new concepts that can be built upon for years to come!  Molly F. Collins, EdD, co-author of So Much More Than the ABCs, shares that preschoolers who hear rich explanations of sophisticated words learn significantly more words than children who do not.

Interactive storytelling at DCM

The benefits of conversations using sophisticated vocabulary are noted in a recent publication of the Journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  In the article “The Importance of Discussing 50-Cent Words with Preschoolers,” Collins (2012) states that discussing sophisticated words:

-Exposes children to new words and new concepts
-Clarifies differences in meaning between new 

 words and known concepts

-Deepens meaning of partially known words

-Repairs initial misunderstandings of new words
-Primes children to value words and increase their knowledge about word meaning

In addition, Collins (2005) offers information on intentionally talking about words and what they mean:

1. Don’t be afraid to introduce children to interesting “big” words related to literacy, math, science, past and future events.
2. Point to illustrations or objects to help children understand.
3. Provide brief definitions.
4. Use synonyms, “It’s like a…”
5. Use gestures.
6. Use the word in different sentences at different times and in different contexts.

Look for more on promoting oral language development next week.

References:

Collins, M.F. (2012). Journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, “The Importance of Discussing 50-Cent Words with Preschoolers.”

Collins, M.F. (2005). Reading Research Quarterly, “ESL Preschoolers’ English

Vocabulary Acquisition from Storybook Reading.”

http://www.erikson.edu/research/less-is-less-how-we-underestimate-preschoolers-vocabulary-and-comprehension-skills/

This blog post is also published Positively Naperville, a printed guide of community events, volunteer opportunities and local lore. The publication is distributed to 35,000 homeowners by the first of every month.

Curiosity—Innovation by Another Name?

Children are born curious—about everything!  Think about how many times toddlers are heard asking, “Why?” or show in some other way that they want to know more. When infants begin to understand the concept of grasping, they are soon pulling on grandpa’s glasses or tugging on mom’s hair. As children develop, curiosity about the world around them continues to grow.

Family Math Night

Whether a child is 10 months or 10 years old, encouraging and supporting curiosity can have an impact on learning. Parents and caregivers can encourage and support curiosity by simply allowing time for children to explore what interests them. When allowed to explore their specific interests, children are able to develop their curiosity in a way that can lend to lifelong skills. Tony Wagner, author of Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World, concludes that it is not important what serious interest a young person chooses, only that he follows something about which he is passionate and then delves deeply into that interest.

Deforming a wire

At DuPage Children's Museum, a key component of our mission is to stimulate curiosity. We do this by offering exhibits with self-directed experiences for children. Our current traveling exhibit, How People Make Things, is inspired by the factory tours seen on the popular television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. As Fred Rogers stated, “It’s good to be curious!”

How People Make Things visits DuPage Children's Museum through January 27, 2013.

This blog post is also published in Positively Naperville, a printed guide of community events, volunteer opportunities and local lore. The publication is distributed to 35,000 homeowners by the first of every month.

Growing Innovative Thinkers

What is innovation?  Why does being innovative matter?  How can we encourage children to be innovative thinkers?  These questions were given thoughtful consideration at DuPage Children's Museum (DCM) Innovation Summit held in Meiley-Swallow Hall on the North Central College campus early last month.    

DCM's Farming for Fuels program

Rich Faron of Museum Explorer and project manager on one of DCM’s newest exhibits, AWEsome Energy, stated that innovation is “grown from the very beginning” and that an essential part of an innovation—engendering culture is the opportunity to “try things out over and over again, incrementally moving things forward.”

Innovation matters because, as panelists at the summit stated, “It is important for children to learn that taking risks is all right.” When it comes to being innovative, taking risks for younger children might mean being encouraged to make a prediction rather than saying, “I don’t know.” For older children this may mean encouraging them to focus on their interests—even if it is out of the ordinary. 

In her blog, Play. Fight. Repeat., Dr. Suzita Cochran writes about Encouraging Innovation and Ingenuity—especially as it relates to following the interest of the child.  Dr. Cochran offers some valuable literature resources that touch on innovation, including Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future and Why Not? How to Use Everyday Ingenuity to Solve Problems Big and Small by Barry Nalebuff and Ian Ayres.

At DCM, our mission speaks to innovation. We stimulate curiosity, creativity, thinking and problem-solving through:

·         Self-directed, open-ended experiences

·         Integration of the arts, science and math

·         The child-adult partnership

Come by for innovative experience today! 

Additional resources:

Chicago Innovation Awards 

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner

Kuczmarski& Associates