One of the first things you may notice at Park West is the way teachers speak with children. You’ll notice that they slow down and tune in to listen to children, and speak carefully with them about day to day happenings and recent events. They strive to build an understanding of each child’s unique point of view, form relationships with kids, and understand their perspectives, but they’re also helping them develop language and comprehension skills.
Toddlers and preschoolers learn language at an astonishing rate! In a relatively short time, they learn to name objects, convey their needs and desires, describe their feelings and explain their thinking. They learn to connect with others through the use of language, and in time they become able to attend to another’s point of view and carry on reciprocal conversations. Teachers actively encourage children to converse, express themselves and verbalize their intentions.
When speaking with your child, try to use some of the same strategies. Try going at your child’s pace, tune in to what they’re saying, and help them expand on their ever-growing skills. Here are some key ways that teachers engage with children to support language development.
Repeat or expand a child’s utterances, to lay the foundation for more complex speech and build vocabulary.
Provide a narrative to engage children around what they’re doing, help them process emotions, or expand their comprehension.
Make observations aloud
Preview upcoming events
Reflect on past experiences
Ask open ended questions to encourage kids to use descriptive language and details.
Allow time for processing, both in hearing our questions and formulating a response.
Offer non verbal cues and suggest non verbal ways for your child to respond.
Include kid songs and nursery rhymes in your day to expose children to rhythm and rhymes and the cadence of language.
You can help your child communicate effectively, build foundational skills and deepen your relationship through everyday conversations.
Anita Speck, Park West Co-Op Preschool Teachers and Early Learning Specialist, wrote this post.
You can schedule a visit with Park West Co-Op to learn how your child can enjoy a joyful learning environment while being nurtured to discover, connect and be curious about the world around them.
Park West Co-Op is a play-based preschool located on Chicago’s near Northside in the heart of Lincoln Park. Park West is a diverse group of teachers who are experts in early childhood education. We've dedicated ourselves to understanding and developing teaching methods that cater to each child's individual needs so they can grow in a positive way. Teachers work hand in hand with the parent run Co-Op and offer robust hands on parent education in the classroom.