This measure analyzes how the teacher uses moments to extend the children’s partial comments or requests into complete sentences. The teacher must do more than correct a mispronounced word. Instead, the teacher must turn the child’s fragmented comment or grammatically incorrect sentence into a grammatically correct sentence. For example, if an infant reaches for the ball and says, “Ba,” the teacher should ask, “You want your ball?” and not say, “Here you go.” Or, if a school-age child says, “I’m upset,” the teacher should respond with, “I hear you are upset. Are you feeling frustrated or disappointed?”
Category: Category 2: Teacher-Child Interactions
Subcategory: Language Facilitation and Support
Examples
In this section you will find videos, images, and/or documents that can be used to better understand this measure. These examples can also be used in conversations between mentors, directors, and/or teachers to discuss how the program's current practices compare to these examples.
Video Example
This professional development video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows how teachers can supply words to children when they need to convey their thoughts or are unable to express themselves. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.
Age(s): Toddler, Preschool
Video Example
The video illustrates how to offer new words and “child-friendly” definitions to engage children in rich conversations. The module includes a video and reflective questions for teachers to consider how to use complex vocabulary and expand sentences. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.
Age(s): Toddler, Preschool
Video Example
In this video exemplar, the teachers restate and then extend the children’s attempts to communicate. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.
Age(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-age
Video Example
In this video exemplar, the teacher noticed a child’s verbal attempt to communicate and then extended the toddler’s language. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.
Age(s): Toddler
Video Example
This teacher models complex language throughout the video. When the child says, “It makes me happy,” the teacher recasts by saying, “It makes you happy? Erin said it makes her happy.” Recasting children’s responses shows them you are excited about what they have to say and provides a model for correct and complete language.
Age(s): Preschool
Video Example
The caregiver in this video consistently builds on children’s responses by modeling correct and complete language. At 0:48, when the child says the giraffe is “sitting,” the teacher extends his response (“He’s sitting on my chair.”). Extending and modeling language supports children’s language development.
Age(s): Toddler
