I was putting the finishing touches on a presentation I have been asked to give next week to early childhood educators on role oral language and vocabulary play in literacy development. Like many districts, the instructional materials given to teachers emphasize phonological awareness, rhyming, letter identification, etc…
As important as these are, I want teachers to understand and communicate to students that language is so much more than an act of receiving and decoding. Language has the power to define, inspire, and empower. And just when I was pondering how to go about doing this – I got this Tweet:
Perfect timing! Cindy makes this point beautifully:
Her powerful post left me wondering:
- Do children see language as something they segment and blend or as a vehicle for exploration and expression?
- Are we confident our children are internalizing the fundamental strategies of language so they leave our classrooms equipped to handle its complexities?
- Do we model how we use language in our daily work and habits?
- Do students leave our classrooms feeling empowered by language?
- Do they know their words matter?
I am even more excited to explore these questions with teachers, and will look forward to sharing the conversation with you in the near future. Here's a peek at the slideshow:
I am hoping to ignite some words of your own!
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