Limitations and Potential of Teacher Language in Preschool Classrooms

• In Event: The Forgotten Giant: Classroom Talk That Supports Language Development Across Grades

Abstract

This paper will review research done by the author over 20 years that has examined and sought to change patterns of language use in preschool classrooms. The goal will be to provide a description of classrooms as language environments, acknowledge difficulties associated with changing language practices, and suggest promising avenues for interventions to pursue.

A longitudinal study that followed children from age three through fourth grade included full day audiotapes of teachers and children when children were three and four years old (Author, 2002). Coding of teachers’ and children’s talk revealed that slightly over half of the engaged time (free play, book reading, meals) individual children were silent (see Table). Teacher talk about conceptual or cognitively challenging topics was relatively rare; nonetheless, when there was analytic talk about word meanings and when teachers used sophisticated vocabulary, children in those rooms displayed stronger vocabulary and reading through grade four. In a later study in 61 Head Start classrooms that observed language use during choice time and lunch time when teachers ate with children, teachers rarely stayed on a single topic for 30 seconds (14% or less of observed intervals) during choice time and almost never made an explicit effort to teach vocabulary (1% or less of observed intervals). In a recent major descriptive effort, conversations of 146,000 utterances of 43 teachers were transcribed across three settings, book reading, small groups, and group lesson time and were coded for topics and vocabulary use. Again limitations were seen in the variety and density of use of low frequency words and talk of a reflective nature. Across three settings, talk about word meanings occurred an average of 1.9 times per minute and use of sophisticated words was limited, with a rate of .77 words per minute. Classroom activity setting was an important predictor of language use, with book reading being the setting when teachers were most likely to employ features of an academic language register.

A number of efforts to improve language use through professional development interventions have encountered problems, possibly because teacher language use is resistant to change (Dickinson, 2011). We have managed to overcome these barriers in two studies. A sustained four year effort in 13 pre-k classrooms that included a strong curriculum, coaching, and professional development was evaluated using a regression discontinuity design and found to have beneficial impacts on native English speakers and English language learners (Authors, 2014). Recently an effort that targets only book reading that is designed to be scalable has been found to result in the type of teacher language use associated with language and intellectual growth and to result in significant vocabulary learning.

We conclude that the general language landscape in many preschool classrooms is lacking in rich support, but efforts with the specific goal of improving language outcomes by changing teacher language practices can be successful.

Author

• David K. Dickinson, Vanderbilt University - Peabody College