Language as a Learning Tool: Teacher Talk in Early Math and Literacy

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This session explores how early childhood teachers’ language input supports children’s learning in math and literacy. Presenters examine how teachers leverage language-supportive strategies, responsiveness, math vocabulary and number gesture to foster learning in early childhood. The session addresses how data collection methods shape what we learn about teacher communication and teacher-child communicative interactions. High-quality teacher talk, including responsiveness and math language, plays a key role in children’s development. By highlighting both teacher self-report and observed interactions, the session offers participants a view at various ways to examine teacher talk.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Early Education and Child Development

Chair

• Jamlick Bosire, University of Missouri

Papers

• Embedding Math in Everyday Moments: How Early Childhood Teachers Describe Their Own Math Language - Emilia Wenzel, University of Chicago

• Investigating the Role of Teacher Sensitive Responsiveness in Children’s English Language Learning - Michelle Rose Madlansacay, University of Chicago

• Comparing Use of Language-Supportive Strategies During Shared Reading Across Classrooms with Varying Child Language Gains - Jamlick Bosire, University of Missouri; Hyejin Kim, The Ohio State University; Rachel E. Schachter, University of Illinois at Chicago; Clariebelle Gabas, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Session Organizer

• Emilia Wenzel, University of Chicago

Discussant

• Emilia Wenzel, University of Chicago