Engage in one-to-one, extended conversations with individual children about their experiences at home, in their community, or events in the program — that is the most valuable step in promoting language development.

With preschoolers, don’t just limit your conversation to talking about the here and now — talk with children about things that happened in the past, will happen in the future, or are in their imagination. This kind of talk requires more explanations and descriptions, and challenges children’s developing language skills.

Don’t just talk to the children who readily respond. They don’t need your support as much as those who are less verbal. All children learn to talk and appreciate the function and beauty of language when they take part in everyday conversations.

How can you keep the conversational ball rolling?

• Ask open-ended questions such as "What was your favorite thing that we saw today?"
• As you do activities together with the children, think of new words or new concepts that can be introduced. For example, if you are planting a seed together, you can talk about the soil, the pot, the seed, and the water. Later, as the sprout comes up, you can introduce the words sprout, stem, leaf, and roots. All of these will be easy for the child to grasp because of the concrete activity that shows their meaning. Make sure you use the new word or words several times and engage the child in conversation where he or she will have the opportunity to use the word also.
• Continue building oral language skills by extending ideas in conversation with the child. In response to what the child has said, add in a new vocabulary word that is at a slightly higher level than the child currently uses. For example, if the child says, "It was really, really big," respond back "It must have been enormous!"
• Read picture books together and name the items in the book. Then, when the book is familiar, ask the child to name the items.
• Be spontaneous — that’s what most conversation with young children should be: happy talking as they play together, as you go about your daily routines with them such as diapering or eating together, and as you pick up on their interests.
• Talk with, not at children. And listen. With all children, use the kind of language you want them to use. And make sure they talk with each other.

Adapted from Essentials for the Child Development Associates Working with Young Children, 2nd Edition, pp. 304-307

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