Expressive Language Cheat Sheet
Expressive Language Cheat Sheet
Embedded Files
Why is this skill important?
Why is this skill important?
- Language Comprehension is the ability to understand language that is communicated to children.
- Expressive Language is the ability to express wants, needs, and ideas.
- Both of these language skills help children develop vocabulary and they learn background knowledge through vocabulary, which helps them understand what they read.
How long and how often?
How long and how often?
These strategies can be embedded throughout the day in routines, activities, and interactions.
How to Teach this Skill
How to Teach this Skill
The University of Kansas provides a manual with with eight communications strategies (listed below):
How to Use this Manual | Entire Manual (includes all sections below)
- Arranging the Environment
- Asking Open-Ended Questions
- Commenting and Labeling
- Following A Child’s Lead
- Giving Praise & Positive Attention
- Imitating and Expanding
- Providing Choices
- Time Delay/Fill in the Blank
To begin using these strategies:
- First, identify which of the eight strategies you already use in your center?
- How can you enhance this?
- How might you observe these strategies in actions?
- Second, identify the strategies you want to introduce in your center. We recommend selecting 1-2 strategies to add at one time. After educators have mastered these strategies (as observed across multiple activities and settings), then add additional strategies.
- Third, identify a tracking system to monitor the frequency of these activities. You could ask teachers to self-assess: daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly. You can also conduct observations: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Teacher Self Check (can also be used as Teacher Observation)
Suggested Connections
Suggested Connections
Because these strategies are designed to be embedded in children’s daily routines, you can connect them to virtually anything that you’re doing.
Prep & Materials
Prep & Materials
Read through the Promoting Communications Manual beforehand and apply the strategies to the plans for your day. You can also use the activity cards for quick reference.
Considerations/ Differentiation
Considerations/ Differentiation
The manual includes resources for families. Consider how you might teach and model these strategies with families. You could share the activity cards and model strategies with families during one-to-one conversations, phone calls or during training.
See Parent Check resources below.
Parent Self Checks in English
Giving Praise and Positive Attention
Parent Self Checks in Spanish
Giving Praise and Positive Attention
Sources
Sources
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