Young Children's Oral Language Development (continued)

Remember that parents, caregivers, teachers, and guardians are the chief resources in language development. Children learn much from each other, but adults are the main conversationalists, questioners, listeners, responders, and sustainers of language development and growth in the child-care center or classroom. Continue to encourage interaction as children come to understand written language. Children in the primary grades can keep developing oral abilities and skills by consulting with each other, raising questions, and providing information in varied situations. Every area of the curriculum is enhanced through language, so that classrooms full of active learners are hardly ever silent.

For More Information

Brown, R. A FIRST LANGUAGE: THE EARLY STAGES. Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 1973.

Cazden, C.B., ed. LANGUAGE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. Washington, DC: NAEYC, 1981.

Fletcher, P., and M. Garman, eds. LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge, 1986.

Genishi, C. "Children's Language: Learning Words From Experience." YOUNG CHILDREN 44 (Nov., 1988): 16-23.

Genishi, C., and A. Haas Dyson. LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT IN THE EARLY YEARS. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1984.

Heath, S.B. WAYS WITH WORDS: LANGUAGE, LIFE, AND WORK IN COMMUNITIES AND CLASSROOMS. New York: Cambridge, 1983.

Hough, R.A., Nurss, J.R., and D. Wood. "Tell Me a Story: Making Opportunities for Elaborated Language in Early Childhood Classrooms." YOUNG CHILDREN 43 (Nov., 1987): 6-12.

Lindfors, J.W. CHILDREN'S LANGUAGE AND LEARNING, 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1987.

Wells, G. THE MEANING MAKERS: CHILDREN LEARNING LANGUAGE AND USING LANGUAGE TO LEARN. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1986.