Your role

You have countless opportunities throughout the day to talk with children: during daily routines, snacks, meals, story time, and while children are engaged in play.

Use these opportunities to extend children's talk through questions, comments, and conversation with genuine interest in the child. Encourage and model descriptive language in what you say. Use rare and unusual words to help them expand their vocabulary.

To promote children's growth in oral language development extend and expand upon children's own language. For example:

Child – I want drink.
Adult – Sure, Rosa, you can have a drink of this cold, white milk. It is delicious and will really quench your thirst!

Adults can ask children to retell a story after reading a book to an individual or small group. Children can act out stories after a book is read. Flannel board characters or puppets can be used in retellings as well.