Language In Kindergarten Research Articles

Tasting words and letting them hang in the air. About subject‐oriented language in kindergarten

In the first part of this article we will briefly point out the learning areas in the Norwegian Framework plan for contents and tasks in kindergartens from 2006, and argue that the introduction of these areas means a large potential for focusing on different kinds of subject‐oriented language in kindergarten. We will present some features of subject‐oriented language for young children, which, as we see it, can easily be a part of daily life in kindergarten. In the second part we will discuss the importance of dialogue in a playful context when language is explored. We have in our research project, Language as a Basic Skill: Learning Language and Learning through Language, observed many examples of playful dialogic interaction between teacher/assistant and children where the children have contributed, had a good time and shown enthusiasm and energy, and where subject‐oriented language experiences have been an important part of the activities. These examples we want to share with the readers of this articl...

Conversation, negotiation, and the word as deed: Linguistic interaction in a dual language program

In dual language programs, children who speak a majority language are grouped with children who speak a minority language, and instruction is delivered in both languages. This focus on structural rather than instructional design can lead to a recipe approach to design: add the ingredients (native-speaking children, content language instruction) in the proper amounts and expect the desired product (bilingual children). However, a certain type of linguistically mediated interaction is implicit in the equation, since children with different language proficiencies are expected to guide each other in the mutual process of language acquisition. The teacher is faced with the task of fostering these interactions. Based on a year-long ethnographic study of a dual language Kindergarten classroom, this paper describes and analyzes one teacher's efforts to design a physical environment to afford children's Spanish language conversation, the failure of these efforts, and the unexpected emergence of conversation through conflict and negotiation.

Early Language Development and Kindergarten Phonological Awareness as Predictors of Reading Problems

At the end of Grade 4, 481 children on the Danish island of Bornholm were screened using group tests for sentence reading. For 205 of these children, language and speech data from the speech therapist's screening at age 3 were available, as well as language comprehension and linguistic awareness data from the kindergarten year (age 6) and word decoding measures in Grades 2 and 3. A path analysis revealed significant paths from early language abilities at age 3 through expressive and receptive language in kindergarten via language awareness in kindergarten and word decoding in Grade 2 to sentence reading in Grades 3 and 4. The subgroup of children with parents who had reported a history of reading problems at school entry scored significantly below average on sentence reading in Grade 4. The subgroup of children that were reported to show a very low interest in books and story reading before age 5 also scored low on sentence reading in Grade 4. Statistically significant but weak relationships were also found between parents' educational background, parents' library visits, and number of books at home and the child's reading ability in Grade 4.

'Tell Me What You Do at School'... A Comparison of Children's School Scripts in English First Language and French Immersion Second Language Kindergarten Programmes

This study extends the research on academic outcomes of second language immersion schooling by comparing children's early experiences in and understanding of regular and French immersion kindergartens through script analysis. Sixty-four female and 56 male kindergarten children were asked to 'tell about kindergarten from the time you get to school until you go home'. Twenty of the children were interviewed using puppets. Scripts were analysed quantitatively (for length and complexity) and qualitatively (for content and pronoun use). Script length was somewhat greater for children in French immersion programmes. Script complexity differed somewhat between programmes; children in regular first language programmes reported more simple sequences and fewer complex sequences than children in French immersion programmes. Script content also differed; French immersion children placed significantly more emphasis on the teacher. There were differences in children's use of personal pronouns in the two language groups and when puppets were used to report scripts. Nevertheless, the similarities between programmes were greater than the differences; for example, all children placed the greatest content emphasis on play. Findings are discussed in terms of children's understanding of school and in terms of early experience as a contributor to long-term outcomes in early language immersion schooling.

Let’s do it again! Peer Collaborationin an ESL Kindergarten

Illustrates how the use of picture books in an English–as–a–second–language kindergarten supports language development. Describes individual children’s interactions with picture books, and analyzes the degree and nature of peer collaboration. Discusses the classroom context, observes the focal children reading, and describes how the teacher drew on a range of personal and peer resources.

Whole language teaching as practiced by kindergarten teachers

This research focused on the teaching behavior of a small sample of rural self‐described whole language kindergarten teachers to determine the level of consistency between their perceptions of whole language teaching and the extent to which whole language concepts were applied in their classroom instruction. Locally constructed and pilot‐tested forms, “Whole Language Checklist Observation Form” and “Focus Group Interview Schedule,” were used to gather evidence of teaching behaviors. Results indicate that although these teachers were able to articulate the components of whole language teaching, they were unable or unwilling to incorporate many of its most central features into their classroom instruction. Implications for further research are discussed.

Learning English as a Second Language in Kindergarten: A Community of Practice Perspective

This paper examines a kindergarten in which half the students are learning English as a second language. Using the notions of community of practice and legitimate peripheral participation as outlined by Lave and Wenger (1991), Eckert and McConnell-Ginet (1992) and others, this ethnographic study describes the communities in which two newcomer children participate peripherally; the identities, social practices and resources that are available in these communities for newcomers; the organization of each community's 'social shucture …, its power relations and its conditions for legitimacy' (Lave & Wenger, p. 98); and how these conditions define possibilities for learning.

Prerequisite skills, early instruction, and success in first-grade reading: Selected results from a longitudinal study

We report selected results from a longitudinal study of reading development. Children were assessed on a variety of measures on their entry to kindergarten. Their reading success was evaluated in first grade. Further, characteristics of the language arts program to which the children were exposed in kindergarten were observed. Measures administered in kindergarten were evaluated for their ability to predict first-grade reading achievement. It was found that a child's ability to name letters in kindergarten was the strongest predictor of first-grade reading skill. Among the nonreading measures, measures of linguistic processing skills, particularly phonological processing, were found to account for the largest proportion of variance in first-grade reading. Several characteristics of the kindergarten language arts program were also found to be related to first-grade reading performance. Further, some of these relationships varied depending on the risk status of the children for experiencing later reading difficulties as determined on the basis of the prediction aspect of the study. For example, the proportion of time devoted to activities designed to attune children to the phonemic nature of language was related to first-grade reading success for “at risk” children, but not for children who were not identified as “at risk.” © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Prerequisite skills, early instruction, and success in first‐grade reading: Selected results from a longitudinal study

We report selected results from a longitudinal study of reading development. Children were assessed on a variety of measures on their entry to kindergarten. Their reading success was evaluated in first grade. Further, characteristics of the language arts program to which the children were exposed in kindergarten were observed. Measures administered in kindergarten were evaluated for their ability to predict first-grade reading achievement. It was found that a child's ability to name letters in kindergarten was the strongest predictor of first-grade reading skill. Among the nonreading measures, measures of linguistic processing skills, particularly phonological processing, were found to account for the largest proportion of variance in first-grade reading. Several characteristics of the kindergarten language arts program were also found to be related to first-grade reading performance. Further, some of these relationships varied depending on the risk status of the children for experiencing later reading difficulties as determined on the basis of the prediction aspect of the study. For example, the proportion of time devoted to activities designed to attune children to the phonemic nature of language was related to first-grade reading success for “at risk” children, but not for children who were not identified as “at risk.” © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

“How Did You Learn to Write in English When You Haven't Been Taught in English?”: The Language Experience Approach in a Dual Language Program

The purpose of this article is to describe a supportive cultural and linguistic environment where students are learning a second language naturally. The classroom described is in a school that proposes to implement a dual language approach. The case study reports on the use of language experience and a natural approach to learning languages in a dual language kindergarten class. The importance of trained bilingual education teachers and of dedicated and committed administrative staff to native language instruction is stressed in the article. Above all, the students' ability and pride in their native language and eagerness to learn English is apparent.

Teaching and Practice: Living with the Pendulum: The Complex World of Teaching

In this article, Jeanette Throne describes how educational reforms seem to swing from one opposing ideology to another, while teachers confront the complex nature of the classroom, where different need exist simultaneously. Throne looks at this problem from two perspectives: a historical look at curricular reforms and her won classroom practice. Examining the evolution of her kindergarten language arts curriculum, she questions whether the learning needs of individual students can be met within the bounds of a single theoretical framework. Throne reflects on and analyzes the learning processes of her students, focusing on both their successes and challenges as they begin to read and write. She then describes the ways her students' learning has informed her teaching and prompted her to integrate several theoretical perspectives into her curriculum in order to ensure their success. She concludes by stressing that educators must look beyond either/or choices in order to see solutions that reflect the realities of the classroom, and emphasizes the importance of creating ongoing dialogue between teachers and theorists, researchers, and policymakers in order to foster a more comprehensive view of students and their learning needs.

Language Identification Screening Test for Kindergarten

The performance of 136 children enrolled in regular kindergarten programs on five language screening tests was compared with their performance on a diagnostic criterion language measure consisting of the Test of Language Development, Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language, and Carrow Elicited Language Inventory. The Language Identification Screening Test for Kindergarten was found to be highly valid, reliable, and efficient in identifying kindergarten children with language problems. The Bankson Language Screening Test, Clinical Evaluation of Language Functions-Elementary Screening Test, and Fluharty Preschool Speech and Language Screening Test were also found to be highly valid and reliable but considerably less efficient as mass kindergarten language screening tests. The Kindergarten Language Screening Test was found to be less effective in correctly identifying kindergarten children with language problems.