Educational language practices described by preschool ... · Educational language practices described by preschool teachers in ... Educational language practices described by preschool

This version of the article has been accepted for publication by Taylor and Francis

in EECERJ Volume 26 Issue 1, 2018

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Educational language practices described by preschool teachers in

Norwegian kindergartens

Hansen, Joakim Evensen & Alvestad, Marit

Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway

Corresponding author: Joakim Evensen Hansen, University of Stavanger, Faculty of

Arts and Education, 4036 Stavanger, Email: [email protected], Phone: 0047-

95307443

Marit Alvestad, University of Stavanger, Faculty of Arts and Education, 4036

Stavanger, Email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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Educational language practices described by preschool teachers in

Norwegian kindergartens

This article focuses on educational language practices as described by preschool

teachers in Norwegian kindergartens in groups consisting of one-to-three-year-

old children. Research indicates a relationship between high-quality childcare and

language development, yet there is a need for more research on educational

practices in high-quality settings. The kindergartens in this study have a high

score (five to seven/good to excellent) on the subscale 'Listening and Talking' on

the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised. The study is based on

qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with six preschool teachers in

four kindergartens. The findings indicate a holistic dialogical approach to

educational language practices. Varied social settings and strategies are used for

language learning and aspects of planning and assessment are seen as important

in these kindergartens. The preschool teachers highlight the importance of

children's language learning during day-to-day activities in kindergarten.

Keywords: educational language practices, language learning environment,

ECEC quality, one-to-three-year-olds, ITERS-R

Introduction

Supporting children's language learning has high priority in Norwegian kindergartens,

and the focus on language seems to be increasing (Gulbrandsen and Eliassen 2013;

Østrem et al. 2009). Research exists on how preschool teachers can support and

promote children's language learning in groups consisting of three-to-six-year-old

children (Gjems 2013; Gjems and Løkken 2011); however, there is a need for research

on educational language practices among one-to-three-year-old children in relation to

aspects of early childhood education and care (ECEC) quality (Sandvik, Garmann, and

Tkachenko 2014). The Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ITERS-R) is



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one of the most widely used observational measurement tools for describing the

characteristics of a global quality in ECEC settings for infants and toddlers

internationally (Mathers et al. 2007; Harms, Cryer, and Clifford 2006). The study

presented in this article is an independent part of the national longitudinal research

project Better provision for Norway's children in Early Childhood Education and Care

(BePro; www.goban.no) which focuses on ECEC quality.

In this study, the focus is on educational work on language learning in groups of

children aged between one and three years old. The aim of the study is to examine

Norwegian kindergarten staff's description of how they support and promote children's

language development. Accordingly the research question is: what characterises

educational language practices as described by preschool teachers in kindergartens

with high quality scores on ITERS-R? Educational language practices are defined as

'practices concerning work, planning and assessment'. The study is based on

sociocultural theoretical perspectives in order to understand children's language

development and the importance of the social context for language acquisition (Säljö

2001; Vygotskij 1978). In this article we present a case study building on interviews

with six preschool teachers in four kindergartens. Additionally, field notes are used to

support the findings from the interviews.

The Norwegian context

Over the last few decades there has been a rapid growth in the Norwegian ECEC sector,

and in 2015, 80.7% of one-to-three-year-old children were attending kindergarten, in

contrast to 40.9 % in 2002 (Statistic Norway 2016). From the previous political focus

on the quantity and development of universally accessible childcare, there has been a

shift towards content and quality (Gulbrandsen and Eliassen 2013; Vassenden et al.

http://www.goban.no/



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2011). Norwegian national policy documents (Ministry of Education and Research

2013) and the Norwegian Framework Plan and guidelines (Directorate for Education

and Training 2015; Ministry of Education and Research 2011) emphasise the

importance of early and good language stimulation, and that all children should

experience a rich and varied language environment in kindergarten (Hansen and

Alvestad 2015).

The Norwegian Framework Plan for the Content and Tasks of Kindergartens is

an integrated play-based curriculum promoting a holistic approach to learning

(Lohmander et al. 2009; OECD 2006). It provides guidelines for fundamental values,

content and tasks for kindergartens, and gives staff, parents and supervisory authorities

a framework for their work. It states that all kindergartens must be goal-oriented with

regard to the children's development and learning, and that they have to stimulate

children's linguistic and social competence (Ministry of Education and Research 2011).

Linguistic competence is central in the overall content of the framework plan and

Communication, language and text is one of the seven subject areas (Ministry of

Education and Research 2011, pp. 21, 24). The framework plan emphasises the

importance of early childhood as the fundamental period for the development of

language, and states that providing all children with a rich and varied language

environment is an important factor in language development. Systematic language

stimulation is highlighted as an obligation for the kindergarten, and it must be based on

knowledge, considered, planned, justified, organised, purposeful and coherent,

according to the national guidelines (Hansen and Alvestad 2015).

Theory and research

Sociocultural theoretical perspectives focus on situated social practices and the use of



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mediating tools/artefacts in learning and development processes. Vygotsky's work has

contributed towards educational research and is widely used in this field. A central

concept in his work is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) with the guidance of

adults or more capable peers (Vygotskij 1978). Bruner emphasises the importance of

social context in supporting and assisting children's development by using the

scaffolding concept (Bruner 1996). Taking a Vygotskian approach, Bodrova and Leong

(2007) argue for the use of language in a meaningful way in contexts that are relevant to

children. In this study, language development is understood as a process that

incorporates acquisition of components such as vocabulary, syntax, semantics and

pragmatics. The development of these aspects allows children to successfully

communicate and interact with adults and other children (Burger 2015; Hoff 2006).

Language learning environment

Studies show that good quality in ECEC has a significant impact on children's language

development (Bauchmüller, Gørtz, and Würtz 2011; Lekhal et al. 2011). The British

Effective Provision of Preschool Education (EPPE) study found associations between

outcomes for children in terms of cognition and language, and effective pedagogical

practices. The aspects of effective practices identified were adult-child verbal

interactions with elements of 'sustained shared thinking' (SST), knowledge and

understanding of the curriculum and knowledge of child development (Siraj-Blatchford

et al. 2003; Sylva et al. 2007). Siraj-Blatchford (2009) argues for the importance of the

pedagogical sequence of 'modelling – progressive reduction of scaffolding – extension'

to support children's learning and provide SST in early years. The importance of adult

support was also evidenced by the Harvard Home-School Study where the quality of

extended conversations with teachers was identified as being important for children's



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long-term language and literacy development (Dickinson and Tabors 2001). In this

study, the use of extended discourses, exposure to rare words and the classroom

curriculum were dimensions of childcare experiences that had an impact on children's

development (Dickinson and Tabors 2001). These studies are mainly done with children

above the age of three. With a focus on toddlers, Girolametto, Weitzman, and

Greenberg's (2003) study showed that the teacher's responsiveness towards the use of

interactive language stimulation techniques was positively related to children's language

usage. Interactive language stimulation techniques are measured by the staff's

encouragement of child-talk, how they follow children's lead, how they adjust

physically to the children's level and encouragement of turn-taking and participation of

all children (Girolametto, Weitzman, and Greenberg 2003). These findings are in line

with research conducted by Melhuish and colleagues (1990), where language

development was linked to the quality of care, particularly the aspects of

communication and responsiveness (Melhuish et al. 1990). Burger (2015) sums up

findings on effective language practices in five aspects: conversations and reading time

with the use of open-ended questions; use of refined words such as focus words; label

objects and target vocabulary in multiple meaningful contexts; multiple readings of a

story and explanation of unfamiliar expressions; and interactive book reading with the

use of concrete objects related to language development (Burger, 2015).

Assessment and planning

In the Norwegian context, research shows that language assessment tools are used

extensively in kindergartens (Gulbrandsen and Eliassen 2013). The most common

assessment tool is Tras (Tidlig registrering av språk i daglige samspill). Tras is an

observation tool used to assess children's language development over time and to

identify children with language difficulties (Espenakk et al. 2011). In the processes of



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educational planning in kindergartens, there is a complex relationship between plans,

implementation and evaluation raising questions at many levels (Håberg 2016; Alvestad

2004a). It is important to consider the interaction and reciprocity between the chosen

goals, the subject matter, methods and evaluation. Furthermore, frame factors and staff

and children's presumptions should also be taken into consideration, along with the

influence that national guidelines have on educational practices (Ministry of Education

and Research 2011). The way in which this is achieved in educational practices in

kindergartens may vary. Evaluation might further be seen as formative: a successive process

to improve practice; or summative: as a final assessment (outcome) (Imsen 2009). Plans in

Norwegian kindergartens are developed for shorter periods (weeks, months) or longer

periods (annual plans) (Alvestad 2004b). Educational planning might be seen as a

collective cooperation between staff as well as an individual process (for instance, planning

undertaken by the preschool teacher concerning the group of children). The staff's planning

is an important connecting link between practice, local plans and the national curriculum.

Methodology

A qualitative case study design was chosen to gain insight into the preschool teachers'

perspectives on and experiences with educational language practices (Creswell 2013;

Thomas 2011). A case study was used to develop an in-depth understanding of the

research question: what characterises educational language practices as described by

preschool teachers in kindergartens with high quality scores on ITERS-R? The study

focused on four kindergartens with high score on ITERS-R subscale 'Listening and

Talking', and the phenomenon under scrutiny is educational language practices. The

case represents the preschool teachers' perspectives on what they highlight as important

in their educational work on supporting and promoting children's language

development. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were seen as a relevant method for



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recording the teachers' descriptions of their practices (Kvale and Brinkmann 2015). In

order to analyse and interpret the preschool teachers' descriptions a hermeneutical

approach was used (Alvesson and Sköldberg 2008). The interviews were part of

fieldwork also including observational data carried out by the first author in the period

from April 2015 to January 2016. However, in this study we build on the interviews

with the preschool teachers supported by the field notes from informal conversations

and observations (Creswell 2013; Fetterman 2010). This is done due to the fact that in

the Norwegian context the preschool teachers' are pedagogical leaders having the

responsibility for quality in the educational work at their group.

Participants

The four kindergartens in this study were strategically selected from the BePro project

sample (www.goban.no), based on high scores (five to seven/good to excellent) on the

subscale 'Listening and Talking' on the ITERS-R (Harms, Cryer, and Clifford 2006).

This subscale focuses on the language used and the staff's support of children's use and

understanding of language. The exact ITERS-R scores were unknown to the

researchers. The kindergartens varied on the following aspects: ownership (municipal

and private), size (60–140 children), group sizes (9–14 children), preschool teachers per

group (1–2) and geographical location (urban, rural) (see table 1).

Table 1. Overview of the participants

Children in group Staff members per group

Kindergarten A 14 Preschool teacher 1, Preschool teacher 2

Kindergarten B 12 Preschool teacher 3, Preschool teacher 4

Kindergarten C 9 Preschool teacher 5

Kindergarten D 10 Preschool teacher 6

The six preschool teachers are all female, have experience ranging from two to more

http://www.goban.no/



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than twenty years, and hold a bachelor's degree in the field of early childhood

education. The age of the children in the groups ranged from 20 to 39 months.

Interviews

Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were chosen to record each preschool teacher's

perspectives and to ensure common focus in all the conversations (Kvale and

Brinkmann 2015). The questions (eight main questions in total) in the interview guide

were open-ended and were based on four themes: (1) work on language, (2) educational

planning, (3) tools for language assessment, and (4) professional competence. Questions

asked included: 'How do you work with language stimulation in your group? Can you

give some examples on this?' and 'Which assessment tools are you familiar with, and

what are your experiences of using these tools?' The purpose of using open-ended

questions in the guide was to allow the preschool teachers to elaborate on their

experiences and provide opportunities for detailed answers (Kvale and Brinkmann

2015). The interview guide was piloted and minor changes were made before the

interviews were carried out face-to-face on-site in the kindergartens (by the first author).

The participants were briefly informed about the project's focus prior to the interviews.

The six preschool teachers participated with interest in the conversations, and gave rich

descriptions of their educational language practices. The interviews were audiotaped

and transcribed immediately afterward.

Analysis

The transcriptions of the interviews were read through multiple times in search of

patterns and common perspectives. In the first step, we started by reading the

transcriptions in order to search for common topics and patterns. Statements regarding

the preschool teachers' descriptions of their educational practices were marked. In the



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second step, the process of analysis continued and resulted in the identification of five

broad description areas. In this phase, theoretical concepts provided contributions to the

description and interpretation. In the third step, the five descriptions areas were written

out as broad categories, supported by quotations from the interviews and field notes.

These are discussed further in relation to theory and research in seeking an answer to

the research question. The process of analysis was based on categorising the empirical

data, which is a core element in interpreting qualitative data (Creswell 2013; Maxwell

2013; Bogdan and Biklen 2007). Analysing the preschool teachers' descriptions

involved an interpretation based on our understanding of the empirical data and

theoretical perspectives. The coding and categorising is a result of an iterative process

similar to that described as the hermeneutical circle (Alvesson and Sköldberg 2008).

The categories are therefore constructed from the research question under scrutiny, and

are to be seen as partly empirical and partly theoretical.

Quality in qualitative research

The research project was approved by the Norwegian Social Science Data Service

(NSD) in terms of confidentiality and anonymity and the data is stored securely. In the

BePro project, ITERS-R was conducted in 206 child groups in 93 kindergartens. The

four kindergartens in this study were selected from this sample to secure the anonymity

of the kindergartens and staff. The participants were informed of their selection, asked

to provide written consent and reassured that they could withdraw at any time (NESH

2010). Questions of validity and trustworthiness in qualitative studies are answered by

describing the construction and interpretation of the empirical data (Creswell 2014;

Silverman 2014). Furthermore, the findings from the interview data are corroborated

with data from field notes (Creswell 2014). The fact that the analysis was carried out by



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two researchers strengthens the reliability of the study as we see it. This is so because of

the constant discussion about patterns in the construction of the results (Creswell 2014;

Silverman 2014; Alvesson and Sköldberg 2008).

Findings and discussion

The findings are presented, described and discussed using quotations from the empirical

data on the five categories: (1) child-centred conversations, (2) rich and varied

vocabulary, (3) storytelling and book reading, (4) knowledge on children's

competences, and (5) integrated multidisciplinary curriculum. The preschool teachers

and kindergartens are identified using numbers and letters.

Child-centred conversations

The preschool teachers describe their work on language as something that happens in

everyday conversations and highlight the importance of the staff as language role

models. The learning environment is used to create space and provide content to

conversations with children. A teacher explains in relation to the question on their work

on language how a display of photos and pictures of familiar objects and artwork done

by the children are used to promote conversations during free play: 'Then it's easy for

the children to point and talk about the pictures displayed, and we [the staff] sit down

and talk with the children about these' (Preschool teacher 6). The preschool teachers

highlight that responding to children's attempt to communicate and using previous

familiar experiences encourages children to participate actively in conversations. A

teacher points to the importance of the quality of play and conversations in promoting

language learning for toddlers by participating and expanding on the children's initiative

and interests.



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'It started with free play in the morning, where the children took the initiative and

invited me to participate in the play. It started with some animals, and then the play

was extended with some children who found a Duplo board with a picture of a

pond. "Who can be in the pound?" [the teacher asks]. "The ducks – yes the ducks

can be there" [the children responded] and the play developed and went on for 45

minutes. This is how we promote free play – and how we see the relationship

between the quality of play and language development' (Preschool teacher 3).

The preschool teachers focus on using opportunities to promote the children's language

development by extending and building on conversations that occur during free play. A

conversation taking place in a rural kindergarten shows how they build on children's

interests and what they are familiar with. In the next case the preschool teacher

encourages a child to lead a conversation, building on his experience to introduce and

elaborate on a specific topic.

'During mealtime the preschool teacher (Preschool teacher 5) invites one child (two

years old) to describe what he had seen on his way to kindergarten earlier that day.

The teacher helps the child to remember by asking short and simple questions and

gives him time to tell the story by himself. After the story she invites the other

children to participate in the conversation and share their experiences on the topic

by asking open questions to the group' (Field notes, kindergarten C).

In our interpretation the preschool teacher is using her contextual knowledge of the

children's experiences to support their creation of narratives and use of decontextualised

language (Odegaard, 2007). The use of extended discourses is important in construction

of co-narratives with children in the age group one-to-three (Odegaard 2007). Extending

child-initiated activities and a substantial amount of input from adults are common in

high-quality kindergartens (Hoff 2006; Sylva 2004; Dickinson and Tabors 2001). This

is in line with the concepts of ZPD and scaffolding where children are guided by more

capable adults and peers (Vygotskij 1978; Bruner 1996) and guided play (Weisberg,

Hirsh‐Pasek, and Golinkoff 2013). Research shows that language stimulation in toddler



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groups takes place during free play, where the adults participate and guide the children

using a rich and varied contextualised language (Bjørnestad, Os, and Hegna 2015).

Rich and contextualised vocabulary

Vocabulary training in everyday activities and the importance of using a rich and varied

vocabulary is described by the preschool teacher. Getting the children dressed for

outdoor play is inevitable in Norwegian kindergartens, and is a situation often used

when they are asked to describe their work on language. This teacher describes it this

way:

'When we are getting dressed we name the objects as we go along, for example hat,

gloves. We ask questions such as "Where is the other hand?" The toddlers need

new words and concepts, because they are in a period where they are learning new

words all the time. I see that when we are talking to them, we repeat what they are

saying; for example, if they say "my shoes", you repeat "Where are your shoes?

Are they on the shelf, or on the floor or in your basket?" In this way, we are

"bathing" the children in language' (Preschool teacher 5).

We interpret this as an example of vocabulary training, which is described as an

important part of the work on language. The preschool teacher used the metaphor of

bathing the children in language. She highlighted this as important because toddlers are

developing their vocabulary rapidly during this period and should be introduced to a

varied vocabulary. Furthermore, the concepts are to be used in meaningful contexts,

such as in the example given above. During the fieldwork numerous instances were

observed where the preschool teachers used everyday situations to work on vocabulary

by following the children's initiative.

'A child (two years old) and the preschool teacher (Preschool teacher 5) are looking

out of the window. The teacher points at something the child is looking at and says:

"That is a concrete lorry – a lorry they use in concrete work". The child replies:



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"Concrete lorry, yes, a concrete lorry". The teacher explains that they are

constructing the surface for the ground floor in the house, and therefore the lorry is

there today' (Field notes, kindergarten C).

This is in line with Bodrova and Leong (2007), who stress the value of using language

in meaningful contexts. The preschool teachers' focus on vocabulary training and

verbalising is a strategy that Girolametto and Weitzman (2002) identified. They found

that staff in toddler groups used a wide range of simple words and labels. The teachers

are describing how they repeat and extend children's utterances when talking about the

lorry or getting dressed (Siraj-Blatchford 2007). Research shows that adults'

responsiveness and sensitiveness to children's interests and attempts to communicate

contribute to language development (Snow 2014; Girolametto and Weitzman 2002).

Storytelling and book reading

In storytelling and book reading all the preschool teachers describe how they use

different artefacts to help children get a better understanding of words and concepts. A

popular story in Norwegian kindergartens is the The Three Billy Goats Gruff and a

preschool teacher explains:

'We use objects during storytelling in circle time so that a one- and two-year-old

child can understand what a river and a bridge is when we are telling the story of

The Three Billy Goats Gruff' (Preschool teacher 1).

Building on the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, another preschool teacher adapts

it to the local context where sheep are used instead of goats because of the region's large

amount of sheep farming (Field notes, kindergarten C). As we interpret it, the teachers'

intentions are to support the children's concept knowledge and understanding by using

concrete objects and local context in storytelling. Book reading is an activity valued by

the preschool teachers, and they describe book reading which takes place during free



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play, circle time and mealtime. The example given below describes how they use

storytelling and book reading to give the children an opportunity to participate. This

preschool teacher asks four boys who are wandering around during free play if they

want to read a book.

'The preschool teacher starts reading the story We're Going on a Bear Hunt. She

starts by asking the children: "What are we seeing here?" and one child responds:

"water". The teacher follows up: "Yes, we see much water, but no people – where

are all the people?"' (Field notes, kindergarten B).

We find these examples in line with Burger's (2015) description of interactive book

reading and storytelling. In storytelling concrete objects are used to reinforce the book's

vocabulary and multiple readings of a story with explanations of unfamiliar expressions.

Burger argues that these strategies increase children's understanding and language

development (Burger 2015). The description of book reading shows how the teachers

involve the children in book reading by asking questions. The use of open-ended

questions is part of an interactive reading strategy which provides children with

opportunities to express themselves and can promote their language development (Mol,

Bus, and de Jonge 2009).

Knowledge on children's competences

Having knowledge of the children's level of language competence is described as

important by the preschool teachers. One of the teachers says that they: '… need to have

knowledge of each child's language skills in order to know what to work on

strengthening' (Preschool teacher 3). A common approach to obtain information on

children's language level and development is the use of assessment tools. These are

reported to be used extensively in Norwegian kindergartens (Gulbrandsen and Eliassen

2013). The preschool teachers in this study hold a positive view of using systematic



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observation tools, such as Tras, in assessing children's language development. One of

the preschool teachers argues for the use of Tras: 'You get an overview of the children's

level of development and an indication of what areas we should focus on further as part

of our work [on language]' (Preschool teacher 4). Another describes the use of the

assessment tool in practice:

'… we [the staff] look at the results from Tras together and write down what we

intend to work on during the next period. In this way the focus becomes more clear

regarding how we will support the children's development later on' (Preschool

teacher 6).

The preschool teacher describes that this way of using an assessment tool can lead to

higher awareness and competence in language stimulation among staff. There is an

agreement among the preschool teachers in this study that use of systematic

observations can ensure that all children are seen and followed up. Furthermore, the

teachers describe their use of assessment tools on a group level. Using assessment tools

can give them knowledge on early language development and support their work on

language in the group.

In this way the preschool teachers are using formative assessment as a successive

process to improve their educational language practices (Imsen 2009). Taking the concept

of ZPD, knowledge of children's level of development is necessary to support and guide

the children's learning (Vygotskij 1978). Having knowledge of children's abilities,

preschool teachers can challenge, scaffold and extend children's language competence.

Results from a study on staff's use of Tras in Norwegian kindergartens showed that they

became more aware of language and language stimulation in their everyday pedagogical

work after using Tras (Lyngseth 2008). The use of systematic observation tools for

assessing individual children has been discussed widely. Gjems (2010) discusses this



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and concludes that the effect of using such tools is dependent on the preschool teacher's

knowledge and competence in this area.

Integrated multidisciplinary curriculum

All the preschool teachers in this study describe planning and the use of a curriculum as

an important part of their educational language practices. The teachers relate the

objectives in their work on local plans – such as annual plans, monthly plans and

weekly plans – to the objectives in the framework plan. They especially mention annual

and monthly plans in relation to questions on language learning, and the learning area

'Communication, language and text'. One preschool teacher emphasises the importance

of coherence or a 'red-thread' between the planned activities and learning focus in their

everyday practices:

'When we plan a theme such as "My House", we know what to do … for example,

we went to each of the children's homes to take photos and also asked the parents

to bring some photos of the family to kindergarten … then we use figures of a

mother, father and sister in a planned history in circle time. … If we are working

on "Numbers, space and shapes" we can implement this in the theme "My House"

by using the house we have built with circles, squares and triangles as windows. In

this way we can work with these concepts in more than just one planned activity …

We think there should be a connecting red-thread in the use of different learning

areas [from the framework plan]' (Preschool teacher 3).

An integrated, multidisciplinary approach is described, intertwining the learning areas

'Communication, language and text', 'Local community and society' and 'Numbers,

spaces and shapes'. In their planning of a specific theme, in this case 'My House', they

are connecting the planned activities to the intentions in the framework plan. In the

quotation the teacher first explains how they plan different activities in relation to the

monthly theme, and secondly points out how they implement relevant content from



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different learning areas. Our interpretation is that this is an example of a play-based

multidisciplinary approach to learning that we find in the Nordic social pedagogical

tradition (Lohmander et al. 2009; OECD 2006).

The example above shows that the preschool teachers' educational approach is

characterised by integrating local context like the home environment, knowledge about

the children's language development and the relevant learning areas in the national

framework plan in circle time activities. Accordingly, their daily work on educational

language practices integrates local contexts and the national curriculum. As we see it

they find their own way to implement the framework plan in this complex environment

(Alvestad 2004b).

This is in line with the EPPE study where the preschool teacher's knowledge and

understanding of the curriculum was a central component in high-quality ECEC

institutions. In planning, the most effective teachers implemented the part of the

curriculum most relevant for supporting the children in the group (Sylva et al. 2010). In

a small-scale study, Alvestad (2004a) shows to a complexity in the realisation of the

intentions of the national curriculum, and diversity in educational strategies.

Summary and some final thoughts

Educational language practices as described by preschool teachers in kindergartens with

high quality scores on ITERS-R is as a holistic dialogical approach, according to our

analysis. Our findings will be summarised in five main aspects:

Staff are responsive and sensitive to children's attempt to communicate.

Work on language is contextualised both in adult-led formal situations and

child-initiated informal situations throughout the day.



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Use of situated and diverse strategies, including vocabulary training by

verbalising actions, adding words, introducing concepts, supporting and

extending conversations, and storytelling with the use of objects and artefacts.

Planning for learning is seen as important. Planning is described in relation to

the national curricula and in relation to the teachers' educational language

practices and local plans.

Flexible use of assessment tools, deployed at both individual and group level.

The preschool teachers interviewed from high-quality kindergarten child groups have an

approach to support and promote children's language development based on careful

considerations about how to create a holistic and rich learning environment for the

children. They value working with language stimulation in everyday activities with a

child-centred approach.

Interestingly, these findings are in line with the criteria for a high score on the

ITERS-R subscale 'Listening and talking' on the items helping children to understand

language and use language and books (Harms, Cryer, and Clifford 2006). In this way,

our study contributes to a kind of validation of the ITERS-R on this item. This study

extends research on ECEC quality using environment rating scales with an in-depth

study focusing on the preschool teachers' perspectives. Additionally, this study broadens

the focus of the subscale 'Listening and talking' by focusing on educational language

practices in a broad sense in the Norwegian context; in other words, national curricula

and guidelines are seen in relation to the preschool teachers' local practices in their local

work, planning and assessment. A holistic dialogical approach is in line with the

intentions in the Framework plan for the content and task of kindergarten, where the

content should be contextualised to the local conditions and adapted to each individual

child and group of children (Ministry of Education and Research 2011). This study



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contributes to the discussion of how to develop high-quality educational language

practices with one-to-three-year-old children in kindergartens. It shows that these

preschool teachers show an awareness of working systematically in a holistic and

multidisciplinary fashion to promote children's language development. In this way it

also offers input to ECEC policy and practice in Norway and elsewhere.

References

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