What?

How?

Why?

Make it your Own!

Engaging young children in substantive conversation is an art. The Conversational Strategies Easy Guide adds three conversation strategies, recommended by Roskos, Tabors & Lenhart(2009), to a teacher’s communication toolkit. These strategies are: 1) Clarify/extend, 2) Question/tell and 3) Think-Aloud. The Easy Guide provides an explanation of each of these strategies.

Teachers can create opportunities to build oral language and deepen knowledge through everyday conversations. One of the most effective strategies for promoting oral language is to engage students in extended, interactive, and informative conversations. The Conversational Strategies Easy Guide provides tips for getting the most out of conversations with students.

Listening and talking are the fundamental aspects of conversation and the basis of relationship forming interactions. Speaking and listening skills learned in the preschool years are essential to future reading and writing achievement and school success. By using the conversational strategies of clarifying, extending, questioning, telling, and thinking-aloud, teachers can hone the art of engaging students in substantive conversation.

For teachers

As a teacher, use your unique understanding of your student’s interests to form the most successful conversations. If a student has difficulty conversing in English, conduct a conversation in a student’s home language if you are able.

Oral LanguageCommunication ToolkitConversational Strategies

CommunicationToolkitSimplified StrategiesOral LanguageConversational Strategies

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Adapted from Roskos, Tabors & Lenhart, 2009

Involve the child in what you are doing

Verbalize your thoughts

Model how to think through a task or problemto a conclusion

Think-Aloud

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4

Join the child in an activity

Draw attention to parts and details

Maintain interest with talk contingent on thechild’s efforts

Offer praise and encouragement

Question/Tell

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Listen to what the child says

Pick up an idea from the child’s talk

Add to it, explain further, clarify any confusion

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Clarify/Extend

StrategiesSimplified Strategies,LLC - www.simplifiedstrategies.org