Language and Cognitive Development

The following is a list of some strategies for supporting and encouraging language development for students in grades K-2. I will likely include these in my own classroom one day.

• "Read age-appropriate story books as a way of enhancing vocabulary." 
• "Ask follow-up questions to make sure students accurately understand important messages." 
• "Give corrective feedback when students' use of words indicates inaccurate understanding." 
• "Ask students to construct narratives about recent events." 

I strongly believe in the importance of reading story books aloud to students. It can be beneficial in many ways; it can help students with reading fluency or grab student interest when starting a new lesson. But it also aids students in enhancing their vocabulary. This is a much better strategy than simply assigning vocabulary words each week and having the students write definitions. Hearing a term in context makes learning a new word much easier.

Another strategy that should be apart of any lesson is asking follow-up questions to check for understanding. It is never good enough to assume that your students understand correctly just because they are able to produce a correct answer. One way I would incorporate this into my class is by asking students to explain their answers either verbally in class or in written assignments.

It is also essential to inform your students when they use a word incorrectly. I was recently in a situation where I had to inform a student that he was using a word incorrectly. When observing a second grade classroom, I worked with a small group as they discussed a story they had just read. They were instructed to discuss how the main character was feeling. One student in my group stated that the main character was oppressed. It was obvious that he was confusing oppressed and depressed considering that the main character was simply upset about her garden, so I told him that I thought he meant the word depressed. Then as the teacher came to the group, she further corrected his word choice by suggesting that depression is a little too strong of a word for this situation. As in this example, I think that corrective feedback needs to be included daily, as there can be a need for it at any time.

And lastly, I also see great importance in writing, so I could easily see myself having students writing narratives about recent events in their lives. I would probably incorporate this into my classroom as part of a daily journal.

Below is a video that describes a fun way to enhance students' oral language.