Article Review #1
Heidi Puckett
Is it important for children to learn to communicate? Not only is it important, but it is an essential part of development. In “Strategic Teaching- Fostering Communication Skills in Diverse Young Learners” Jennifer J. Chen and Suzanne H. Shire state that “communication is a fundamental human ability and experience” (p. 20)” and that communicating effectively is a social skill that contributes to “children’s school readiness, social adjustment and academic success” (p. 20). In the preschool years, children need to learn how to express needs, thoughts, and feelings and how to respond appropriately to others and it is important for teachers to intentionally teach these skills, and this is especially important for dual language learners and children with special needs. Teachers need to develop new knowledge and skills in order to adapt teaching strategies to better serve these students (p.21). Adults and peers both have roles in supporting this learning through scaffolding, assessment and effective teaching strategies.
To help students communicate, Ms. Shire develops hands-on materials and visuals and places them around the classroom where students can access them. The students use them to help communicate needs, wants, and feelings. Shire then models appropriate vocabulary and full sentences for the student and encourages them to use verbal responses. She provides frequent opportunities for the children to practice the modeled behaviors. I feel that this process would be very helpful in a classroom where students who are having difficulty communicating, whether it be from a language barrier, special needs, or a lack of verbal skills.
The article reinforces quite a bit of what we have talked about in class. The authors emphasize how important it is that we build respect and make positive connections, model appropriate behaviors and communication skills, and make sure our teaching strategies cover a wide range of needs allowing for lots of time for practice. A number of teaching strategies for developing communication are suggested and a number of them would be very worthwhile to implement in my classroom. We have discussed in class how frustration can lead to misbehavior, and by teaching children how to communicate, we can often eliminate misbehavior. When children know how to communicate effectively, the whole environment runs smoother.
Chen, J, & Shire, S. (2011). Strategic teaching fostering communication skills in diverse young learners. Young Children, 66(2), 20-27. (Chen, & Shire, 2011)
