Observation 

• Describe the physical setting of this home visit (e.g., how space is arranged, toys and materials available). Who is participating in the visit? Where are they sitting in relation to each other? How does the child communicate with the adults verbally and non-verbally? How do the adults respond? What, if anything, surprises you about the child’s ability to communicate?

Application

• Which teaching practices are used by the adults during this visit? Check the “Know” and “Do” sections for ideas. How do they accept and respond to the child’s communications? What does the mother know about the child? What does the home visitor know about the child? How do they scaffold the child’s communications?
• What appears to be the goal of the activity with the playdough? How does the home visitor support the mother and child interactions? How does she support and encourage the mother to continue communicating with the child?

Reflection

• What might the mother and home visitor plan for the next home visit? How can they help the child continue to make progress in using verbal and non-verbal communications?
• During the video segment, it becomes evident that this child knows a lot of things. What are some of the skills you observed the child using? What knowledge of language does the child have?

Observation 

• Describe the physical setting for this video segment (e.g., how space is arranged, toys and materials available). Where are the children and their teacher sitting? What is on the table? What are the children doing? What is the teacher doing? What do they talk about? Who has something to say? How does the teacher involve the children in a conversation?

Application

• Which teaching practices did you observe in the video? Check the “Know” and “Do” sections for ideas? How do the children respond—verbally and non-verbally? What does the teacher say to interpret the children’s communications? How does this help the children communicate with each other?
• What do the children do and say to make requests? How does their teacher respond? For example, does she just provide what the child asks for or does she do something else?

Reflection

• Think about the communications that take place in the video. Give a few examples of times a child communicates with another child and when the teacher communicates with one or more children. What communication skills do you notice the children using?
• What else can this teacher do at different times of the day and during different routines and activities to help these children practice communicating with each other as well as with their teachers?

Preschoolers

Observation

• Describe features of the environment (e.g., toys and equipment, how space is arranged) where the action takes place. Where does the teacher sit in relation to the girl? What is the girl holding? What is their conversation about? How does the teacher keep the conversation going? How do we know the child is engaged and wants to keep talking?

Application

• Which teaching practices did the teacher use during this conversation? Check the “Know” and “Do” sections for ideas. What does she say when the child tells a story about something that has not happened yet? How does she steer the conversation back to the actual situation—the child’s mother is having a baby?
• How does the teacher communicate her interest in what the child is saying? What conversational rules do the child and teacher follow?

Reflection

• The child seems thrilled that she is about to become a big sister and has plenty to say about this. How can the teacher support the child’s communicating and speaking skills while also supporting this big change in her family?
• The child seems to know a lot about conversations. How might the teacher encourage her conversations with other children—those who can learn from her and those who can help enhance her conversational skills?