{"id":11166,"date":"2019-03-26T15:18:29","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T19:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.little-sponges.com\/?p=11166"},"modified":"2019-04-08T10:49:27","modified_gmt":"2019-04-08T14:49:27","slug":"the-importance-of-teaching-vocabulary-in-preschool-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.little-sponges.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/26\/the-importance-of-teaching-vocabulary-in-preschool-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Teaching Vocabulary In Preschool and Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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People often ask me about the teaching methodology developed at Little Sponges\u00ae and why we focus heavily on vocabulary acquisition and oral communication.\u00a0 So, I decided to write about the research and the rationale for our approach to bilingual learning.\u00a0<\/p>

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When most people think about literacy, they immediately picture children reading and writing.\u00a0 But the most critical component of literacy begins well before the child can pull a word from the page\u2026It is the oral language<\/strong>. (Amanda Morgan, 2019) <\/em>Before we could read or write the word \u201cball\u201d, we learned what it means and how to say it.\u00a0 I think we all intrinsically understand that at the<\/em> crux of literacy is the ability to convey and receive meaning through words, and that process begins with the spoken word.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong> I love Amanda Morgan\u2019s<\/a> <\/span>statement: \u201cWithout vocabulary skills, reading and writing become labored and meaningless\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Over the years, research has revealed that although people can and do learn word meanings incidentally, such learning most often does not come easily and may not be very effective (Nation, 2008). This means that for ESOL, DLL and bilingual programs, intentional vocabulary teaching is critical, and part of a teacher\u2019s job is to incorporate deliberate vocabulary teaching into each class to help students develop the breadth and depth of the vocabulary. (Michale Lessard-Cluston, 2013) \u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Little Sponges\u00ae approach to language learning is built on the idea that oral language and vocabulary mastery (both receptive and productive) is the key to building a strong foundation for success. \u00a0Little Sponges\u00ae program includes explicit vocabulary teaching and review exercises that can be done in class or at home. <\/span><\/p>

But before we get into breaking down how the Little Sponges\u00ae program builds vocabulary, let\u2019s talk about why should language learning focus so heavily on building a child\u2019s vocabulary bank?<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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  1. There is a link between a child\u2019s vocabulary knowledge in preschool to their future academic success. A <\/span>2011 study<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> found that the volume and quality of preschool teachers\u2019 \u201cteacher talk\u201d predicted their students\u2019 long term reading and comprehension abilities later in their academic years. When students are regularly exposed to sophisticated vocabulary in context, their reading and comprehension levels rise drastically.<\/span><\/li>
  2. A child who has a larger vocabulary is <\/span>better able to understand<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> more of the context surrounding those words. This makes it easier for them to comprehend the material, process its meaning, and commit the material to memory. Students who develop this linguistic skill early on will undoubtedly have an easier time as they progress through school.<\/span><\/li>
  3. Because the amount and quality of vocabulary is a determining factor in future academic success, students who fall under a certain socioeconomic line often are at a disadvantage to peers who grow up in a more academically rigorous regimen.<\/span> In 1995, researchers <\/span>Betty Hart and Todd Risley<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> recorded hours of interactions between parents and children. What they found was that by age three, the average child from a family in the professional class heard approximately <\/span>30 million more<\/b> words than the average child living on welfare. This startling number undoubtedly contributes to the academic gap seen as students of different language abilities continue to progress in school.\u00a0<\/span><\/li><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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    So how can Little Sponges\u00ae help?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    The Little Sponges curriculum is designed specifically for young children.\u00a0 Here\u2019s how we help build vocabulary and oral communication skills through our Watch-Learn-Play<\/i> method:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    EXPLICIT VOCABULARY TEACHING VIA STORYTELLING <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    As with the above point about conversations, storytelling is a fantastic way to introduce vocabulary words in a conversation and real-life context. It is also a much more child-friendly teaching method than drab worksheets. When children are able to engage with a story, they naturally pick up pre-taught vocabulary words, new vocabulary words, and the context needed to tie them all together.<\/p>

    It is impossible to define all words and concepts using static images and verbal explanations, which is why Little Sponges uses several techniques to support vocabulary learning and improve comprehension. Little Sponges utilizes real life videos, acting of the puppets, context and audio cues to define new vocabulary and explain complex concepts. For example, teaching students about space and gravity can be difficult using flash cards and books. Here is a video that demonstrates how Little Sponges program uses multimedia to engage multiple senses and make learning more fun and effective than traditional methods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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