DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET CURRICULUM/STRATEGIES Turn everyday classroom talk into high-quality conversation Classroom conversations, both teacher-to-student and child-to-child, are key to children’s language and reasoning development. However, classroom talk relies too much on directives, close-ended questions, and unstimulating dialogue. Conversation Compass gives you the tools you need to strengthen your language-learning environment: •  The Compass: guide high-quality classroom conversations with this visual prompt •  The Question Trail: choose the open-ended questions that will drive children’s deeper thinking •  The Map: record your learning objectives and plan for the conversations •  The peer conversation tracking sheet: observe and assess children’s progress •  A family survey: expand your awareness of the skills of children from diverse backgrounds and engage families Learn to adapt your classroom conversations to meet the diverse needs of all the children in your classroom and set them up for academic success. “Dr. Curenton has provided a much-needed resource for teachers of young children. She has made being intentional about teaching and monitoring language easy with the Conversation Compass. The background, concrete activities, and vignettes she provides effortlessly blend the ‘why’ and ‘how’ for teachers in this easy-to-use guide to fostering language development in all learners.” —Shannon Ayers, PhD, Associate Research Professor, National Institute for Early Education Research Stephanie M. Curenton, PhD, serves as the associate editor of Early Childhood Research Quarterly, sharing her knowledge of literacy development and cultural competence. She is also an assistant professor at Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, where she studies the social, cognitive, and language development of low-income and minority children. ISBN 978-1-60554-384-0 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL $17.95