Conversation Compass: A Teacher's Guide to High-Quality Language Learning in Young Children

Author: Stephanie M. Curenton

Product Code:

543840 (Softbound)

ISBN:

9781605543840 (Softbound)

Age Focus: 2-8

Softbound $12.57

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Turn everyday classroom talk into high-quality conversation

Classroom conversation plays an important role in the development of children's language and reasoning. However, studies show that classroom talk relies too much on directives and close-ended questions. Conversation Compass provides the tools to strengthen your language-learning environment:

The Compass: guide high-quality classroom conversations with this visual prompt
The Question Trail: choose the open-ended questinos 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 fromdiverse backgrounds and engage families

Learn to adapt your classroom conversations to meet the diverse needs of all the children you teach and set them up for academic success.

120 pages

About Stephanie M. Curenton, PhD

Stephanie M. Curenton, Ph.D. is a Rutgers University Chancellor Scholar and tenured associate professor in the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. She studies the social, more..

Reviews

- July 15, 2015

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 throughout the book effortlessly blends the "why" and "how" for teachers in this easy-to-use guide to foster language development in all learners.

Review by: Sharon Ayers,
NIEER and CEELO
- July 15, 2015

Conversation Compass is a pioneer for early childhood educators. It offers valuable information about the importance of conversation in the early childhood classroom as well as tools to support intentional efforts for encouraging both teachers and children to talk in meaningful ways. In an era of standards and attention to word-gaps, this book will help to create not only an awareness for teachers, but will also help them navigate an area that is otherwise difficult to plan for but stringently evaluated.

Review by: Alexandra Figueras-Daniel,
National Institute for Early Education Research
- July 13, 2015

Dr. Curenton's new book, Conversation Compass: A Teachers Guide to High Quality Language Learning in Young Children, provides the early childhood field with a practical resource to embed evidence-based practices that foster language development in all young children. The teaching strategies discussed are based on research that indicates the "serve and return" or back and forth between adults and children fosters healthy development and impacts brain development from birth. Dr. Curenton promotes the concept of “conversation partners.” She provides teachers with activities and resources to encourage richer conversations between peers and authentic opportunities to develop language in the preschool setting. Her discussion of the specific strategies to support African American children and linguistic diversity is particularly rich and addresses a significant gap in our education of teachers so that all children's backgrounds, cultures and ways of learning are honored and respected. I highly recommend Conversation Compass as a “must read resource” for all teachers and teacher educators!

Review by: Lori Connors-Tadros,
National Institute for Early Education Research