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Christina Stokes ELD 307 Dr. Casey October 8, 2013 Oral Language Assessment Teacher talk is important in an elementary school classroom because the language helps children to think. It is inappropriate to talk to children the same way someone would talk to their friends or family. Educators have to consider the language they use to develop childrens early literacy skills. Therefore, teachers have to find ways to use the language, so children can comprehend information and to become successful students. The purpose of the assessment is to observe how language facilitates childrens literacy development through different settings in a classroom and to understand how the language plays a major role in those settings between peers and the teacher. In my field placement, I was able to observe a first grade classroom and the language the teacher used to guide the students in their learning. It is interesting how students respond to language and how they learn from each other through meaningful communication. In the classroom, there are about twenty-six students. The classroom is filled with posters and word labels to guide students in their environment. The word labels are a useful tool for students because the students become familiar with the resources in the classroom. However, the teacher still has to use teacher talk for students to fully gain an understanding to complete assignments and to follow directions.

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The methodology I used to collect my findings was through a checklist and observations. The checklist focused on what occurred in the classroom between the students and the teacher through communication. My observations helped to focus on specific students and how the whole class responds to teacher talk. I did not realize how language can effect childrens literacy skills. In school, it is important to develop reading and writing skills, but children learn through oral language. Children speak before they can read or write and therefore it is important for teachers to have meaningful communication with the students. Teachers have to provide questions to assess students comprehension, but through teacher talk discoveries can be made and can lead to an exciting learning experience for the students. Through my findings, I learned a lot about language and the use of teacher talk. First, when the students arrive to class they share stories with the teacher. The students are excited about their stories and the teacher ask a few questions to gain an understanding. The communication between the teacher and the student builds a relationship. The teacher is engaged in the conversation to show they care about the stories the students share with them. After sharing their stories, the teacher provides the students with a writing prompt to complete in their writing journals. The teacher works with the students with their writing prompt and guides them along if they have a difficult time. If a student cannot come up with an idea, the teacher tells them they can use what they learned from the previous lesson to complete the assignment. The teacher does not give them answers, but helps them to develop original ideas and use prior knowledge. During morning meeting, the teacher reads a book which relates to the days lesson. The teacher talks slowly while reading the book for students to understand the content. At times, students ask questions about the story and the teacher provides an answer. The students also share information they have learned that relates to the book which show they are making

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connections. After the read aloud, the teacher instructs the students to complete a class assignment. The teacher gives clear and precise directions, so the students know exactly what the teacher expects from them. The teacher makes sure the students know what to do by asking them questions about the directions. This is a great way to assess if the students understand the directions to complete an assignment. Another observation I noticed between the teacher and the students was during the word study group. The teacher chose three students to focus on an assignment. The students needed a little more support learning about family words that ends with -at, -it, and an. The teacher asked each student if they understood the family words and had to give a clear explanation about the words. In each setting, the teacher used teacher talk to guide students through class assignments and to develop a learning relationship through meaningful conversations. The most interesting observation I found was the interaction between the students and how they communicated in different settings. Before the morning meeting, the teacher gives the students the opportunity to share books they have read from home. The teacher chose three students named Kendall, Rihana, and Lamaine to share their books. Each student pulls out a penny from a box to call on their peers to ask questions about their books. The three students became a leader and took initiative in their learning by answering questions from their peers. Through this observation, I learned a lot about the way children think based on the students responses to the questions. In the class, the students read to themselves and choose books they find interesting. I noticed some students read quietly to themselves and other students enjoyed reading aloud. The students who read aloud attracted some peers and this eventually led to partner reading. The students discussed the story to each other and connected the story to their personal life. Some students

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shared the same interests and continued to ask questions about those interests. During play time, the students played word games such as alphabet soup and matching sight words. I was able to focus on the same student named Kendall that played the alphabet soup game. Out of the students, she was the one to correct her peers if they were wrong. She took charge of the mistakes made by other students. I found that interesting because most students played for fun. However, Kendall took the game serious compared to her other peers. Overall, students interact with their peers depending on the setting and what activity they are doing at the time. I will use these findings to help me decide how I would use teacher talk in a classroom. First, I will assess how students respond to questions and ideas when completing assignments. I will allow them to express what they learn among each other. I will use language to asses and to discover students interests to create exciting and engaging lessons. My findings have determined that oral language is important in a classroom and it is the teachers job to expand the students knowledge. As a teacher, it is difficult not to give the correct answers or to keep repeating the same directions to students. At times, repetition is useful when giving directions, but students need to learn to comprehend directions without consistently depending on the teacher. Through this assessment, it is evident that the way the teacher speaks, determines the students comprehension and literacy development.