1. Will You Have an Elephant in Your
Classroom?
An Inquiry Approach to
Preschoolers’ Early Language
Learning

2. Lessons to Consider
• Children need sound language and literacy skills to
communicate with others.
• A language rich classroom includes an inquiry based
environment
• Students need to be exposed to high quality literacy materials
& activities to support learning.
• Effective early childhood settings are led by highly responsive
teachers who encourage children to contribute to discussions
and share ideas with each other.
• Socially competent classrooms have children who feel a sense
of belonging to the community of the classroom. This creates
a world of sharing, turn taking and creativity.

3. Child Driven Interest
• Find an interest which supports different kinds of
learning.
• Look for those moments to spark the children's
interest to foster questions and curiosity.
• Follow the children’s lead to give them ownership.
Engagement in an investigation is an outlet for
language & social interaction.

4. Use the Environment & Activities to
Encourage Language Learning
• Language & literacy skills allow students to
communicate with others.
• Oral language skills need to be taught through the
environment.
• Communicating effectively with others can develop
healthier social and emotional lives.
• Plan developmentally appropriate activities that
encourage children to feel part of the classroom and
school community.

5. Weave Literacy Learning Into Activities
• Reading and writing are closely related so
exposure to print contributes to awareness of the
importance of the written word.
• A literacy rich environment uses a variety of print
materials. (Fiction & non
fiction, poetry, magazines, newspaper, environme
ntal print, teacher writing and drawing)
• Make lists, check the newspaper for the
weather, use the Smart board so the students will
see the importance of communication through
writing.

6. Going Deeper Through Encouragement
• Oral language through conversations
• Written language with letter writing
• Social activities for practicing emerging language
skills like field trips
• Constantly change/add to the classroom library
• Make classroom books with the students
artwork/words

7. Join the Village
• It does take an entire
village to raise a child
and I hope to become a
small part of that
village. I will have an
elephant in my room or
maybe a horse, but the
interest will always be
an investigation filled
with a rich vocabulary!