Study

Vocabulary acquisition in thepreschool years is predictiveof later reading skills and school success in general.

The amount of adult verbalinput predicts the rate ofvocabulary growth in youngchildren.

Through their daily interactions,teachers of young children havethe ability to greatly impactchildren’s vocabulary at a crucial timewhen vocabulary acquisition is occurringrapidly in development.

Subsets of the preschool population are at riskfor delays in vocabulary acquisition, including

children with disabilities,children who are economically disadvantaged,

and children who are English Language Learners.

Conceptual organizer

Results

Vocabulary instruction consists of both explicit instruction and implicit instruction.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

What amount and typesof verbal communications

are used by teachersin inclusive preschool classrooms

across scheduled activities?

PARTICIPANTS

Study took place inteachers’ classrooms

or other school contexts.

What activities were teacher’s engaged in?

VocabularyInstructionIN INCLUSIVE PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS

IMPLICIT INSTRUCTIONIs defined as incidental exposure to wordsthrough naturally occurring activities suchas conversations, questioning, storybooks,

and television.

EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONIs defined as explaining words, defining

words, teaching word labels, anddiscussing words and ideas in various

contexts.

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How much vocabulary instruction is occurringin inclusive preschool classrooms?

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9 teacherswho worked in 5 different school districts in Northeast Ohio.

Teachers varied in years ofexperience, education,and population served

High level of diversityin terms of race, religion, nationality,

and socio-economic status.

What amount and typeof explicit vocabulary instructional

strategies are used by teachersin inclusive preschool

classrooms?

How does time spentin explicit vocabulary instruction

compare across ecological variables(i.e., scheduled activities,

intervention activities, materials,group arrangement)?

SCOPE-L (System of Classroom Observations for Program Evaluationof Language) was the measure that was used to examine ecologicaland teacher variables. The ecological variables included scheduledactivity, intervention activity, materials, and grouping. The teachervariables included vocabulary instruction-word labels, vocabularyinstruction-word meaning, verbal communication/language use, othercommunicative behaviors, and other non-communicative behaviors.

MEASURE

Teachers were observed for the length of a preschool session.

What amount and types of verbal communicationsare used by teachers in inclusive preschool classrooms

across scheduled activities?

Sources

* Brown, T. (2015). An exploratory study of vocabulary instruction in inclusive preschool classrooms. (Electronic Thesis or Dissertation). Retrieved from https://etd.ohiolink.edu/

Bowman, B. T., Donovan, M. S., & Burns, M. S. (2001). Eager to learn. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

Hindman, A.H. & Wasik, B. A. (2013). Vocabulary learning in Head Start: nature and extent of classroom instruction and its contributionsto children’s learning. Journal of School Psychology, 51, 387-405.

Neuman, S.B., & Dwyer, J. (2009). Missing in action: vocabulary instruction in pre-k. The Reading Teacher, 62(5), 384-392.

Neuman, S.B., & Kaefer, T. (2013). Enhancing the intensity of vocabulary instruction for preschoolers at risk: the effects of group size onword knowledge and conceptual development. The Elementary School Journal, 113(4), 589-608.

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BUGTREECAT

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Free PlayCircle TimeClass ActivityChoice TimeTransitionsSnackCan’t tell

05

1015

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5045

Verbaliz

ation

37.9%

25.9%

13.2%

8.9%

5.7%

6.9%

1.6%

© 2015 Teresa Brown and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak. All rights reserved. http://b2kcoach.com

% of time each activity was observed

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BUGCAT

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Music/D

ance/

Recitatio

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Dramatic/

Dress-up

What was the focus of instruction whenteachers used explicit vocabulary strategies?

Pre-academic/

Cognitive

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10

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Which materials did teachers use when delivering explicitvocabulary instruction?

Food & Food

Preparation

Pretend Play Toys

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During which daily activities did teachers useexplicit vocabulary instructional strategies?

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Word labels Word meaning

Word labels Word meaning

Which explicit vocabulary instructional strategies did teachers use?

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Questioning

Word Labels

Modeling W

ord Use

Directs

/Tells

Ask/Questi

ons

Provide Definition

Modeling

Word Mean

ing

Correcti

ng

Prompting