Vocabulary Growth in Preschool Children Whose Teachers Use Instructional Conversation Strategies Based on Storybooks

Four preschool classrooms located in African American neighborhoods in Cincinnati, Ohio were the setting for a study of strategies to enhance vocabulary learning. Targetvocabulary was chosen from theme-related storybooks. Strategies to promote instructional conversations included linking vocabulary to specific materials in various learning centers and using vocabulary during classroom routines like family-style meals. Both children and adults in the classrooms where the conversational strategies were implemented showed gains in target vocabulary knowledge and use up to 2 months after the instruction. The literature review and teacher responses to the in-classroom aspect of the study lead to the conclusion that work should continue to develop strategies to increase vocabulary learning that may be easily implemented in all early childhood settings.