Everyday conversations as contexts for acquiring oral text abilities in kindergarten

A randomized controlled intervention study on professional teacher development

Abstract

When children start school, their familiarity with oral texts such as reports, stories or explanations differs widely. However, such linguistic and discursive abilities are necessary to realize the potentials of learning opportunities at school. Their purposeful promotion in kindergarten can therefore contribute to academic success of all children. The EmTiK intervention study investigated the relationship between teachers' scaffolding practices and children's oral text abilities. In three waves of data collection, 65 randomly selected teachers were filmed for 90 minutes each. Four to five children from each class (N=293) each completed two tests: a retelling of a wordless animated film and a tablet-based test to measure executive functions. The children's oral text productions and teachers’ communicative practices were rated using the newly developed instruments MuTex and EULE.  The teachers in the intervention group attended an intensive training program. The results show that a) the children's oral text abilities increased by around 50% over a period of one and a half years, b) the teachers significantly improved their scaffolding practices through a professional development and c) high quality teacher support could facilitate the acquisition of oral text abilities.