The opportunity to participate in classroom discourse can be an essential component of young children's development. However, there are phrases, terms and instructions from adults that can serve as barriers and can limit children's ability or desire to participate consistently in dialogue with peers and adults in the classroom. This chapter shares the experiences of three early childhood educators as they navigate classroom discourse with young children and learn how applying culturally responsive teaching practices can enhance the discourse experiences for the children in their classes.
TopIntroduction
I’ll always remember the experience I’m about to share because it immediately changed how I approach conversations with people and how to communicate with young children in particular. It was the end of the week, during our morning outdoor time and as Michael was coming back into the classroom with the other kids in my class, I heard him talking with his friends in such a loud voice as if he was still outside. My education mentor was visiting my classroom that day and I wanted to demonstrate my ability to manage the classroom, so I put my finger to my lips and said:
“Michael, shh! Remember, that we’re inside now, so you need to use your inside voice.”
He looked at me with such a puzzled expression and then he just stopped talking altogether. I thought I’d finally reached him, and he understood that he needed to lower his voice, until he started speaking loudly again during afternoon center times later in the day. So, I had to motion again to him with my finger on my lips to remind him and then I said
“Michael, shh! Remember…inside voices” and I gave a little wink.
Michael stopped talking again but this time he did not participate in further conversations with his peers or with me for the rest of the day. It wasn’t until I met with my mentor at the end of the day, during our post-observation meeting, that I learned to see what was happening in my classroom from a different perspective. After observing my class all day, my mentor asked me one question that forever changed how I see my students: “Ms. Sharon, what if that was the voice that Michael’s family uses inside when they are at home?” -Ms. Sharon (Preschool 4s teacher)
This reflective vignette from Ms. Sharon highlights certain practices related to discourse in early childhood classrooms that should be addressed when formulating more positive learning experiences for children. Young children may frequently hear phrases such as, “use your inside voice” or “use your words” from various educators attempting to teach how best to engage in successful dialogue with peers and other adults. The later phrase, “use your words,” is common in many early childhood classrooms and usually occurs when a child attempts to communicate with an adult about something they want that may be unattainable or not immediately available, yet the adult may not understand what the child is trying to communicate (Barriteau Phaire, 2022).
Considering the first phrase, “use your inside voices,” do young children interpret the words in this instruction the same as the adults? Do adults and children share the same definitions of voice levels used inside and outside of the classroom? Is the loudness or softness of a child’s voice in conversation more important than the substance of what’s being said, more important than the content (matter) being shared? These and other questions should cause us to examine the pitfalls inherent in discourse development in early childhood settings, and to be mindful of how best to fortify/support culturally responsive discourse of early learners. While classroom discourse is the overall term used throughout this chapter, classroom dialogue is also used, as it can be considered part of what occurs during classroom discourse.
Throughout this chapter, you will meet three teachers, members of a year-long, funded professional development group focused on improving pedagogical experiences in early childhood classrooms. A variety of topics were covered during each eight-week unit over the year and the three teachers in this chapter self-identified as experiencing the most professional growth during the unit on culturally responsive practices and they all wanted to focus on classroom discourse as their final project (each teacher in the group was required to submit an action research proposal focusing on a particular concept in the classroom through a culturally responsive lens). The three teachers in this chapter were all interested in sharing their experiences, the lessons they learned and how they are working to consider more culturally responsive methods when engaging in classroom discourse with young children. As a result of their reflections, we can examine more substantively the challenges with some traditional formats of discourse development and identify methods for creating more culturally responsive and supportive learning opportunities for young children.