Suggestions for Teachers to Help Children Develop Language

• When the child appears to be trying to communicate, assume he or she has something important to say and treat the attempt accordingly.
• Because the child's utterances are often unclear or ambiguous, be sure you have understood the intended meaning before responding.
• When you reply, take the child's meaning as the basis of what you say next, confirming the intention and extending the topic or inviting the child to do so him or herself.
• Select and phrase your contributions so that they are at or just beyond the child's ability to comprehend.
• Repeating an answer in the correct way always is a good way to model correct form. Over time, the correct form will be anchored.
 

Reference

Freeman, D. E. and Freeman, Y. S. (2004). Essential linguistics: What you need to know to teach reading, ESL, spelling, phonics, grammar. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.