Intentional Words

I am in the process of writing a 25 page literature review. I am very overwhelmed for a variety of reasons. The review is required to focus on a small topic related to language and literacy and is to include at least 25 scholarly journal articles from the last five years that are also peer reviewed. The librarian is my new best friend!! I had much apprehension deciding on a topic. I have decided to focus on vocabulary instruction and young children in relation to socioeconomic status, sounds interesting, huh?

My research has brought to my attention the importance of language modeling in order to facilitate vocabulary growth in young children. The early childhood years are a time when vocabulary expands more than any other time in human development. When placed in the proper perspective this causes us to think more intentionally about vocabulary exposure. Typically developing children, in the proper environment, pick up words without intentional support from adults the opposite is true when children are not in a language rich environment. In conclusion, this is even more evidence that early intervention programs, like Head Start, are essential in nurturing all young children to become language bearers.