Exploring the Readiness of Teachers for

Language and Communication

Development in Preschool

Presented by
Amena Begum
Student ID: 12155007
MSc. in ECD (2012-2013), IED, BRAC University

20th July 2014

Supervisors

Dr. Manzoor Ahmed, Senior Advisor, IED, BRAC University

Syeda Sazia Zaman, Senior Research Fellow, IED, BRAC University
 Introduction and Background

Teacher is the most influential person in school settings

(Riddle, 1999).

Language and Communication is the key to the

development of all domains and it is foundational for
early years children.

Teachers promote and stimulate development of

language and communication significantly through
different activities (Brock and Rankin, 2008).
 Literature Review

Language and communication development in early years

 Effective use of language can help better achievement (Riddle,
1999).

 Children learn in their zone of proximal development

(ZPD), with adult scaffolding (Vygotsky, 1978).

Standard practices for language development

Different countries define their standards to ensure
children's holistic development. This study reviewed some
of them; i.e. New Jersey, Kosovo, Macedonia, Pakistan and
Bangladesh (not validate yet).
 06/20/2020

Literature Review

Teacher Readiness

 Early childhood teachers require thorough knowledge

about language and how to help children in developing
language and literacy skills (ERIC Digest, 2000).

 Teaching standards guide teacher’s preparation that

formulate activity for better learning (ELDS Pakistan, 2009).

 In Bangladesh most of the preschool teacher training

are not effective for preschool language teaching
(Directorate of Primary Education, 2012).
 06/20/2020

Purpose of the Study

 Teacher's skillful communication encourages using

language and communication skills.

 Teachers require clear and deep understanding of

communication and language development to open the
way for language development at preschool.

 The study was done with the purpose of understanding

teachers’ perception and opportunity of language and
communication practices in preschool children.
 Significance
This study bears the significance in the following ways
 In identifying the scope of improvement or adjustment to adopt
acceptable standards in classroom for communication and
language development.

 Providing evidence of attitudes and current practices of teachers

and accordingly identifying the gaps in their readiness and skills
in making use of acceptable standard practices in classroom.

 Generating recommendations for shaping professional

development curriculum to prepare teachers for using acceptable
standard practices in language learning.
 Research Objectives

The research was done with the objective

 To explore the perception and current practices of preschool
teachers in teaching Language and Communication.

 To identify the challenges in introducing and applying standard

practices in language and communication in preschools.
 Research Questions

 What are the acceptable standard practices for language

development at preschool level as determined by review of
relevant standards and criteria from literature?

 How do teachers perceive language and communication

development of early year children?

 What are the current practices of preschool teachers in teaching

language and communication?

 What are the challenges to introduce and apply good practices in

language and communication in preschools?
 06/20/2020

Listed Acceptable Standard Practices

Acceptable standard practices for language and communication

development is grouped into 4 categories 
Listening Practices
 Use simple language to interact with children
 Engage children in hands-on learning to build understanding of words.
 Create opportunities to share stories and allow them to get involved in it.
 Build and expand on what children say by using more complex vocabulary.
 Provide indoor and outdoor opportunities to listen to different sounds.

Speaking Practices
 Create friendly environment with games and activities for children to talk.
 Provide model of rich vocabulary in context
 Encourage children to share their views, opinions, ask questions and respond.
 Involve children in singing and actions with voice expression (song, rhymes etc.)
 Introduce new words and explain the meaning of the unfamiliar words.
 Encourage child to recall and or tell about an event and help with questions.
 06/20/2020

Listed Acceptable Standard Practices

Reading Practices
 Talk with children about the author and the illustrator of the book.
 Ask the children to talk about the book.
 Demonstrate reading.
 Read with children stories, fairy tales and poems and science books.
 Make available illustrative books that children can read and remember.

Writing Practices
 Allow children to play games with letters made from various materials.
 Encourage and facilitate children to copy and describe the letter.
 Provide space where children can write.
 Provide activities that support prewriting and writing activities.
 Show interest and praise every time the child writes.
 Methodology

Study Design: Qualitative Research Design

Population: Preschool Teachers of Urban Dhaka

Sampling Method: Purposive Sampling Method

Sample: 6 preschool teachers from 2 types of preschool (GO & NGO)

and 2 preschools

Tools

 Class Observation Guideline

 In-depth Interview (IDI) Questionnaire

 Methodology

Data Collection Procedure

 Contacted schools’ authorities and teachers

 Arranged IDI and class observation in school premise

 6 IDIs were conducted and 2 classes were observed

 IDI duration was 25 to 40 minutes

 Class observed for full duration according to their routine

 Methodology

Data Analysis
In-depth Interview Class Observation

Data were analyzed using content

Note taking &
analysis procedure. Transcription Note taking

Atlas ti 5.2 was used to manage data.

Reading, Memoing & Reading, Memoing &
Describing
Standard steps for qualitative data Describing

analysis was followed. Coding Coding

 Note taking and Transcription
Theme
 Reading, Memo-ing and Describing Construction

 Coding
Interpretation
 Theme Construction and
 Interpretation Fig:
Fig: Schematic
Schematic Diagram
Diagram of
of Data
Data Analysis
Analysis
 Limitation

Time and resource limited the scope of the study to -

 Small number of participants and school sample: not possible

to generalize findings.

 Data were collected only from the urban area

 Only two class observations and without any repetitions.

 06/20/2020

Findings

Findings can be portrayed under three major categories

1. Teachers’ perception on language and communication
development
2. Current practices of language and communication
development by teachers

3. Challenges faced by the teachers in teaching language

and communication
 Teachers’ Perception of 06/20/2020

Language and Communication Development

 All teachers consider communication and language development

takes place when children verbalize and express in their mother
tongue what they see, think as well as what they are taught.
When they (children) try to recognize and say it I understand that their language
is developing. (Interview # 2)

 All teachers perceive play as an effective opportunity for language

development.
Play help to develop everything, like physical, cognitive, communication,
language, every kind of development occur during play. They can touch and
hold everything in play. (Interview # 3)
 Teachers’ Perception of 06/20/2020

Language and Communication Development

 All participating teachers mention positive practices as a means

to promote language and communication development.
I preserve those books after use, if we allow them to take the books to their
home that will encourage children to learn at home and guardians will also
remain notified. (Interview #1)

 Most teachers, however, think that preschool children are too

young to read storybook.
It is wise to give the books in upper class; these young students cannot read it.
(Interview # 4)

 Everyone in the study identified parents role as important as the

first teacher for language development.
 Current Practices of
Language and Communication Development
 Teachers affirm that they have some opportunities to practice
listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in class.

 Most of the teachers have mentioned play, morning circle and

shared storytelling as opportunities of listening and speaking
practices.
- First we sing the National Anthem, then some physical exercise that students
perform listening to instructions, followed by rhymes, songs and stories.
(Interview # 3)

- When they listen to stories, they are attentive, didn’t lose their concentration.
(Interview # 6)
 Current Practices of
Language and Communication Development

 All teachers have mentioned play as a complete activity that

provide opportunities for speaking, listening, thinking,
socializing etc.

 But most of the teachers do not get involved or use stimulating

words or scaffold for making play effective for language
development.
In free play children talk to each other as per the need of the play; they
decide the role of the players...they play by their own. (Interview # 3)

 No outdoor play is observed or mentioned by any of the

teachers to facilitate listening and speaking practices.
 Current Practices of
Language and Communication Development

 Scopes of reading and writing is available in every preschool

for alphabet, numbers and words only.
The only book in school is the Bangla letter writing book for the students,
where they write the letters and the numbers. (Interview # 3)

 Three of the six teachers perform storybook reading

demonstration for children as well as discuss about these
books.
We have 12 story books …I keep them in a chest…I don’t give them the
book. I read the book to them then ask them to say by their own language.
(Interview # 4)
 Current Practices of
Language and Communication Development
 Only one teacher was found to create opportunity for
exploring books and ‘pretend’ reading.
If you see them, you will think they are reading, they actually read the
pictures…… During free play, there is a ‘Picture and Book Corner’ where
the books are available for the students to explore. (Interview # 5)

 Very few students get opportunities for prewriting activity and

playing with letters.
They (students) draw free drawing for 3 months; ….then start patterns,
which are part of the alphabets. (Interview # 5)

 No teacher provided exposure to illustrated books for

enhancing and promoting reading practices.
 Challenges Faced by the Teachers

Teachers mention about three challenges in teaching language

 Communication with young children and non-Bengali children
from the beginning of school year was stated as most common
challenge by all the teachers.
In the beginning of the class year I faced some problem. All the students were
new, they seemed to be scared and cried. (Interview # 3)

 Large class size and continuous classes are also among important
challenges for the teachers of government school.
Forty children in a class is okay, if more that is difficult to manage. (Interview # 1)

Authority think that we don’t need any off period, so we have to conduct classes
ceaselessly. (Interview # 1)
 Discussion

 Teachers perceive language and communication development as –

 Using mother tongue by children for expressing something.
 Factors contributing to the development; e.g. play, positive practices,
parents role etc.

 Practices according to standard

 Routinely done: play, song, rhymes, storytelling, reading writing alphabet
& numbers.
 Minimum: storybook reading, prewriting activity, play with letters.
 Absent: outdoor play and illustrated book.

 Challenges faced by the teachers: i) communication during beginning of

the year, ii) large class size, iii) continuous class routine
 Conclusion

 Focusing on language development in pre-primary age is

essential and teachers are the most proximal individuals in
school setting.

 Teacher's capacity and readiness are very much guided by the

national standards, which was also revealed by this study.

 Whatever the teachers have said and currently practice are

according to their curriculum and training.

 This study has given a picture of readiness of teachers for

language and communication learning at preschool.
 Recommendations

 Further study with a large sample size is required with

quantitative approach.
 Need to add more and repeated class observation for assessing
the magnitude of the situation.
 Ensure professional development training on communication and
language is essential for teachers (e.g. play-based learning etc.).
 National level standard is needed for the practitioners as soon as
possible.
 Ensure the supply of the required storybooks and illustrated
books in every preschools to encourage reading practices in early
years.
Thank You