This document discusses strategies for extending conversations with children through expansions. Extending conversations helps children develop language and thinking skills. Teachers can expand on what children say by adding more language, asking questions, and introducing new vocabulary. This scaffolds children's conversations and benefits their learning. Specifically, expanding conversations increases children's vocabulary, models back-and-forth exchanges, and enhances their understanding of new concepts. It also provides teachers insights into children's knowledge and ideas for curriculum planning. The document provides examples of expanding children's words to scaffold both their language and thinking.

1. EXTENDING THE CONVERSATION:
EXPANSIONS
JANUARY 2012 V. 1

2. FRAMEWORK FOR EFFECTIVE PRACTICE
SUPPORTING SCHOOL READINESS FOR ALL CHILDREN
FOCUS ON
FOUNDATION

3. EXTENDING THE CONVERSATION:
EXPANSIONS
Objectives:
 To understand how expansions create
opportunities for extended conversation.
 To identify strategies used to expand on
what children say.

4. WHAT ARE EXTENDED CONVERSATIONS?
Extended conversations
are rich back-and-forth
exchanges that help
children develop more
complex language and
thinking skills.

5. EXPANDING ON WHAT CHILDREN SAY
SCAFFOLDS CONVERSATIONS
Expansions provide additional language in response to
children’s words to extend conversations.
Look a plane!
I see a plane flying
high in the sky.
You went on a plane
with your grandma.
Where did the plane
take you?
I go on a plane
with my grandma
before.

6. HOW DOES EXPANDING ON WHAT
CHILDREN SAY BENEFIT CHILDREN?
•Increases vocabulary.
•Helps children learn more
language to understand
their actions and to express
their ideas.
Introducing
Novel Words
Engaging in
Thick
Conversations
•Models back-and-forth
exchanges.
•Assists children in learning
how to communicate more
clearly and accurately.
Extended
Conversations
•Develops knowledge of
new concepts and skills.
•Enhances children’s
understandings throughout
the conversation.
Expanding on
What Children
Say
Asking
Questions
•Expands high-level thinking
skills.
•Provides opportunities for
children to think about
their thinking and evaluate
their understandings.

7. HOW DOES EXPANDING ON WHAT CHILDREN SAY
BENEFIT TEACHERS?
I can add new
information to the
conversation.
Tells me what children
understand and
comprehend.
These conversations provide me
with a great opportunity for ongoing
child assessment and ideas for my
curriculum planning.

8. EXPAND ON CHILDREN’S WORDS TO
SCAFFOLD LANGUAGE
Ways to
Expand on
MY Words.
Make my phrase
more complete.
Make my phrase
more complex.
Add novel and
interesting
words.

9. EXPAND ON CHILDREN’S WORDS TO
SCAFFOLD THINKING
Ways to
Expand on
MY Words
Summarize
my
thoughts.
Link to
prior
knowledge.
Apply to
my world.
Connect
concepts.
Relate to
my life.
Relate to
my actions.
Explain
thinking.
Invite me
to think.

10. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
• Expand on children’s
words.
• Add more complex
language.
• Add new
information to
support thinking.

11. For more Information, contact us at: NCQTL@UW.EDU or 877-731-0764
This document was prepared under Grant #90HC0002 for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, by the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning.