Anne Van Kleeck Vocabulary

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According to Anne van Kleeck (2014), teachers and speech language pathologists should

place more emphasis on the development of “academic talk” (AT) in preschool aged children. As

defined by van Kleeck, AT is the manner in which language is used in an educational

environment. The AT register is distinguished from the casual talk (CT) register, which is the

language used in regular, everyday communication. van Kleeck argues that children from

“culturally and linguistically diverse” (CLD) backgrounds with “language impairment” (LI) are

more predisposed to weakness in the AT register, which can be detrimental to future success in

all levels of schooling (van Kleeck 724). It is important for SLPs and teachers to encourage the

development …show more content…

Conversations in CT

are also less logical, with easy flow between topics, as opposed to AT where conversations are

sequential and structured around one topic. It is especially important that preschoolers be taught

to think and speak more inferentially, a quality of AT that is particular struggle. One final

example of the many van Kleeck (2014) provides is the necessity for children to learn some level

of the “cognitive processes” used in school, such as metalanguage vocabulary like “word, letter,

sound…” a necessary component to education (van Kleeck 734).

While no test has been developed that specifically tests mastery of AT and CT in

preschool aged children, there are a few methods of testing AT and CT. Blank et al (2003) cited

by van Kleeck (2014) developed a test designed to assess use of inferential language, while

Uccelli et al (2014) cited by van Kleeck (2014) developed a method of testing school

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