Are You Listening?: Fostering Conversations That Help Young Children Learn

Lisa Burman's ARE YOU LISTENING? provides a fine series of dialogues between teachers and children and uses examples to illustrate how to listen more and talk less. From focusing conversations in a classroom to setting up a learning environment that encourages kids to communicate amongst each other more effectively, educators receive an outstanding guide.
The Midwest Book Review- The Bookwatch October 2009

Lasa Burman's ARE YOU LISTENING? FOSTERING CONVERSATIONS THAT HELP YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN comes from an experienced elementary school teachers and educational consultant and offers child-centered teaching methods based on making conersation a part of a child's daily routine. Examples of dialogues between teachers and children offers focus and information for teachers on how to listen more, direct conversations with kids, and encourage children's group and individual participation. Perfect for early education classroom directors who would promote an interactive classroom environment goal.
The Midwest Book Review- The Bookwatch January 2009

In this invaluable teaching tool, Burnman shows teachers how classroom dialogue can engage children's minds, clarify their ideas, and expand their learning. Illustrating with stories and conversations between teachers and children in public school pre-K classrooms, she offers practival strategies for learning to listen beyond children's words to their thinking. The text demonstrates how to collect, transcribe, and interpret conversations and use them to guide curriculum planning and encourage children to be more reflective and direct their own learning. "Taking Ownership" sections include suggestions to help teachers guide their thinking and plan pedagogical conversations with colleagues to make sense of children's emerging theories and to make the author's ideas relevant to the teachers' contexts. The author shows how the children's conversations are valuable in communicating with families and the community, and she offers techniquest for supporting children who have difficulty using language.
National Association for the Education of Young Children

Conversations is a powerful tool; young children first learn to speak from listening to the conversations of their parents. "Are You Listening? Fostering Conversations That Help Young Children Learn" examines the art of conversation in the avenue of children's education. Packed with information concerning how to listen to one's children, how to converse about subjects that will interst one's child, and other techniques to foster a children's skills in both listening and speaking, "Are You Listening?" is an expertly crafted manual. A great resource especially recommended for parents and educators of small children.
August 2008 edition of Library and Internet Bookwatch