Preschool educators are linguistic models for their students. They prompt students to speak. Educators who are able to understand the critical nature of their role in the students' oracy development and to deliberately encourage conversation may have a profound impact on preschoolers who may be at risk. Oracy is self-expression prompted by discourse activities such as questioning, labeling, turn-taking in conversation, and it is stimulated by a variety of speech events, such as playing or otherwise interacting with peers and adults.
This study explored how preschool educators behaved as models in facilitating oral language acquisition and development. The goals of this study were to answer the following research questions:
1. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in developing oral competencies/oracy among their students?
2. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in facilitating second language acquisition?
3. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to the instructional strategies used to facilitate interaction among their students?
The research of McEwan (2002) and Wilcox (2000), Hart and Risley (2003), Ard and Beverly (2004) and Weigel (2007) suggests that oral language (oracy) development is a readiness factor for later reading, writing and listening competencies. Intentional strategies to promote oracy can narrow the reading achievement gap between students in racially, linguistically and economically discrete neighborhoods and their peers from more diverse environments.
","abstract_html":"<p>Preschool educators are linguistic models for their students. They prompt students to speak. Educators who are able to understand the critical nature of their role in the students' oracy development and to deliberately encourage conversation may have a profound impact on preschoolers who may be at risk. Oracy is self-expression prompted by discourse activities such as questioning, labeling, turn-taking in conversation, and it is stimulated by a variety of speech events, such as playing or otherwise interacting with peers and adults.</p><p>This study explored how preschool educators behaved as models in facilitating oral language acquisition and development. The goals of this study were to answer the following research questions:</p><p>1. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in developing oral competencies/oracy among their students?</p><p>2. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in facilitating second language acquisition?</p><p>3. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to the instructional strategies used to facilitate interaction among their students?</p><p>The research of McEwan (2002) and Wilcox (2000), Hart and Risley (2003), Ard and Beverly (2004) and Weigel (2007) suggests that oral language (oracy) development is a readiness factor for later reading, writing and listening competencies. Intentional strategies to promote oracy can narrow the reading achievement gap between students in racially, linguistically and economically discrete neighborhoods and their peers from more diverse environments.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Jones, Nicole Alissa"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Nursing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:23Z","subjects":["Facilitating/Modeling","Oral Language Acquisition","Oral Language Development","Perceptions of Practice","Preschool Educators","Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/356","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Jones, Nicole Alissa"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-31T17:10:40Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Nursing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Facilitating/Modeling","Oral Language Acquisition","Oral Language Development","Perceptions of Practice","Preschool Educators","Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/356"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Preschool educators are linguistic models for their students. They prompt students to speak. Educators who are able to understand the critical nature of their role in the students' oracy development and to deliberately encourage conversation may have a profound impact on preschoolers who may be at risk. Oracy is self-expression prompted by discourse activities such as questioning, labeling, turn-taking in conversation, and it is stimulated by a variety of speech events, such as playing or otherwise interacting with peers and adults.
This study explored how preschool educators behaved as models in facilitating oral language acquisition and development. The goals of this study were to answer the following research questions:
1. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in developing oral competencies/oracy among their students?
2. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in facilitating second language acquisition?
3. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to the instructional strategies used to facilitate interaction among their students?
The research of McEwan (2002) and Wilcox (2000), Hart and Risley (2003), Ard and Beverly (2004) and Weigel (2007) suggests that oral language (oracy) development is a readiness factor for later reading, writing and listening competencies. Intentional strategies to promote oracy can narrow the reading achievement gap between students in racially, linguistically and economically discrete neighborhoods and their peers from more diverse environments.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Preschool Educators' Perceptions of Practice in Facilitating/modeling Oral Language Acquisition and Development"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Jones, Nicole Alissa"],"dc:date.available":["2016-03-31T17:10:40Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Preschool educators are linguistic models for their students. They prompt students to speak. Educators who are able to understand the critical nature of their role in the students' oracy development and to deliberately encourage conversation may have a profound impact on preschoolers who may be at risk. Oracy is self-expression prompted by discourse activities such as questioning, labeling, turn-taking in conversation, and it is stimulated by a variety of speech events, such as playing or otherwise interacting with peers and adults.
This study explored how preschool educators behaved as models in facilitating oral language acquisition and development. The goals of this study were to answer the following research questions:
1. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in developing oral competencies/oracy among their students?
2. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to their role in facilitating second language acquisition?
3. What are the perceptions/practices of preschool educators in racially, linguistically and economically discrete preschool programs with regard to the instructional strategies used to facilitate interaction among their students?
The research of McEwan (2002) and Wilcox (2000), Hart and Risley (2003), Ard and Beverly (2004) and Weigel (2007) suggests that oral language (oracy) development is a readiness factor for later reading, writing and listening competencies. Intentional strategies to promote oracy can narrow the reading achievement gap between students in racially, linguistically and economically discrete neighborhoods and their peers from more diverse environments.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/356"],"dc:subject":["Facilitating/Modeling","Oral Language Acquisition","Oral Language Development","Perceptions of Practice","Preschool Educators","Education"],"dc:title":["Preschool Educators' Perceptions of Practice in Facilitating/modeling Oral Language Acquisition and Development"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Nursing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:55:23Z"}