Words at Work (and Play!): Building Strong Language Foundations in Preschool Classrooms
Originally presented by Xigrid Soto-Boykin and Meaghan McKenna on March 4, 2026.
PLEASE NOTE: STAR NET Region II and VI is unable to award CEs for viewing this recording.
Preschool classrooms are full of natural opportunities for language growth. Young children, particularly those with communication delays or disabilities, benefit from intentional opportunities to learn language throughout their daily routines. This session shares practical ways to support language development for preschool children with disabilities, including multilingual children. Participants will learn how rich language can be embedded across content areas (e.g., socio-emotional, emergent literacy, mathematics) and developmental domains during whole-group and small group lessons, mealtimes, and during play with peers. These intentional, language learning strategies will turn everyday moments into meaningful opportunities for communicating and learning.
Participants will:
1) Identify natural opportunities for supporting language development throughout the preschool day.
2) Explain how to design everyday classroom interactions that intentionally promote meaningful communication and language learning for diverse preschool learners.
3) Discuss how to integrate language supports across developmental domains (e.g., communication, social interaction, cognitive development) during instructional and play-based contexts.
