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Talking and listening—natural, everyday activities for most young children—are your students’ primary modes of communicating and discovering information. Gradually, they learn that the things they talk about can also be written down and then read by themselves and others. Acquiring this sense of themselves as writers and readers is an important discovery for many young learners in kindergarten.
About the Picture The humorous picture shows two different activities related to talking and listening. At one level, a fish is “talking” while another fish and Spot seem to be listening (with Spot taking notes). In the meantime, three children are involved in a conversation about the fish and their hidden ears.
Major Concepts
- Talking and listening are the first natural modes of communicating and learning.
- Writers often benefit by talking about their subjects and writing plans before they begin their first drafts.
- Having a conference, basically talking and listening, is a useful tool for writers.