Teachers know that encouraging children to talk and listen improves their ability to communicate. But until now, they haven't had a way to accelerate the development of children's language skills that's aligned with the science of reading. This book gives time-strapped teachers a power tool: the "Strive-for-Five" conversation framework. These responsive conversations start with what children say and continue as the teacher listens and responds--with a goal of five conversation turns to stretch their talking and thinking. In an accessible format that contains audio and video clips, along with classroom anecdotes and model conversations, Zucker and Cabell show why Strive-for-Five conversations are important and how teachers can use them to engage children and develop their language comprehension. As teachers use the framework to build students' knowledge, vocabulary, reasoning, and other skills that underpin reading success, they'll also see students' confidence grow as they share their individual stories, ideas, and questions.

• Helps teachers easily modify the way they speak with children to radically boost their language skills
• Includes classroom audio and video clips and download-ready tools to help teachers put Strive-for-Five conversations into practice throughout the school day
• Can be integrated with any literacy curriculum to provide a stronger foundation for kids