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Language Support in Kindergarten: Methods & Tips

Kita-Job Agentur
Feb 28
6 min read

Language development is a central component of a child's development and plays a crucial role in later educational success. Especially in the kindergarten phase, targeted measures can help promote language skills and compensate for possible deficits at an early stage. In this article, you will learn why language development in kindergarten is so important, which methods are particularly effective, and how you can use targeted picture cards and language games.

Why is language support so important in kindergarten?

For many children, kindergarten is the first place where they come into intensive contact with language. It is here that they expand their vocabulary, learn grammatical structures, and develop their ability to express thoughts and feelings linguistically.

Children with multilingual backgrounds or language development delays particularly benefit from early language support. Studies show that targeted language support in kindergarten has long-term positive effects on school readiness and social integration.

Language Support Methods in Kindergarten

1. Everyday built-in language support

Everyday language support is one of the most effective methods because it does not require separate lessons and encourages children to speak in a playful way. Everyday situations are used for active language use:

Shared storytelling : Questions like "What did you do today?" or "How is the teddy bear feeling?" encourage children to formulate complete sentences.
Be a language role model : Teachers must consciously communicate with children, use correct sentence structures, and incorporate new words into the dialogue.
Music and rhymes : Children's songs and rhymes support phonological awareness and help in learning the rhythms and melodies of language.

2. Targeted language support programs

For children with special language support needs, there are structured programs that are carried out in small groups or individually. These programs often include repetitive exercises, language games, and storytelling prompts.

Known concepts include: SI.:

"Sprachreich" : A program based on the principle of multilingualism that supports children with and without German as their first language.
Interactive reading : Children actively participate in reading by answering questions or continuing the story.

Language development through games

Language games are not only fun, but they also help expand language skills in a playful way. Here are some examples:

"Where's the teddy bear?" : One child hides a teddy bear and the others have to find its hiding place using verbal clues. Terms like "underneath," "behind," or "next to" are put into practice.
Rhyming games : Children search together for words that rhyme. This promotes phonological awareness.
"I see something you don't see" : This classic game trains careful observation and description of objects.

The 12 most popular language development games

Language development can be done in a playful way to give children the joy of speaking and listening. Here are twelve proven games that support language development in a creative way:

I see something you don't see.
A classic game to promote description and vocabulary expansion. Children learn to name colors, shapes, and properties of objects. Tip: Vary the game by only naming things that have a specific shape or function.
Find rhyming words
Children search together for appropriate rhyming words that enhance phonological awareness. Example: “House – Mouse”, “Sun – Joy”.
Tip: Use rhyming cards or songs to make it easier to get started.
retelling stories
One child starts a story and the others gradually add their own ideas. This strengthens storytelling skills and imagination.
Tip: Use picture cards as stimuli.
sentence structure puzzle
Put words on cards together to form complete sentences.
Tip: Use color-coded parts of speech (e.g. verbs in blue) to clarify grammar.
Describe images
Children look at picture cards and say what they see to improve their ability to express themselves.
Tip: Encourage children to ask questions about the pictures to encourage dialogue.
role-playing games
For example, repeat doctor visits or shopping trips to strengthen communication skills.
Tip: Prepare accessories to make the game more lively.
I am packing a suitcase.
The children take turns naming objects that they place in an imaginary suitcase, repeating the previous terms.
Tip: Vary the game with specific topics, e.g. B. "What should I take with me on a space trip?"
guessing animal sounds
Children imitate animal noises and name the appropriate animals.
Tip: Use cards or animal figures for support.
question game
A child asks questions about a hidden object to guess what it is.
Tip: Encourage children to write complete sentences, e.g. B. "Is it round?"
forming chains of words
One child says a word, the next child says a word that begins with the last letter of the previous one.
Tip: To increase the difficulty level, only words from a specific category are allowed.
Chinese whispers
One child whispers a word or sentence into the ear of another child, which is then passed on. Finally, the last child says what they heard out loud.
Tip: Use more complex sentences to promote listening comprehension.
guessing pantomime words
One child represents a word through movement and facial expressions, the others have to guess it.
Tip: Use themed cards for ease and variation.

Using picture cards for language development

Picture cards are a proven tool for promoting language skills because they provide visual stimuli and support free storytelling. They can be used in many ways:

Vocabulary work : Children name the objects they see and learn their meaning.
Storytelling : Many picture cards are drawn one after the other and children invent a coherent story.
Sentence construction exercises : Children formulate sentences based on the images and learn to use grammatically correct structures.

How can language support be implemented in childcare facilities?

The development of children's language skills can be promoted naturally through everyday communication and activities or through specific methods. As a rule, tacit support that takes place in the everyday environment plays a more important role. However, modern approaches to language learning often combine everyday activities with targeted support measures.

Holistic language development takes into account not only speaking and listening, but also other aspects such as movement, curiosity and creative activities. The basic principles of language development are diverse and should address the entire development of the child.

Basic building blocks of language support:

Expand vocabulary: Introduce new words in a playful way, linking them to specific experiences. For example, visit the fire station and talk to the children about terms like “blue light,” “rubber,” or “extinguish.” When baking, you can name the ingredients together and explain new terms like “mixing,” “kneading,” or “portioning.”
Sentence building skills: Let children talk actively by asking open-ended questions and encouraging them to articulate their thoughts. When creating crafts, you can ask them to explain what they are doing. Songs, rhymes and finger plays support sentence building and help children internalize sentence patterns in a playful way.
Communication skills: The ability to use language meaningfully can be well promoted through role play. Recreate shopping situations together or turn a doll's kitchen into a restaurant. Board games in which children have to give instructions or support their teammates also help to train communication skills.

Language support for diversity: Enhancing inclusion and multilingualism in kindergarten

When promoting language in relation to inclusion and multilingualism, it is vital that professionals create a diverse and inclusive learning environment that includes all children equally.

This means that language support measures should be designed to take into account the different linguistic backgrounds and individual needs of children. Teachers should be sensitive to the fact that children who are multilingual or have language deficits need additional support to develop their language skills. At the same time, it is important that all children have the opportunity to contribute and cultivate their own language and culture in the community.

An important measure to promote inclusion and multilingualism is the integration of multilingual materials, books and songs into the daily life of the kindergarten. This encourages all children to develop and strengthen their language skills in their mother tongue. Professionals can also carry out targeted language support activities with the aim of using children's multilingualism as a resource and promoting language competence in different languages.

In addition, close cooperation with parents is of great importance. Parents can provide important information about their child's language development and help promote their child's language skills outside of kindergarten. Through cooperation between teachers and parents, language barriers are overcome and all children receive the best possible support in their language development.

Education: Implementing targeted language support in kindergartens

In order to ensure effective language support in kindergartens, teachers should regularly participate in training courses. The specially developed language course for teachers teaches practical methods of language support in kindergarten and gives you valuable advice on how you can enrich everyday life in kindergarten with language.

By taking this course you can:

specifically responds to linguistic needs,
Use language games and picture cards effectively and
Provide optimal support to children on their journey towards language proficiency.

In price plans

Invest in your further education and help children develop their language skills with joy and success!

Or register now for the specialized foreign language support course in kindergarten and benefit from proven methods and personalized educational content.

📘 Recommended bibliography and materials for language support in kindergarten