Recasting

In conversations with my students, I use the recasting strategy to model articulation, grammar, or vocabulary. Recasting is where I repeat back what my student says, but add a slight correction or some new vocabulary. It helps me work on a student's speech development without interfering with the natural flow of our conversation. For example, if we are quietly working on a writing assignment in the classroom and the custodian begins vacuuming the rugs in the hallway and my student says, Echo loud. I might say, that vacuum is loud. This subtly corrects the student's articulation errors while acknowledging their comment. And if we are watching a science video clip on the grassland habitat and my student sees a rabbit and says something like, Hook, rabbit, go hop. Then I could say, look at that rabbit hopping. This honors the student's communication attempt while modeling correct articulation and grammar. Or if we're reading a nonfiction book about summer Olympic sports and my student sees an illustration of a swimmer and they say, Hemp swam fast. Then I could say, he swam really fast. Again, I'm modeling correct articulation, grammar, and expanded the phrase, extending the student's comment from three words to four. Recasting may feel a little funny at first, but once you practice and begin using the strategy regularly, it gets much easier.