Introduction: why our wprds matter -- 1: General guidelines for teacher language -- 2: Envisioning: language as a spyglass -- 3: Open-ended questions: stretching children's academic and social learning -- 4: Listening: understanding the message in the words -- 5: Reinforcing language: seeing children and naming their strengths -- 6: Reminding language: helping students remember expectations -- 7: Redirecting language: giving clear commands when children have gone off track -- Epilogue: Putting it all together -- Appendix A: Examples of effective teacher language -- Appendix B: The process of developing more effective teacher language.