When Andrew says "Kitty run," and his mother replies, "Yes, the kitty is running," which linguistic strategy is she employing?

The mother is employing the strategy of expanding in her response to Andrew. When she takes his simple phrase "Kitty run" and elaborates on it by adding more detail, she is helping to model richer language for him. This technique supports language development by demonstrating how to form more complex sentences while still keeping the essence of the child's original utterance intact. By affirming Andrew's observation and providing additional context, the mother is effectively expanding on his language, encouraging him to learn and use more sophisticated language structures.

Recasting, labeling, and echoing have different functions in language development. Recasting would involve correcting or restructuring the original statement with the same meaning but different syntax. Labeling refers to identifying or naming objects, while echoing simply involves repeating what the child said without adding new information. In this case, the mother's response goes beyond these strategies to enrich the conversation, which is why it aligns with the concept of expanding.