Encouraging Talk During Play Activity
Description: We’re always so excited when we finally teach a child to initiate a conversation! But then we realize that they may be able to initiate a play interaction with a peer but they can’t maintain it. Here’s where this activity comes in. We can teach our clients 4 simple ways to keep the conversation going during play. For our children who lack initiation skills, they may need some prompting to do this with other children. But ideally, it will become more natural the more they do it. Our four ways to talk during play include:
- Make a comment: talk about what the other child is doing
- Ask a question: ask the child a question about what he’s doing
- Respond: if the other child says something, either answer the question or say something related
- Suggest a play idea: suggest something that you and the other child can do together
First we’ll need to practice these strategies together in an isolated setting with some role play. Once the child gets more comfortable, you can bring in a peer or push into the classroom during free play activities. Keep this visual handy so the child remembers her choices. You can download our visual here or make your own!
Click Here to Join the Membership and Download this Activity Right Now!
