| |
Lesson 2: "Snack
Time" - DISCUSSION
What
did you notice in the Snack Time video?
The dad was obviously concerned for
his son's needs in fixing him a drink when he was so obviously
thirsty. However, did you notice that the child did not utter
a single word in that communicative exchange? All the
communicating he did was with gestures and facial
expression.
This is a
terrific place to introduce you to the importance of Expectations.
This little boy didn't use any spoken words with his dad because his
dad didn't make it clear that the boy was expected to
do so. One of the most vital things that you can do, as a
parent, is to make it a fact of life that your child is always
expected to use spoken language. Here are some ways to do
that:
- make sure
to NEVER give your child anything (or perform any task, such as
opening a door or reaching something) that he hasn't asked for
with spoken words.
(Our
dad was ANTICIPATING the child's needs and giving him what he
thought he wanted, without the child having to say anything at
all. Try to avoid doing this. It's difficult not to do
this, because we want to help our children get the things they
need, but it's also very important for their language
development that they get into a HABIT of stating what it is
they need or want.)
- If your
child uses gestures or facial expressions to communicate, that's
great! Don't discourage him. We never want to
discourage a child from using any avenue of communication that
works for him. However, do make sure to show
that you expect him to accompany the gesture with some spoken
words.
(The dad in our video could easily have acknowledged his
son's thirsty expression AND encouraged language use by saying
something like, "Do you want more juice?", and then
requiring his son to answer with a phrase such as "Want
more juice".)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our dad missed
an additional opportunity in the kitchen! He didn't use Self
Talk.
This means pretty much what it sounds like:
- Any and
every time that you are in your child's presence, talk
about everything that you see, do and think! (For
example, our dad could have been describing what he was doing,
why he was doing it and what he was thinking as he fixed the
juice. This is a fabulous way for his son to get access to
many concepts and vocabulary words that are typically difficult
- such as verbs, descriptive words and emotions. It takes
many, many times of hearing a word for a child to add that word
to those that he understands. Using the words in a
meaningful context helps in that process!)
- Helpful
Hint: Make sure, as you are using Self Talk, that you keep
your discussions within an appropriate Length of Utterance (See
Lesson 1: "Getting Dressed" for more information).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now
that you are more aware of the importance of Expectations
and Self
Talk,
try watching another version of "Snack Time"!
|
|
