The Interaction Coach
This activity gives your child a chance to play independently with markers or crayons in a controlled space.
info_outline 6.232 LITERACY: Writing: Paint with waterThe Interaction Coach
Painting is fun. It’s another way to practice holding a writing tool and using eye-hand coordination.
info_outline 6.231 LITERACY: Writing: Practice pincer gripThe Interaction Coach
At this level your child will develop a pincer grip with index finger and thumb, move arm across midline and scribble with a variety of writing tools.
info_outline 6.230 LITERACY: Reading: Quit before the interest is goneThe Interaction Coach
By the end of this level, your child should look at books with you for at least 5 minutes. They need to learn that time with books is pleasant. The trick is to be done before your child starts squirming away.
info_outline 6.229 LANGUAGE: Literacy: Encourage independent readingThe Interaction Coach
Children at this level like to look at books on their own. If it’s one you’ve read with them, they will look for favorite pictures or turn pages back and forth. You might hear them talking out loud as if they are reading.
info_outline 6.228 LANGUAGE: Use Speech: Accept any pronunciationThe Interaction Coach
Children at this level are not able to use all the speech sounds. We want your child to learn that their speech is effective. Don’t make them try to repeat the word “better.” Focusing on articulation is for later, after they are communicating more.
info_outline 6.227 LANGUAGE: Use Speech: Model “What’s that?”The Interaction Coach
Asking for information is an important function of communication. When you model the question and then the answer, they learn they can go to you to get information.
info_outline 6.226 LANGUAGE: Use Speech: Model word when child is watching faceThe Interaction Coach
When your child is interested in something, they are more likely to want to talk about it. They will be interested in the word you use to label it.
info_outline 6.225 LANGUAGE: Use Speech: Blow on objectsThe Interaction Coach
Your child is learning how to coordinate their movements in more precise ways. For speech, they need to coordinate all the muscles from their chest up to their mouth. They need to control air flow from their lungs, turn their voice on and off, and move their tongue to many places in their mouth.
info_outline 6.224 LANGUAGE: Use Speech: Model sound effectsThe Interaction Coach
When your child uses animal or car sounds, they’re expressing a meaning. You understand what they’re talking about. That’s communication.
info_outlineChildren at this level are not able to use all the speech sounds. They use consonants at the beginning of a word more often than to one at an end of the word. It’s often hard to understand their speech.
We want your child to learn that their speech is effective. Don’t make them try to repeat the word “better.” Focusing on articulation is for later, after they are communicating more.
Today’s activity: When your child says something, always show that you understand their meaning. You can repeat the word as a way to show that you know what they said. This gives them a good model of the word.
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