Power and Power Words
One of the biggest challenges I face in tele-practice is demonstrating the concept of “keeping some power.” It is so much easier to model this strategy for parents in person. Try thinking about it in terms of your BIG GOALS. You want your child to learn to listen and talk.
Babies communicate their wants and needs by crying. Parents have to guess a bit. Is baby hungry, tired, wet, lonely, etc. While this works in the short term, baby tires of watching us guess! It’s frustrating. As baby starts to babble, we start to shape those babbles into words, and baby learns that certain sounds get adults to meet specific wants and needs. Those babbles become word approximations, then words, and we are off to the races!
In order to encourage babbling and word approximations, we have to encourage baby to vocalize. For example, don’t give your child the airplane to play with. Keep the power. Show the airplane, say “ah,” wait for a vocalization other than a cry of frustration and handover the plane for any “nice” sound. After a bit of play, take the plane back and repeat. Your baby will start saying “ah” as you continue to model and will even begin to understand that he has gained the power to make a specific request.
That’s fun!
If your child seems overly frustrated and cries, tell the toy “Bye-bye” and get a different toy. Decide in advance what sounds/words you want your child to use for each toy.
It is better and easier for your child to learn these skills if he is in a space where he has limited options and you are in control of the toys. Otherwise, he can just move to a different toy and avoid interaction and vocalization.
You will not engage in such purposeful play all day long, but “keeping some power” is a very important strategy to use for short sessions of targeted play at least once a day. During daily routines, look for natural ways to encourage requesting behaviors. Once your child begins to see how much more quickly he communicates wants and needs, he will be hooked on this new game.
The Power Words
"Power words are words that communicate intent quickly and clearly. When a child hears power words used in context, these words provide the child with an accessible lesson on understanding and controlling people, objects and actions in the environment.” Make sure to use the words below to demonstrate the power of communication to your child.
More, mine, off, up, out, mama, daddy, all gone, bye-bye, no, stop, broken, dirty, hot, open, go, pushT
One of the biggest challenges I face in tele-practice is demonstrating the concept of “keeping some power.” It is so much easier to model this strategy for parents in person. Try thinking about it in terms of your BIG GOALS. You want your child to learn to listen and talk.
Babies communicate their wants and needs by crying. Parents have to guess a bit. Is baby hungry, tired, wet, lonely, etc. While this works in the short term, baby tires of watching us guess! It’s frustrating. As baby starts to babble, we start to shape those babbles into words, and baby learns that certain sounds get adults to meet specific wants and needs. Those babbles become word approximations, then words, and we are off to the races!
In order to encourage babbling and word approximations, we have to encourage baby to vocalize. For example, don’t give your child the airplane to play with. Keep the power. Show the airplane, say “ah,” wait for a vocalization other than a cry of frustration and handover the plane for any “nice” sound. After a bit of play, take the plane back and repeat. Your baby will start saying “ah” as you continue to model and will even begin to understand that he has gained the power to make a specific request.
That’s fun!
If your child seems overly frustrated and cries, tell the toy “Bye-bye” and get a different toy. Decide in advance what sounds/words you want your child to use for each toy.
It is better and easier for your child to learn these skills if he is in a space where he has limited options and you are in control of the toys. Otherwise, he can just move to a different toy and avoid interaction and vocalization.
You will not engage in such purposeful play all day long, but “keeping some power” is a very important strategy to use for short sessions of targeted play at least once a day. During daily routines, look for natural ways to encourage requesting behaviors. Once your child begins to see how much more quickly he communicates wants and needs, he will be hooked on this new game.
The Power Words
"Power words are words that communicate intent quickly and clearly. When a child hears power words used in context, these words provide the child with an accessible lesson on understanding and controlling people, objects and actions in the environment.” Make sure to use the words below to demonstrate the power of communication to your child.
More, mine, off, up, out, mama, daddy, all gone, bye-bye, no, stop, broken, dirty, hot, open, go, pushT