A DOZEN WAYS FOR TEACHING LANGUAGE TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (continued)
9. To encourage speech, ask open-ended questions that can't be answered with a simple, one-word answers: “ How did those little headdresses get on the table?” “How can we find out who they belong to?”
Also, ask closed questions that can't be answered with a simple yes or no: "What is that color called?" "What are the colors of the one you like best?"
10. Teach the relationships between cause and effect: “ The glass is full to the top. What do you think will happen if we add more water? Yes, look at that, it spilled over the side. What if we added more water again? Do you think it would overflow again?"
11. Teach more complex speech by expanding on what the child says. If the child says, "See Megan fall?" repeat, "Did I see Megan fall down?"
12. Model complex speech. Use sentences that include conditions, time sequences and causes. For example, "If we don't put the block back on top, the paper will blow away." "After snack time, we will all go outside." "The table is wet because Megan spilled her juice on it."
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Next page, how language develops: a model |