More About Prompting Language

During any interaction with your child, you might ask two real or choice questions. Remember the purpose of a real or a choice question is to prompt your child to use words and sentences that he/she is not using already. The procedures described will give your child an opportunity to practice new ways of talking when they are very interested in some activity. However, you do not want to use too many prompts in any interaction.

You will see that using choice questions is very powerful when your child has already made a request. This is because he/she is already very interested in getting something. Your child might be making a request for an object such as a toy, or maybe for help to do something. Using the choice question procedures, you will be building your child's ability to ask for things. You will show him/her that other people will respond to his/her requests when he/she uses more words. You will also teach him/her a more adult way of using words about topics that are of real interest to him. Remember the rules for real questions!

Remember the rules for real questions!

• Ask a real question.
• Expand your child's answer.
• Model and give feedback.

Remember the rules for choice questions!

• Ask your child to make a choice.
• Model the answer.
• Give Feedback.