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Chapter 8 - Prompting Language
Real Questions
Real questions give your child the opportunity to be creative
in his/her answer. You can then use expansions and modeling
to teach more language. Using his/her answer requires that
you are paying attention so that the new words or sentences
are of interest to him/her. (For more information on paying
attention, visit Chapter
1 - Basic Conversation Skills)
When you continue the conversation around his/her answer
by modeling and giving specific
feedback you are teaching language. Always remember
to give your child plenty of time (at
least 5 seconds) to answer questions.
Examples
What did you do at preschool today?
What did you do with grandma?
Do you like this book?
What would you like to make with the playdoh?
What should we buy for daddy?
What would you like to do now?
Which toy is your favorite?
What is the best show?
Who's your favorite character?
Real questions begin with you and your child
paying attention to the same things. Usually they should be
about what your child is interested in following
his/her lead. Real questions are good for starting a conversation
when your child is not talking.
For example, if you are looking at a book together
but your child isn't talking you could prompt talking by asking
a real question. "What is your favorite picture?" The question
gives your child control over what he/she wants to say. His/her
answer will tell you what he/she finds interesting and to
what he/she is paying attention. You can then follow his/her
answer with an expansion and a model
that will give him/her another way to answer the question.
You also follow with specific
feedback that lets your child know that you have heard
what he/she said and that you understand.
Example
Parent:
"What is your favorite picture?" Real
Question
Child: "caterpillar"
Parent: "I
like the catepillar" Expansion
Child: "I like the caterpillar"
Parent: "You
like the catepillar best" Model
and Specific Feedback
It is important to know that your child might not always
be able to produce the exact sentence that you have modeled.
You will continue to provide a model and feedback, knowing
that your child is probably storing the information for
later use. You can also follow their answer with a prompt
such as "Say, I like
the caterpillar best" which serves as a modeled expansion
too.
Examples
Parent:
"What would you like to play with next?"
Real Question
Child: "Potato Head" Part
Answer
Parent: "Say
'I want to play with Mr. Potato Head'" Prompt
and Model
Child: "I want Mr. Potato Head " Good
Try and a Good Expansion
Parent: "You
want to play with the felt Mr. Potato Head" Expansion
and Specific Feedback
Parent:
"What did you do at school?" Real
Question
Child: "Play sand Marcie" Part
Answer
Parent: "Say
'I played with Marcie in the sand'" Prompt
and Model
Child: "I played Marcie in sand" Good
Attempt to Expand your Model
Parent: "You
played in the sand with Marcie" Expansion
and Specific Feedback
So the procedures for asking Real Questions
look like this:
- Ask a real question - wait
5 seconds
- Child does not respond, points, or gives a partial
response
- Give child a prompt and model - wait
5 seconds
- Child gives an expanded answer or a more expanded
answer
- Give an expanded or correct model and specific feedback
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