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Incidental Teaching in the Home

Incidental teaching in a home setting Example 1

Skill: Jared is learning to Brush His Teeth.
Jared says something to his father and looks at his father for help (Initiation).
His father says, "You need some help. Get your brush," (Adult encourages elaboration).
Jared picks up his toothbrush with partial physical help (Response)
His father uses full physical help to help Jared squeeze the toothpaste onto his toothbrush (Support or help).
Jared brushes his teeth and receives attention (Confirm, natural consequence).

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Incidental teaching in a home setting, Example 2

Skill: Jared's skill to learn is to Dress Himself.
Jared and his mom are engaged-they are both looking at his clothes.
Jared looks at his mom and says, "I need help," (Child Initiation).
She says, "I'll hold this part, you get the button," (Adult suggests elaboration)
Jared pulls on the button (Child response).
His mother provides help through physical prompts, pointing and touching the shirt (Adult supports him and waits).
Jared pulls the button through the buttonhole (Child response).
Jared gets verbal praise from his mother, "You did it," (Confirms by praising, a natural consequence).

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Incidental teaching in a home setting, Example 3

Mariah's skill to learn is to Share.
Mariah says, "Can I have a turn?" (a child initiation).
Her mother says, "You can have a turn after Jared. Say, 'Can I have a turn?'" (Adult suggests an elaboration).
Mariah says, "Can I have a turn? Can I have a turn Jared?" (Child response).
Mariah gets to have a turn (Natural consequence).

In this example, there is no need for adult support because Mariah is able to achieve her skill after her mother's suggestion.

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Time to Stop and Think

1. Can you describe how incidental teaching was used in the home examples?

2. The following written scenarios describe a skill that a child needs to learn, the support they have received, and the child's initiation. Can you describe how to suggest that the child elaborate after the initiation, provide support based on how the child may respond, and identify possible ways to confirm (natural consequences)?

Justin needs to learn to say "Mom". Justin's mother is sitting at the table reading the mail. Justin walks over, pats his mother's leg and waves a cup he is holding. The last several times that Justin has tried to get attention, he has said, "mom" following a full verbal model.

Candice needs to learn to take off a pull-over shirt. The last time Candice took off her shirt, her father provided verbal help by telling her what to do for each step (i.e., "pull this arm out first"). Candice is getting ready to take a bath. She is trying to take off her t-shirt and cannot do it. She looks at her father and says, "uh, uh, uh".

Thinking about your child, can you identify a skill she needs to learn and consider how incidental teaching might help her learn that skill?

Write down one or two plans for how to use incidental teaching to help your child learn that skill?