Watch and Listen
Watch and listen for a sound, word, gesture,
gaze that shows your child is interested in something (child
initiates)
Incidental teaching begins when a child is
interested in something and you recognize his interest.
If the child does something that gives you a clue about
his interest, we call what he does an initiation. An initiation
may be looking at or reaching for something. It may also
be an attempt to communicate with another person. For the
purposes of this discussion, a child initiation is when
your child attempts a communication about something he is
interested in.
This initiation can happen in many different
ways. It is important for you to recognize
how your child initiates so you can respond appropriately.
For example, your child may ask for something, she may make
verbal sounds, she may point at something, or she may tug
on someone's clothing. You can increase the chances that
your child will initiate by setting
things up in your child's surroundings so that
there are things available that she might be interested
in.
