Eye Contact
Good eye contact is important for good social interaction. Encourage eye contact by placing toys near your face, sitting opposite your child and getting down to his level. Eye contact can be encouraged in everyday routines, e.g. snack times, nappy-changing, dressing, story time.
Games
Played from behind furniture or when getting dressed, etc.
When playing ‘catch’ wait for your child to look before you throw the ball, or hide it behind your back until you get eye contact.
Hold a toy near your face, press it to make a noise, stop and wait for your child to look at you before you start again.
Make or buy puppets, place your hands by your face. Use the puppets in nursery rhymes and songs.
Sit your child on your knee so you are face to face. Sing nursery rhymes including use of actions. Pause on occasions to encourage your child to look for you to continue.
Copying
Copying is an important skill to learn as it involves co-operation between two people, which is necessary for communication. Games, which encourage copying, are particularly useful if your child is not yet talking.
Activities
Making funny faces in the mirror and make funny sounds, e.g. ‘ahhhh’, ‘oooo’ or ‘ba-ba-ba’.
Try to work on one sound at a time. At any time during the day, respond to any sound your child makes and copy them. Don’t force your child to copy sounds.
Copy your child’s play. If he puts on a hat, you copy. Later, see if your child will do the same as you, e.g. pretend to eat with a spoon or comb your hair.
Start by copying what your child does, e.g. if he bangs two bricks together, you do the same. Try to extend the play and see if your child copies, e.g. by building a tower.
Clapping, banging a drum, tapping feet – make a rhythm and let your child copy you. Help him to bang the same rhythm as you.
It can be fun for a child to copy things that are done around the house, e.g. brushing and dusting.
Turn-taking
Turn taking can be incorporated into many different small group activities or games, including many of those described above. Please also see activities suggested under Attention and Listening.
Remember:
- Choose an activity that will make your child want to join in
- Make sure he is watching you when you have your turn
- Use language such as “your turn”/ “my turn” to encourage effective turn taking
- Praise him when he demonstrates independent turn taking