The Interaction Coach

Turn taking supports your child’s developing imitation skills. You can model the action with new materials, or use similar materials or actions in a new location. Adding something new keeps things in…

Get early intervention information mentioned in the episode here.

Here’s the link to the short screener for finding your child’s level of communication development.

Turn taking lays the foundation fo…

Bubbles are great attention-getters! There are many ways to call attention to a bubble. Be sure to remember that joint attention includes checking the other person’s face sometimes.

Today’s activity:…

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Remember that parents don’t cause their child’s communication delay. They are, however, in the best position to provide frequent, enriched interactio…

Send your questions to [email protected].

Joint attention means both of you are sharing your attention toward some other interesting thing. You know you're sharing attention when you each are…

Download the list of targets and activities for Level 5 here. 

When your child learns a play routine, you can build on their knowledge by using the game in new ways. Expand on playing peek-a-boo by d…

Download the list of targets and activities for Level 5 here. 

Mutual attention is important for your child’s learning. There’s lots of important information on your face—how you make speech sounds,…

Download the list of targets and activities for Level 5 here.  

You started doing social games at earlier levels. Now your child can use them to initiate interactions with you. They can transfer the …

Download the list of targets and activities for Level 5 here. 

Mutual attention means both of you are paying attention to each other. It includes noticing what the person is doing and noticing the pe…

Any activity you do together with your child gives you opportunities to practice turn taking.

Today’s activity: Share a crayon while scribbling. You make a mark, then pass the crayon to your child. A…

Your child can control their hand movements and fingers more precisely. They can scribble on paper and hold an item between their thumb and forefinger.

Establish habits for how to use writing materia…

You can change up your location when sharing books with your child. Reading face-to-face lets your child see how you form the sounds and words, and lets them see your facial expressions. This gives y…

Your child is more familiar with books and can turn the pages independently. They want to do more on their own, so decide which books they can have on their own.

Continue to guide your child’s use of…

At Level 4 your child will turn the pages of a book and touch pictures consistently. They become more independent in using books, and have favorite items in books.

Today’s activity: Use books with on…

When your child imitates your word, they won’t say it with precise articulation. It will sound like “baby talk.” If they use the same sounds consistently and you know what they mean, that counts as a…

Your child needs to learn that communication is the sharing of meaning. If we focus too much on how your child is making their speech sounds at this level, it can interfere with their purposes for co…

Read about recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics on screen time for children.

A toy phone gives your child the chance to babble like they’re having a conversation.

Today’s activity:…

An exclamation expresses a meaning; it counts as a word. It can be used flexibly in many situations. Your child will learn when to use it and what it can mean from your uses of the exclamation.

Today…

Your child will pay lots of attention to your face and voice as you talk face-to-face. You can see them moving their mouth as if they are trying to do it like you.

Skills that develop include: babble…

Get the checklist: 16 gestures that help your child learn to talk.

Waving is a gesture your child learns through imitation. Gestures are an important foundation for intentional communication.

Today’s…