Step 2.1 Engage the toddler in an interaction
Engage the toddler in language-rich and child-directed interactions, making sure you are highly attuned and responsive to the communicative attempts of the toddler. You should also aim to use a toddler’s interests and provide language models that are at a slightly higher level than the toddler’s own language to elicit a target behavior.
Following are some strategies that can be used to maintain a toddler’s interests and provide language models that are at a slightly higher level than the toddler’s own language use. For some toddlers, these techniques will facilitate their use of the target behavior.
Techniques Used to Engage Toddlers
Team members engage the toddler in a language-rich, child-directed, and reciprocal interaction that involves a variety of techniques. The following examples are described in more detail.
a. Following the toddler's lead
b. Being at the toddler's level
c. Responding to the toddler's verbal and nonverbal initiations
d. Providing the toddler with meaningful verbal feedback
e. Expanding the toddler’s utterances
Continue to review details of each technique.
The implementation checklist provides the steps covered in each module.