“Teach Me To Play WITH You” is Shipping!

Copies of my therapy manual Teach Me To Play WITH You can be purchased here on the website!  

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“Teach Me To Play WITH You: Easy Games, Songs, and Play Activities to Teach Social Interaction to Toddlers and Young Preschoolers with Language Delays”  is a therapy guide for parents and professionals who work with young children with social and communication delays.

This 187 page manual is filled with simple routines, songs, and games designed to inspire adults to interact with children in ways to motivate them to play WITH you. It’s a book of ideas to get you started so that you’ll know what to do when you play with a child who has difficulty staying with you and paying attention or with a child who seems bored and aloof most of the time.   

Chapter 1 is an introduction for parents explaining why social interaction is the foundation for language development. A child who isn’t interested in being with or communicating with other people for most of any given day isn’t developmentally ready to understand and use words. All communication begins with being social. Once a child learns to love being with you, he forms the foundation necessary to help him understand and use language. You’ll learn how to interact with him so that he’ll learn to interact with you.  

Chapter 2 is Easiest Beginner Routines and includes step-by-step instructions for 23 fun play routines. Young children with social and language delays best learn how to interact with others during the structure of a “game.” On each page you’ll find:

·         The name of the game

·         Materials required (if any)

·         Description of a child’s preferences to help you decide if this game is a good match for your child

·         Detailed instructions in “How to Play”

·         Key words and sounds YOU should say when playing to elicit a child’s first word attempts

·         List of child’s goals so that you’ll know what responses to shoot for, how to help your child move to a more advanced response, and how to measure  progress

·         Problem solving tips specific to each game

·         Ideas for expanding the game and new games to try when he’s mastered the first one

In Chapter 3 Early Toys you’ll find ideas for play with children who may not be interested in toys. Most of these games are with toys you probably have at home. Some aren’t “toys” at all, but household items you likely already own. These are my go-to-games when I need to get a child’s attention in the beginning sessions when he’s not “with” me yet. At the end of the chapter I list toys I use every day in speech therapy.  

Chapter 4 contains words and instructions for 34 Fingerplays and Songs I use in play with toddlers and young children. As in the previous chapters you’ll find a section for Child’s Goals and ways to expand the game into your daily lives.

Finally, in chapter 5, Solutions for Problems during Play, you’ll find suggestions for new things to try when what you’re doing isn’t working. Problems include:

 

·         Places toys in mouth

·         Avoids interaction with people

·         Doesn’t like toys

·         Lines up toys rather than playing

·         Holds toys instead of playing

·         Repeatedly pushes buttons

·         Prefers TV/videos to people and toys

·         Sensitive to touch and sound

·         Uses parent’s hands to operate toys

·         Odd, repetitive, or self-stimulatory behavior

·         Throws toys

·         Constant motion

·         Short attention span

·         Aggressive

·         Tantrums and meltdowns

·         Difficulty with transitions

·         Doesn’t like to share or take turns

·         Lost in own words instead of playing or listening (using jargon or echolalia)

Chapter 6 includes my list of references and recommended reading for parents.

This is a great parent training tool! SLPs and other therapists in early intervention programs will love how this book is organized in a format with activity pages that can be easily copied for distribution to parents.

Regular price is $48.00.

 

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