This week, we're using a the '10 Skills Before First Words' guide to identify your child's strengths and areas for growth! Print the '10 Skills Before First Words' guide and spend 5-10 minutes each day simply watching your child during play, meals, bath time, or another favorite routine. Use the 10 Skills That Support First Words guide to see which communication skills you notice. ✨ Your challenge: - Print the guide. - Identify skills that are strengths and areas of growth for your child. - Come back here to share! - Ask questions when you have them! 👇 Comment below: What's one strength you noticed in your child this week?

This week, try adding a pause before giving your child something they want. This is one of the MOST effective ways to encourage communication. For example: 🥨 Hold the snack and wait 🚗 Hold the toy car and wait 🫧 Pause before blowing the bubbles 🎵 Pause before starting a favorite song Then give your child a chance to communicate in their own way. That might look like: ✓ Looking at you ✓ Reaching ✓ Pointing ✓ Making a sound ✓ Using a gesture ✓ Using a word ✨ Challenge: Try this strategy at least once each day this week. Comment below: What is one activity or routine where you could add a pause this week?

This week’s challenge: Follow your child’s lead in play for 10 minutes each day. This means, play with what they want to play with! Don’t try to change their play or redirect. Think about ways that you can be involved in the activity (even if it’s not traditional play). When you’re doing this, focus on commenting on their play more and asking less questions! Comment below if you’re joining the challenge! P.S. Don’t forget to respond to the Community Reset post by 6/19 if you’d like to remain a member.

This week, practice adding just one word to what your child says or communicates. The +1 rule means you take what your child already says, gestures, or communicates, and model one step above it. If your child points to milk, you say:“Milk.” If your child says “milk,” you say:“More milk.”“Cold milk.”“Milk please.” If your child says “go,” you say:“Go car.”“Go fast.”“Ready, go.” If your child says “mama,” you say:“Mama help.”“Mama up.”“Mama come.” The goal is to give them a model that is close enough to what they can already do, but slightly expanded to support learning (think Zone of Proximal Development) Try this once a day during: Snack Play Bath Getting dressed Going outside Inside the classroom, we talk more about strategies like this and how to use them during everyday routines without turning everything into a lesson.

Here’s a new weekly challenge focused on turning everyday routines into language practice: Weekly Challenge: Say It Before, During, and After This week, pick one daily routine and model the same few words every time it happens. Choose one routine: Getting dressed Snack time Bath time Cleaning up Going outside Then model simple words at 3 points: Before: “Shoes on.” “Want snack?” “Bath time.” During: “Wash wash.” “More water.” “Sock on.” After: “All done.” “You did it!” “Clean hands.” Repetition in daily routines will help your child comprehend and say new words by hearing the same useful words in the same meaningful routine again and again. Try it every day this week with one routine and notice what your child does: Do they look at you? Pause? Reach? Gesture? Vocalize? Try a word? This activity connects well with early receptive and expressive milestones like understanding familiar words, following simple routines, using gestures, and building meaningful words.