#280 11 Skills Toddlers Use BEFORE Words Emerge. #3 Develops an Attention Span

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com as she discussed the 11 skills children use before they begin to talk. Today we're talking about skill #3 - develops an attention span. Here's a recap:

Read the written summary here:

1. Get the child “warmed up” before he or she can play with us for any length of time. Listen for ideas!

2. Body-on-body contact can also be very calming and regulating. You can hold a child on your lap, but for more active children who may resist this closeness initially, give them a game to accomplish the same goal. 

3. For kids who will play for a minute or two with you and then quickly want to leave, use the “one more” rule.   

4. BEST Advice for Parents for developing an attention span with your child. Keep your little one in close proximity to you all day. Don’t let them stay alone in their rooms or wander around the house, even if it seems like that’s all they want to do. Kids have to be social to talk! That begins by being with other people and learning to like being with other people, most of the time. Take them with you as move to different parts of your home.

5. For some kids, better attention spans really do begin with "unplugging." While we know that some apps and DVDs can be beneficial for children, overuse of technology is associated with teaching "scan and shift" behaviors.