Responding to Gestures
“Born To Hand Jive Baby”
Your child learns new skills by observing others and imitating what they do. Gestures are a non-verbal means of communicating. Your child needs to respond to gestures before able to use them to communicate. Using frequent gestures as we speak helps your child understand our message.
-
Pair
newly presented words and gestures with specific activities so that your child
becomes familiar with hearing the word and seeing the gesture combined.
Use
gestures in many situations throughout your child’s day (e.g., meals, dressing,
play, traveling, etc).
Point
to specific rooms as you say, “Go to the bathroom/your room.”
Extend
your arms to your child as you say, “Come here.”
Use
gestures that occur naturally in your child’s daily routines.
Use
those same gestures in a variety of situations.
Raise
your hands up when asking your child, “Do you want to be picked up?”
Pat
the chair as you say, “Junior, come sit down.”
Extend
your hand with your palm up as you say, “Give me.”
Repeat
the word “up, up, up” while bouncing your child up and down on your lap,
jumping up and down, pretending to fly a plane, throwing a ball up and catching
it, or when it is time to get up from a chair/out of the crib.