I recently attended a wonderful conference, "Practical Interventions for Executive Functioning", presented by Sarah Ward, M.S. CCC-SLP. One of her simple tricks to encourage children to complete tasks is called "job talk". She suggests a simple change in language: making the task a job, and adding an -er at the end of the word. For example, instead of saying, "Please go brush your teeth", just say "Be a Toothbrusher!" Sarah says, 'Subtly manipulating the verb form of a behavior ("Brush your teeth") to feature a noun label ("You are a toothbrusher") creates something magical in children - a sense of self - that encourages them to complete the task. This simple change in language invokes reasoning, allows children to create a mental image of the person doing the job, and fosters a positive attitude about the task. This strategy works in the classroom setting, too. Instead of "Please line up", try "Be a liner upper!". Instead of "Wash your hands", try "Be a handwasher!". Instead of "Cut along this line", try "Be a cutter!" You can even ask leading questions, like "What would a cutter look like? What would a cutter hold in their hands?", to encourage visualization of the person doing the job. It's such a small and simple change with no tools required. Give it a try!
See other resources from Sarah Ward and Kristen Jacobsen at www.efpractice.com.
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All are welcome here at HGECC! My hope is for all children and all families, regardless of language, culture, ethnicity, or identity to feel they are welcome in our school family. I also believe it is important to teach children about diversity and encourage them to welcome people of all kinds. Try reading this book with your children - I just checked it out from our Grandview library, and it was wonderful! Look for other books that teach children about diversity and cultures of the world.
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AuthorHi, I'm Brie Krentz, and I'm the School Psychologist at HGECC. I care about the social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health of all of our children, and I believe in Conscious Discipline as a way to minimize behavior problems and to help children connect meaningfully with others. Archives
October 2021
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