Page 103 - Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Shopping 8

Speech and Language Session Focus

Categorization

As interven onists we are constantly grouping things. In a clinical
se ng or with a favorite set of manipula ves, we can sort objects by size

or color. The average parent may not spend as much me ac vely

thinking about the process of categoriza on. Luckily, the grocery store is

the perfect se ng for focusing on this skill. First and foremost the categories are named (e.g.,

dairy, produce). They are broken down into subsets (e.g., vegetables, fruits). They are
grouped by a ributes (e.g., fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables). Finally, they are put in an

order (e.g., big things go on the bo om shelf). Parents report that they can be overwhelmed

by vocabulary and speech knowledge when they are beginning to learn how to help their child
communicate. Rather than extolling the virtues of teaching categories, a ributes, and

func ons, champion what parents naturally do in a grocery store. By applying categoriza on

to such a familiar se ng, the parent may have a greater understanding of its purpose, and

subsequently, apply the idea to the rest of their day.

Today’s Plan

Parents should be encouraged to:

 Ask a child where he/she might find something from the shopping list. For
example, “We need eggs. Where are they? Yes, they are in the dairy sec on.”

 Joke with the child by calling an object by the wrong name and see if he/she names

it correctly.
 Name each object before pu ng it in the cart.

 Ask a child to help find some of his/her favorite things. For example, “Here is the

cereal, do you see your loopies?”

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