Page 74 - Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Routines-Based Early Intervention Guidebook

Teaching how to Take Turns 5.4

always a successful and obvious comple on.

4. Simon Says—Simon Says places the power to tell someone else to do something in
the hands of a child. This is a great reciprocal ac vity because turn‐taking is a two

way street and children shouldn’t always be the follower. Any chance we get to

put them in charge will mo vate them to understand how to take turns.

5. Nursery rhymes and poems— Reci ng nursery rhymes or song ac vi es where a
child acts out a sequence of events creates a memorizable sequence of turns. This

is another example of a way to take turns without having the adult always be

guiding as the child follows. For example, younger students can produce the hand

movements of Itzy Bitzy Spider in order for the adult to keep singing or vice versa.
For older students, complex group clapping and singing sequences have to be

memorized by two individuals who take turns to make the rhyme work.

Turn‐taking Ac vi es in the Classroom

Turn‐taking eventually evolves into the conversa onal abili es of older students and

adults. It assists emo onal development as we listen to other’s problems and share our own.

We learn to par cipate through taking turns without feeling excluded. Eventually, we learn to

par cipate in ac vi es that we may not want to for the chance to do something that we

prefer. This all begins with ac vi es focusing on taking turns.
1. Raising your hand—Why are some students able to par cipate by raising their

hands while others are not? Anxiety can undermine a child’s ability to take turns.

This comes in the form of compe ng to respond and blur ng out an answer. Or,
the opposite can occur and anxiety can drive children into silence even when they

know the right answer. The use of visual cues and physical objects can bring either

of these children back towards the center. Children who over‐respond can be

given a daily chart allowing them a set number of responses and praise when they

allow others to respond. A physical object such a stuff animal can be employed
during carpet me by passing it to the one child who has the turn to talk.

2. Timers and Centers—Some mes it can feel like infinity to a child who wants to

speak or par cipate in an ac vity. A mer can be used to allow them to know

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