Responsive Interactions for Pretend Play

The teacher above is using responsive strategies during pretend play with baby dolls. Responsiveness is an approach to conversation and play that is meant to help promote positive interactions between adults and children. Adults join in play and do what the child is doing while describing their play. Also, adults should listen to what the child is saying (either verbally or with other behaviors), and respond to it to promote conversational turn-taking. When being responsive during play, adults interpret child behaviors as intent to communicate and respond to these behaviors as a way to reinforce child initiations and communication attempts.

To learn more about responsive interactions, visit vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/ebip/responsive-play-interac…