10 Key Policies and Practices for

Supporting Language Development

—with strong evidence of effectiveness from high-quality research—

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
 10 Key Policies and Practices for
Supporting Language Development
—with strong evidence of effectiveness from high-quality research—

1 Notice and respond to the child’s communication.

A first step to building language is to notice how a child is communicating. This can be done by position-
ing yourself face to face (i.e., sitting or standing at eye level) with the child. Communication takes different
forms, including eye contact, gestures, words, sounds, changes in vocal affect, changes in body positioning,
and changes in facial expression.
A second step is to respond to the child when face to face. The child should see your gestures, facial
expressions, etc., to pair what they are hearing to what they are seeing. Change body and face position
depending on where the child sits or stands in an activity or in their daily routine (e.g., snack, play time,
dressing). Move with them as they move to stay face to face!
• During mealtimes, a caregiver sits directly across the table from a child to be face to face. If that is not
an option, the caregiver sits diagonally across or at a right angle from the [Link] communicating
with the child, the caregiver adjusts her head and upper body to face the child, especially to respond to or
initiate conversation.
• While giving instructions in a classroom, a teacher stands in front of a child at their eye level.
• While playing on the floor or at the table, a teacher positions himself at a child’s eye level in front of the
[Link] way, it is easier to notice when and how the child communicates.
• When pushing a child on a swing, a caregiver stands in front of the child instead of behind and communi-
cates while the child swings.
Hancock et al., 2016; Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Kaiser & Hampton, 2017

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
 2 Wait for the child to communicate.
Wait after each idea or instruction you
communicate to a child. This pause
indicates that it is the child’s turn in the
conversation and allows the child time
to process the idea. Although a teacher
or caregiver may want a child to re-
spond quickly, repeating or moving on
too soon can cause the child to receive
multiple ideas at once and feel too
overwhelmed to respond. Instead, try
counting to five silently before repeat-
ing or saying an additional instruction.
• Before transitioning to a new play activity, a caregiver says, “Blocks or cars?” while holding up [Link]
caregiver counts silently to five before giving further instruction.
• A preschool teacher instructs a small group of children to sit on the floor while showing how she wants
them to [Link] teacher silently counts to five. Several children sit right away, and the others sit while the
teacher is still counting to herself.
• A caregiver gives four pieces of cereal to a child in a [Link] child finishes the four [Link] care-
giver looks at the child while holding more pieces of cereal and counts to five [Link] child asks for
more cereal.
• A caregiver points out an airplane in the sky and says, “I see an airplane!” The caregiver continues
pointing and counts silently to [Link] child looks up after four seconds and says, “Ohhh.” The caregiver
responds with rich language: “The plane is flying fast!”
Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Kaiser & Hampton, 2017

3 Model language at or near the child’s communication level.

Model language by narrating what a child is
looking at, smelling, touching, listening to, or
experiencing. Give words to actions and items
that are in the child’s environment. Think about
how to describe objects and items in different
ways. When modeling language, use the same
number of words or one more word than the
child typically uses. For example, if the child
isn’t speaking yet, use one-word models; if the
child is using only one word at a time, try using
two-word phrases. Emphasize important words
like adjectives and verbs by saying them more
loudly or exaggerating their articulation.

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
• A caregiver is blowing bubbles with a child who communicates with sounds but not yet with [Link]
the child pops and catches bubbles, the caregiver says, “Pop” or “Bubbles” or “Wet.”
• A child who typically communicates using one word at a time is eating [Link] babysitter says,
“Orange goldfish” as the child inspects the [Link] babysitter says, “More goldfish” as the child grabs
goldfish from the [Link] modeling shows the child how to combine words.
• A preschool teacher and a child who typically communicates using two to three words at a time are play-
ing with a toy car. As the child pushes the car, the teacher says, “The car says vroom.” As the child drives
the car around a racetrack, the teacher says, “I’m driving fast.”
• A caregiver and a child who communicates using three to four words at a time are playing in a sand pit.
The caregiver says, “You’re making a big castle” while the child builds a [Link] caregiver says,
“The sand feels soft” as the child squishes her hands in the sand.
Hancock et al., 2016; Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Kaiser & Hampton, 2017; Schreibman et al., 2015

4 Create balance by taking turns.

Taking turns is part of keeping balance
in an interaction. Individuals in an
interaction should have equal opportu-
nities to communicate.
During Conversation: Leave space
for a child to respond after making a
comment or asking a question. Wait
and allow the child to initiate commu-
nication. Balance is not always achieved
with words; it can also include gestures
and facial expressions. If you make a
comment about something and the
child acknowledges by nodding and
smiling, the child has taken their turn.
It is also important to use varying types
of statements and gestures in addition to comments, such as questions, responses, nods, and points.
• A caregiver and a child who typically communicates using one word at a time are playing with Play-Doh.
The child shows the caregiver the shape the child created, and the caregiver says, “Purple circle.” The care-
giver shows the child the flowers that the caregiver [Link] caregiver waits [Link] the child looks
at the flowers and makes eye contact, the caregiver says, “Two flowers.” The child extends an arm to hold
a flower and says, “Flower.” The caregiver then asks, “Pink or green one?” to clarify which flower. The child
says, “Pink.”The child and caregiver are having a balanced interaction by communicating and completing
actions after the other.
• A teacher and a child who communicates using two words at a time are working on a floor [Link]
child connects a puzzle piece and says, “Moon puzzle.” The teacher nods and says, “You made the moon!”
The child connects pieces of the [Link] teacher points to it and says, “There’s planet Earth.” The
teacher looks at the child and waits for a [Link] child points to Earth and hands the teacher two
star puzzle [Link] teacher puts one puzzle piece on and waits to put on the [Link] child looks at

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
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 the teacher and says, “Make puzzle.” The teacher says, “I’ll make the star puzzle” and connects the star.
This interaction is balanced because the child and teacher have space to take turns [Link] teacher
also responds to the child’s actions and elicits communication by waiting for the child to take their turn.
During Play: Taking turns while playing supports children’s knowledge of turn-taking as they start to have
conversations with others. After taking a turn with a toy, wait for the child to communicate for a turn. The
child can learn and practice back-and-forth interactions through taking turns during play. It is helpful to
share the same one object (e.g., one car, one doll, one ball) or set of objects with the child. If the child has
difficulty with sharing objects, make your turn short and return the object to the child quickly. Slowly, in-
crease the time of your turn. You can also praise the child for waiting appropriately for their turn (e.g., “I like
that you’re waiting for __.”). Say, “My turn” to cue when it is your turn or extend your hand to request a toy.

• A child and a caregiver are playing a board [Link] child rolls the dice and moves the game [Link]
caregiver then says, “My turn” and holds out his hand, cuing that it is his [Link] child gives the caregiver
the [Link] caregiver rolls the dice and takes his [Link] caregiver quickly hands the dice back to the
child. Later, the caregiver practices a time delay by holding the dice in his hand after taking a turn and
waiting for the child to request a turn.
• A caregiver and a child are playing with a toy fishing rod and several toy fish at bath time. After the child
catches a fish, the caregiver extends her hand and says, “My turn.” The child hands the rod to the caregiv-
[Link] caregiver notices that the child is struggling when waiting for the fishing rod, so the caregiver quick-
ly takes her turn and hands the fishing rod back to the child. As they continue to take turns, the caregiver
slowly increases the time of her turns with the fishing rod.
• A child is building a block tower. Each time the child puts a block on the tower, the caregiver adds a block
and says, “Build a tower!”Then, the caregiver waits for the child to add another block or perhaps knock
down the [Link] pace of play may be slower, but it allows for clear language models to be mapped
onto the play and provides an opportunity for the caregiver and child to take balanced turns.
Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Kaiser & Hampton, 2017

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
 5 Imitate words and actions with the child during play.
Imitation is an important skill for children to enhance vocabulary and language learning. First, notice
what a child is interested in and imitate what the child is saying and doing with those objects. This will
gain the child’s attention and show that you are interested in how the child wants to play. Then, show a
new or different action that the child would be interested in imitating. Try to make that new action fun
by adding sound effects and silly movements. This will gain the child’s attention and motivate the child to
imitate the new actions and words. It is best to have your own set of the same or similar materials as the
child. For example, if the child is playing with kitchen toys, you should have similar kitchen toys to imitate
play. This allows the child to imitate without having to wait to take a turn with the objects.
• A caregiver notices that a child likes putting body parts in different areas of a Potato Head [Link]
caregiver imitates the child by putting the same body parts into her own Potato Head. After imitating
the child for a few minutes, the caregiver places a pair of Potato Head shoes on the Potato Head’s nose,
saying “Honk honk.” The child giggles and grabs a pair of shoes to place on his Potato [Link] caregiver
laughs and models, “Silly shoes on his nose!”
• A caregiver and a child are playing with slime. As the child stretches her slime, the caregiver stretches his
slime. As the child squishes the slime with both hands, the caregiver does the [Link] caregiver then
shows a new action—pretending to look through the stretched-out slime and saying, “I see you.” The child
looks at the caregiver and also attempts to look through the slime.
• A child and a teacher are doing an art activity at a [Link] child is drawing shapes with a blue marker
on construction [Link] teacher also has construction paper and a marker and is imitating the child. Af-
ter the teacher imitates a few drawings, they begin taking turns drawing shapes. At first, the teacher draws
the same shape that the child [Link], the teacher draws something that the child hasn’t drawn—for
example, a heart with polka dots while singing, “Dot dot dot.” The child sees the drawing and then draws
another shape with polka dots on [Link] teacher comments to the child, “Cool polka dots!”
• A caregiver and a child are playing with pool noodles at the neighborhood pool. The child is shaking the
pool [Link] caregiver imitates the child by shaking his own pool [Link] caregiver continues to
imitate the child’s [Link], when it is the caregiver’s turn, he taps the pool noodle in the water and
says, “Splash.” The child imitates the caregiver by tapping her pool noodle in the water.
Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Schreibman et al., 2015

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
 6 Recast grammar and speech errors.
It is typical for young children to
speak with nongrammatical sentences
and mix up verb tenses. Recast gram-
mar and speech errors by repeating a
child—but in a grammatically correct
way. Recasting with correct grammar
aids the child’s language skills because
they hear a correct model. The child
does not need to repeat the grammat-
ically correct phrase. Recasting in this
way allows the child to hear the correct
way of speaking while still acknowledg-
ing the child’s words and phrases.
• A child who typically communicates using two words at a time and a caregiver are playing with a toy
racket and [Link] child says, “Ball give” while extending his hand to the [Link] caregiver nods her
head and says, “Give the ball” and passes the ball to the [Link] caregiver does not have the child
repeat the correct phrase.
• While eating a snack together, a child tells a caregiver, “I want cookie more.” The caregiver says, “Sure, you
want more cookies” and hands the child two small [Link] caregiver emphasizes the words “want”
and “more” but does not require the child to repeat the correct statement.
• After a teacher passes out a snack to students, one child says, “I eated it all up.” The teacher looks at the
child and smiles, saying, “You ate [Link] was fast!”
• A caregiver and a child are playing hide and seek in the back [Link] child points to the back porch light
and says, “White on.” The caregiver nods and says, “Light on!”

Hancock et al., 2016; Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Kaiser & Hampton, 2017

7 Expand language, ideas, and play.

Expand language by adding to what a child has already said. Expanding language, including grammar,
is important because the child hears variations of vocabulary and language. This is a powerful tool, as it
builds on language the child has already used and models language specific to their interest and communi-
cation. Expand the child’s language according to their current communication level. Follow a similar rule
as when modeling language—use one more word than the child typically uses to communicate.
• A child holds up a blue block to show a caregiver and says, “Blue.” The caregiver expands the child’s lan-
guage by saying, “A blue block.”
• A child says, “Squish” while pushing his hands into kinetic sand. A caregiver also puts her hands in the sand
and expands the child’s language by saying, “Squish the sand.”
Expand ideas by adding a new concept or idea to what a child has communicated. Expanding ideas helps
continue the conversation and allows the child to think of new ideas to communicate.

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
• A child says, “I took my dog for a walk!” Then, a caregiver says, “Taking a dog for a walk helps keep it
healthy and strong!”
• A child says, “I like cats!” Then, a teacher says, “I like cats, too. I have a brown cat at my house.”
• A child says, “Mickey Mouse’s friend is Goofy.” Then, a caregiver says, “Mickey also has a dog, named
Pluto!”
• A child says, “The sun is a star” while pointing to the [Link], a caregiver says, “The sun is the closest
star to Earth!”
Expand play by adding to a child’s play scenario. This tool involves modeling various play actions and
imaginative play ideas in relation to the child’s current play activities.
• A caregiver and a child are playing with a doll house and toy [Link] child grabs a doll and has it run
inside the house when a lion outside [Link] caregiver expands play by having the doll lock the door
and hide under the table.
• A teacher and a child are playing pretend kitchen on the [Link] child pretends to make pan-
cakes and serve them on a [Link] teacher does the [Link], the teacher pretends to pour syrup on
her pancakes.
Hancock et al., 2016; Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Kaiser & Hampton, 2017

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
 8 Use communication temptations.
Communication temptations are explicit scenarios that encourage a child to communicate. It is import-
ant for these opportunities to be natural and motivating for the child, so they want and need to com-
municate. This can be achieved by tying the communication temptations to the activity that the child is
currently doing and enjoying. Communication temptations can include giving a few items to the child so
they request more, using fill-in-the-blank statements (e.g., “A cow goes ___.”), and putting items the child
enjoys where the child cannot access them on their own and must gain your attention to request the item.
• A caregiver places a few blueberries in a child’s bowl at snack [Link] the child eats the blueberries,
the caregiver holds out more blueberries in his [Link] caregiver looks at the child, smiles, and says, “You
ate blueberries.” The child points to the blueberries in the caregiver’s hand and says, “More blueberries.”
• A child and a caregiver are looking at a book about animals. As the child looks at the animals and at the
caregiver, the caregiver begins to label the animals on the page and make animal [Link] child smiles.
The caregiver says, “Next is the __” and looks at the child, before labeling the [Link] child says, “Dog-
gy.”
• A teacher and a child are playing with a racetrack and [Link] teacher takes out one racecar and
leaves the rest closed inside a clear [Link] teacher encourages the child to race the cars with [Link]
child looks at the box and at the teacher and says, “Open the box.” The teacher used a clear box to show
what was inside and a hard lid so that the child would need to request help opening the box.
Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Schreibman et al., 2015

9 Use teaching questions.

Depending on a child’s level of language develop-
ment, specific types of questions can increase lan-
guage and vocabulary skills. However, avoid “test”
questions (e.g., “What color is that?”; “How many
are those?”; “What animal is it?”) as much as possible
during social interactions because they do little to
increase the child’s language skills. A test question
ends a conversation because the child will respond
with only one word and your only response will be
to indicate whether the child’s response is correct.
Instead, ask questions that will aid with language
learning, including choice questions (e.g., “Do you
want markers or paint?”) and open-ended questions
(e.g., “What do you want?”; “What happened?”).
• A caregiver asks a child, “Do you want to eat
cheese or a strawberry first?” while holding up
both options.
• While at the playground, a teacher asks a child,
“Do you want to climb on the rock wall or jungle
gym?”

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 • When a child looks around at toy train pieces, a caregiver says, “What are you looking for?” instead of
“Are you looking for something?”
• While a caregiver and child stack blocks, the blocks fall to the [Link] caregiver shrugs, gestures with
her arms open, and says, “Uh [Link] happened?”The child responds with, “I knocked it down!”
Hancock et al., 2016; Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019

10 Use positive behavior support and behavior-specific praise.

Positive behavior support includes responding with praise and reinforcement to a child’s desirable behav-
iors. Praise can take various forms (e.g., high fives, words, hugs, toys, items, smiles, nods) that align with
individual preferences and/or culture. It is important to notice how children respond to different forms of
praise and adjust. Behavior-specific praise should be given by (a) stating the desirable behavior (e.g., action,
statement, task) and (b) using a positive praise statement or gesture or giving tangible items such as toys to
the child. By stating the specific behavior, the child can connect those actions or words with the positive
reinforcement they receive. Instead of saying “Good job,” say a specific action that was “good” (e.g., “I
liked that you clapped!”).
A teacher and a child are cleaning up toys together in the [Link] child picks up the trucks and
puts them in the [Link] teacher says, “Trucks go in the [Link]!” and gives the child a [Link]
teacher first specified what the child was doing and then praised the child in the way the child prefers.
Hancock et al., 2016; Ingersoll & Dvortcsak, 2019; Royer et al., 2019

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
 References
Hancock, T. B., Ledbetter-Cho, K., Howell, A., & Lang, R. (2016). Enhanced milieu teaching. In R. Lang,
T. Hancock, & N. Singh (Eds.), Early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder (pp.
177–218). Springer International.
Ingersoll, B., & Dvortcsak, A. (2019). Teaching social communication to children with autism and other devel-
opmental delays: The Project ImPACT guide to coaching parents and manual for parents (2nd ed.). Guilford
Press.
Kaiser, A. P., & Hampton, L. H. (2017). Enhanced milieu teaching. In R. McCauley, M. Fey, & R. Gillam
(Eds.), Treatment of language disorders in children (2nd ed.; pp. 87–120). Paul H. Brookes.
Royer, D. J., Lane, K. L., Dunlap, K. D., & Ennis, R. P. (2019). A systematic review of teacher-delivered be-
havior-specific praise on K–12 student performance. Remedial and Special Education, 40(2), 112–128.
Schreibman, L., Dawson, G., Stahmer, A. C., Landa, R., Rogers, S. J., McGee, G. G., Kasari, C., Ingersoll,
B., Kaiser, A. P., Bruinsma, Y., McNerney, E., Wetherby, A., & Halladay, A. (2015). Naturalistic develop-
mental behavioral interventions: Empirically validated treatments for autism spectrum disorder. Journal
of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(8), 2411–2428.

© 2023 The University of Texas at Austin/The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk
Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
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