Information for Parents
Infant Toddler Play Groups
The FIRST WORDS Project offers weekly Infant and Toddler Play Groups to families of young children who are evaluated by our project. We invite 8-12 families to attend and have a blend of children who are typically developing and developmentally delayed. The children in the Infant Groups range in age from 6 to 13 months and the children in the Toddler Groups range in age from 14 to 24 months. The groups are guided by two clinicians from different disciplines, including speech-language pathology, early childhood/ special education, and psychology. The Infant Play Groups meet for 4 weeks and the Toddler Play Groups meet for 9 weeks. Families can choose to attend playgroups more than once, if their child is less than 24 months of age. After attending the Infant Play Group, families may choose to attend the Toddler Play Group.
The focus of each playgroup is on parent-child interaction facilitated by clinician modeling and coaching. The playgroups also serve a diagnostic function and allow the clinician to give feedback to families about their child’s development and changes over time. Information is provided to families through discussion and handouts, answering questions, modeling, and individual coaching by setting up opportunities and making suggestions. The playgroups are held in a 600 square foot room organized into play centers, including music circle, books, dress up, doctor’s office, baby washing, baby beds, blocks, trucks, toy playgrounds, kitchen and feeding area, and fluid play activities. Each playgroup is organized around predictable opening and closing songs, book times and new play centers each week.
The Toddler Play Groups begin with an introductory week to introduce families to the organization and purpose of playgroups and to emphasize that families will be playing with their children each week. For the following 8 sessions, the clinicians provide information and a handout about specific weekly topics. In addition to the weekly topics, each week there is focus for families on interacting with their child and these interaction skills build over the 8 weeks. The clinician models and coaches the families on interacting with their child using a variety of toys in different play centers and activities. At the end of the session, the clinicians suggest how to apply this information at home and offer families a home activity handout. Following is a list of the session topics and each weekly focus for families:
Introductory Week
Session 1: How and Why Young Children Communicate
Focus for family: Sit face to face
Session 2: Responding to Your Child’s Communication
Focus for family: Talk about what your child is playing with
Session 3: Daily Routines and Games
Focus for family: Wait- Count to 5
Session 4: Games for Young Children
Focus for family: What do you want your child to learn from this activity?
Session 5: Learning through the Senses
Focus for family: Sit face to face and move when your child moves
Session 6: Sharing Books with your Child
Focus for family: Talk about what your child is looking at or touching
Session 7: Communication & Behavior in Toddlers
Focus for family: Wait- Count to 5 and up the ante
Session 8: Closing Week (topic chosen by families)
You can download a PDF version of the handout for each weekly Session and the handout for the Home Activity by clicking below. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available from Adobe.
Weekly Handouts
Session One
Session Two
Session Three
Session Four
Session Five
Session Six
Session Seven
Home Activities