Play skills are an important component of every child’s socialization and language, motor and mental development. Furthermore, learning play skills contributes to a child’s language development.

However, for some children, play skills don’t come as naturally as they do for others. Fortunately for those children who need a little more help with their play, child development experts have spent a lot of time studying the subject and have learned the sequence in which children learn how to play.

Our teach2play™ series uses video modeling to teach play skills in a systematic and scientific way. We have developed a “play ladder” which we use to teach play skills, with each successive “step” in the play ladder representing a new, more advanced level of play skills, starting from the lowest step (simply putting toys together) and progressing systematically through the highest step (playing dress up).

Our teach2play™ system combines our play ladder and teaching methods with video modeling, a powerful teaching tool which research shows is an effective method to teach children, including children with autism and other developmental disorders. The series also models appropriate language use when playing to contribute to children’s speech and language development.

Volume 2 of the teach2play™ series, Core Play, covers the following steps in the teach2play™ play ladder:

• Step 5: FEED MY DINOSAUR: At this level of play, the child plays with a figure or doll, and causes everyday activities to happen to the doll or figure, such as bringing play food to the mouth of a dinosaur.
• Step 6: THINGS THAT GO TOGETHER: At this level of play, the child puts two different items together in the way they are typically combined, such as placing a pillow on a bed or putting candles on a birthday cake.
• Step 7: FEED DINOSAUR’S FAMILY: At this level, the child plays with a series of related figures or dolls and causes the same, everyday activity to happen to all of the dolls or figures, such as the child serving play food to a family of dinosaurs.

teach2talk™ Co-Founder Sarah Clifford Scheflen, M.S., CCC-SLP, developed the teach2play™ system based on her clinical experience, personal research into teaching play skills to children through video modeling, and peer reviewed research (reference Lifter, 1993 and Kasari, Freeman & Paparella 2001 & 2006).

We believe that you will find the teach2play™ system to be an effective tool to help your child or client learn developmentally–appropriate play skills.

In addition, if you have the time and inclination, you can be an active participant in helping your child or client make progress with their play skills using the teach2play™ system and our suggestions on best practices for use.