How To Direct Your Child
Using Prompts and Guides to Assist Children
Casting Light on Child Development: The Director's Cut on Prompting
In the intricate production of child development, educators, therapists, and parents play roles akin to that of a movie director, guiding young actors (children) through their performances with a technique known as prompting. Like a director who subtly cues an actor to deliver a line with just the right emotion, prompting involves offering cues or aids to elicit specific behaviors or responses. This article explores the method of prompting through the cinematic lens of directing, detailing its purpose, the rationale behind its use in educational and therapeutic settings, and its undeniable benefits. Moreover, it highlights how prompting, much like directorial guidance, can streamline the complex scenes of challenging situations.
What is Prompting? The Director's Guidance
Prompting, in the world of child development, is akin to the guidance a movie director provides on set. It comprises verbal, visual, physical, or gestural cues that encourage children to perform a desired action or behavior, much as a director might guide actors to hit their marks or convey emotions. The aim is to support the child's engagement with the task, ensuring they not only participate but also absorb and learn, setting the stage for independent performance without cues.
Why Therapists and Teachers Play the Director's Role
Just as a skilled director brings out the best in their actors, educators and therapists use prompting for several key reasons:
Facilitates Learning: Prompting children to break down tasks into manageable steps helps them grasp complex concepts, mirroring how a director decomposes a scene to achieve the perfect overall shot, line by line.
Encourages Independence: By offering just enough support, prompting allows children to be independent, much like a director trusts their actor to embody the character and “be the ball” (Caddy Shack).
Enhances Engagement: Effective prompting, like good directing, captivates the child's interest, keeping them focused on the learning process.
Supports Individualized Learning: Tailoring prompts to fit each child's learning pace and style ensures that every child can shine on their educational stage.
Promotes Positive Behavior: In addition to academic skills, prompting shapes behaviors and social interactions, setting the scene for harmonious interactions.
Benefits of Prompting: The Director's Achievements
Employing prompting yields a plethora of accolades in the developmental narrative:
Increased Success Rates: Children, like actors under a director's guidance, achieve greater success with appropriate prompts, boosting their motivation.
Reduced Frustration: Guided attempts lead to less frustration, akin to a director reshooting a scene until it's just right.
Enhanced Learning Outcomes: The focused assistance provided by prompting ensures a standing ovation in learning achievements.
Development of Problem-Solving Skills: Prompting teaches children to recognize cues and connect dots, much like a director pieces together a film's storyline.
Prompting in Difficult Situations: Directing Through Storms
Managing Transitions: Using prompting to prepare children for changes is like a director setting the stage for the next scene, ensuring smooth transitions.
Addressing Behavioral Challenges: Directing children towards acceptable behaviors with prompts can turn a potential box office flop into a hit.
Supporting Children with Special Needs: Prompting is welcome for children requiring extra direction for learning life skills.
Implementing Prompting: The Director's Toolbox
Adopting the director's chair in everyday parenting or teaching involves strategic use of prompting:
Identify the Objective: Know the scene's goal or the behavior you wish to encourage, setting the script for success.
Select Appropriate Prompts: Choose the right directorial cues, whether verbal, visual, or physical, to guide the child's performance.
Fade Support Gradually: As the child gains confidence, reduce the prompts, allowing them to take center stage independently.
Offer Positive Reinforcement: Applaud successful performances with praise, emphasizing the achievement in their starring role.
Example of a Common Script
Let's take a typical scenario where prompting can be effectively used in educational settings and at home: teaching a child to clean up their toys after playtime.
Scenario: A classroom or home setting where playtime has just ended, and it's time to clean up the toys and materials used during play.
Objective: The goal is to teach the child to clean up independently after playtime and give them a sense of responsibility and orderliness.
Verbal Prompt: The teacher or parent (director) starts with a verbal prompt (scripted line), gently reminding the child, "It's time to put the toys back in their places. Can you start with the blocks?" This is like giving an actor their cue to begin a scene, providing clear instructions on what to do next.
Visual Prompt: If the child hesitates or seems unsure, the adult then points to the specific area where the blocks should go (visual cue), similar to a director pointing to a mark on the set where the actor should stand or move to. This helps the child visually connect the task (cleaning up blocks) with the specific location, guiding their action.
Gestural Prompt: For further assistance, the adult might pick up a block and motion towards the storage bin (directional gesture), akin to a director demonstrating a gesture for the actor to mimic in a scene. This gesture serves as a non-verbal cue, showing the child the action expected of them.
Physical Prompt: If the child still needs support, the adult might gently guide the child's hand to pick up a block and place it in the bin (physical guidance), similar to a director positioning an actor's hand during a close-up shot for the correct emotion or action. This physical prompt provides tactile feedback to the child, directly supporting them in the action of cleaning up.
Fading the Prompts: As the child begins to understand and engage in the task, the adult gradually reduces the level of prompting, allowing the child to take more initiative. This is like a director who, after several takes, trusts the actor to perform the scene with minimal guidance, stepping back and letting the actor shine.
Positive Reinforcement: Once the child successfully places the toys away, the adult praises the child's effort (applause), reinforcing the behavior. This is akin to a director praising an actor after a successful take, encouraging them to continue with the good performance.
Prompting in the Spotlight
Prompting, viewed through the cinematic lens of directing, emerges as a fundamental and effective strategy in child development. It's a directorial technique that enables educators, therapists, and parents to guide children toward success, independence, and growth. By skillfully applying prompts, the directors of this developmental production create a supportive environment where every child can be a star. Whether in academic learning, behavioral management, or emotional regulation, prompting shines as a guiding light, ensuring that each child's developmental journey is a critically acclaimed masterpiece.
Kimberley Arnett-DeSimone, a career pediatric occupational therapist in Huntersville, North Carolina, authored this post.
