Curriculum

• Two large toys or drawings to act as talk partners if helpful
• One topic card: “Fun things to do outside”

1. Step 1. State the topic: fun things to do outside. You go first: “I think running in the grass is fun.”
2. Step 2. Ask your child to respond to your idea, not a new topic. Model stems: “I like that because…” or “I also like…”
3. Step 3. Add a second adult turn that builds on their words. Point out when a reply stays on topic.
4. Step 4. Continue until you have at least three back-and-forth turns about outside fun.
5. Step 5. If your child drifts, gently redirect: “We are still talking about outside. What else is fun outside?”
6. Quick check. Success means your child contributes at least two on-topic turns that refer to the shared outside-fun topic or to your previous sentence.

Worked example. Adult: “Running is fun.” Child: “I like racing because it is fast.” Adult: “Racing sounds fast—do you like racing uphill or on flat ground?” Child answers about racing, not a new indoor topic.

Optional challenge. Introduce a mild disagreement—“I think quiet walking is more fun than racing”—and have your child answer the disagreement while staying on the same topic.

What to notice. Save a parent note quoting two child turns that stayed on the topic.