Wait Time
Definition: The pause used between an adults interaction with a child and the child’s expected response that allows the child time to process the auditory information and formulate a response (Dickson, 2010). Definition taken from Sherri Fickenscher & Dan Salvucci
Chapter 7 – Listening And Spoken Language Strategies
EXAMPLE:
Therapist: " What does the cow say?" (8 seconds wait time)Child: "moooooo!" Therapist: "Can you give me the car and the boat?" (8 seconds wait time)
Child: picks up car and boat Therapist: "What are the two things that bear said he was bringing to the picnic?"(8 seconds wait time)
Child: "bread and honey!"
Explanation:
8 seconds of wait time is the amount of time that you should leave before you repeat yourself or try to rephrase your question/expectation. By giving this amount of wait time, you ensure that the child has time to listen to what you said, process the information, make sense of the message and then formulate an appropriate response.
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