OWLing (Observing, Waiting, Listening)

OWL stands for Observe, Wait, Listen

Often it is natural for adults to take the lead when communicating with children. When children have limited language we might think that we need to do all the talking for them, and even as their language develops we might want to tell them how to do things, teach them new things or interrupt them to speed things along.

OWLing helps us to remember to give children a little more time to respond and take their turn in communication. It helps adults remember to notice which of the many different forms of communication (verbal and non-verbal) children are using and it encourages children to have a go at using their communication skills.

The three steps to being an OWL

Observe: Sit back and watch what your child is doing

• What is your child looking at? What are they interested in?
• Observe your child’s play – do they like building and stacking? Dolls/teddies? Pretend play?
• What can you tell about how your child might be feeling, or what they are thinking? (Do they look happy, tired, frustrated?) Are they using any sounds, vocalisations, facial expressions or gestures? What might they be trying to communicate

Wait: Give your child time to communicate

• It’s natural for adults to want to show and tell children what to do, to talk to them and to talk for them. We want to jump in and tell them what we know, or guess what they might want or need.
• If we stop ourselves and wait a few moments longer, we give children a chance to try using their own forms of communication (such as eye contact, gesture, vocalisations or words) to show us what they want.
• Don’t be in a rush to help or try to fix things … wait a few moments to see if your child will ask you for help, or work things out for themselves.

Listen: Don’t feel the need to fill the silence

• When children don’t have the language to respond like an adult would, it sometimes feels easier for us to do all the talking. We might chat away without pauses, interrupt or talk for a child, because we assume we know what they want to say.
• Taking time to listen shows children that we expect them to take a turn too, and encourages them to have a go at communicating through whatever means they have.
• Listening helps us to identify what behaviours or strategies children are using to communicate with us – some of them might be quite subtle! When children have a go at communicating and it goes well, they are more likely to try again.