Overcoming Avoidance
A new activity can be intimidating.
Learning Seeds Engagement Strategies
Comic Strip by Cynthia Yuan Cheng
Challenging Moment: A child’s fear or skepticism of a new activity causes them to decline the opportunity to engage.
Strategies to Try: Ask a Skeptical Question, Handing of Objects
Keep the child engaged by prompting them to ask their peer questions like, “Is it hard?” “Is it scary?”
Rather than asking them again whether they’d like to join, place the objects of the activity in their hands.
What Happens:
By asking a skeptical question, the child:
is given an opportunity to articulate their concerns through questions.
takes a step toward engagement in the activity by interacting with a peer who is participating.
When handed an object from the activity rather than asked again about participating, the child:
receives a much more concrete invitation to participate.
is not given the opportunity to shut down engagement with a verbal “No”.
