Over a period of days, teach your child a skill that involves several steps. Your child may notice her own progress. She will see that difficult skills are learned over time. This activity shows your child that she can now do tasks she could not do before. Learning to see her own progress in a series of steps helps your child set and reach realistic goals.
• Choose a task that can be broken into short, manageable steps. A few examples are –tying shoes, fastening a seatbelt, setting the table, and simple sewing.
• Gather you supplies. For example for sewing, you need large cloth squares, thread, yarn, sewing needles with large eyes, and scissors.
• Invite your child to sit with you as you help her with the process sand the words.
• Show and say each step. First, I unwind some thread from the spool and cut with the scissors. I thread it through the needle and knot the two ends together. Encourage her to repeat the steps.
• Show the next steps: Stick the need in and out of the cloth. Using all of the thread. Cutting the need loose.
• Help your child finish. Offer positive remarks for each step she does all on her own.
• Clean up together. Discuss what she did by herself. Do you remember the steps you did by yourself?
