As a language facilitation strategy, turn taking comes easily because it is a natural part of most language systems. In order to take turns, adults learn to encourage a back and forth volley between themselves and the child (Fickenscher & Gaffney, 2016).

Why is turn taking so important and how do we use it purposefully?

Most of us have heard of the 30 Million Words Gap and Dana Suskind.

“In 2007, Dana Suskind, M.D., a pediatric surgeon, asked herself why it was that many of her patients did wonderfully after they received a cochlear implant, and others did not. Her initial search revealed an important answer: the ability to hear was not enough; differences in early language experiences caused learning disparities. These differences, she observed, were true in hearing and deaf children alike, with children from low-income families at greatest risk. This led Dr. Suskind to ask herself an even more important question: what could she do about it? Thirty Million Words® (TMW), the research program Dr. Suskind started at the University of Chicago in 2010, became the answer to that question.”

The topic of “word gap” and all it’s implications could cover hundreds of pages (and it does in other studies) so this is just a starting point, not a full investigation here. The learning that came from Suskind’s findings and Hart & Risely (1995) shows that the language quantity (number of words) and quality (complexity, lexical diversity) that children are exposed to create the foundation of their later language and literacy skills as well as non-verbal skills such as executive functioning and social skills.

Romeo, et al. (2017) used a relatively new technology called LENA (Language Environment Analysis) to track 16 hours of language from the child’s perspective and characterize the language environment. What they found was that it was the number of conversational turns between children and adults that made the biggest impact in language outcomes. Children whose data showed more conversational turns demonstrated greater activation in their left inferior frontal regions (Broca’s area) during language processing. This greater activation was connected to the relationship between children’s language exposure and their verbal abilities.

The study found that turn taking creates a feedback loop whereby adults can monitor their own speech to best support the child’s language development.(Zimmerman et al., 2009).

Turn taking is so important that Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child highlights this strategy as a Key Concept. Their program describes turn taking as a “serve” and a “return”, just like tennis. When we/the adults respond consistently and appropriately (within the zone of proximal development) to the child, we are building connections in the brain. When those responses are unreliable, inappropriate, or absent, the development of the brain may be disrupted and resulting physical, mental, and emotional health may be impaired. When the “serve and return” interaction is persistently absent, the brain does not receive the positive stimulation it needs to continue making connections, but also the body’s stress response is activated and the brain is flooded with potentially harmful stress hormones.

A breakdown in the turn taking cycle can be the result of a variety of factors. Adults might not engage in serve and return interactions with their children due to stressors such as financial problems, limited social connections, or chronic health issues. Some families experience more than one of these stressors simultaneously. As we coach and mentor families and professionals, what are we doing to address these needs so that families can engage in serve and return interactions which in turn support the development of their children?

How can we build the foundation for turn taking? The ability to take turns is a prerequisite to conversational competency, but caregivers must not wait until a child is able to talk to practice this important strategy. Infants and children should be viewed as full partners in conversation and encouraged to contribute in some way to the exchange. What does this look like? Infants may coo or kick their feet as a conversational turn, while a three-year-old child is expected to give an appropriate verbal response. The adult’s goal when taking turns is to elicit participation from the infant or child (Cole & Flexer, 2007). An adult’s continued response to their participation is how a child learns that communication is a two-way street. This signals to the child that what they have to offer to the conversation is important. It also places an expectation on the child that a response is necessary and anticipated.

In the video below the adult is vocalizing and babbling to the infant. She is also tickling and leaning in with each “serve”. The infant giggles in return and, after a meaningful pause, the adult serves again to continue the cycle.

Taking Turns pairs well with the following strategies:

Wait Time, pause after your turn and give the child ample (at least 5-8 seconds) to respond before giving another “serve”
Expectant Look, after “serving”, lean in with eyebrows raised while purposefully waiting quietly- the youngest children are more likely to respond when they know from your facial cues that a response is expected
Open-Ended Questions, broadens the possible answers and gives greater potential for continues conversation, compared to Yes/No questions
Joint Attention, when an adult and child are interested in the same topic there is a context for the conversation
Motherese/Parentese/Child directed speech, the typical, sing-song voice adults use when speaking to infants increases their interest in turn taking
Auditory Feedback Loop, enhanced through continued turn taking and adjustment of the input based on the output

**If you want to learn more about this strategy, see more affiliated research, or want a handout to share with parents and professionals, click this link or download the full eBook from the link at the top of the page.