SLT BLOG: Helping Children Use “My Turn / Your Turn” to Build Conversation Skills
- May 9
- 2 min read
TODAY'S SLT BLOG IS FROM BRÍD O' CONNELL
Turn-taking is one of the earliest (and most useful) conversation skills. This blog post shares practical, speech-and-language focused ways to support children in using simple turn phrases like “my turn” and “your turn” during games.
Why target “My Turn / Your Turn”?
Builds shared back-and-forth communication
Reduces waiting-related frustration
Supports understanding of rules and routines
Creates lots of natural opportunities for speech, gestures, or picture-based requests
What counts as a “turn phrase”?
Any consistent communication that marks turn-taking, such as:
verbal (“my turn” / “your turn”)
gestures (pointing to self, offering hand to partner)
picture choices (cards for “my turn” and “your turn”)
Easy ways to teach it
1) Choose a turn-taking game. Start with games that naturally pause:
rolling a ball back and forth
bubbles (one at a time)
pushing a toy car down a ramp
stacking blocks (take turns adding one)
2) Use a consistent script. Same words, same order, every time:
Partner: “Your turn” (hand over item)
Child: uses turn phrase (verbal/sign/picture)
Partner: “My turn” (take item or do next action)
3) Prompt only when needed
If the child doesn’t signal their turn, provide a quick prompt (gesture to self + model the phrase).
Gradually reduce help as success increases.
4) Make the rule visible. A simple visual cue helps:
“My turn” card on one side of the table
“Your turn” card on the other side
This makes the concept concrete.
5) Reinforce the communication. Praise the turn-taking message, not just the behaviour.
“Nice ‘my turn’!”
“Great ‘your turn’!”
Activity ideas to try today
Ball roll: child rolls, partner responds
Bubble pop: one bubble at a time—child requests or signals “my turn”
Toy feeding: take turns giving food to a pretend character
What to track
Number of times a turn phrase is used correctly
How often prompts are needed
Whether waiting or frustration decreases during game pauses
