So your three year old is telling you about the new swing at the park. The story is taking forever and a day. You are so tempted to finish his sentences for him! Here are a few reasons to ‘wait for it’ and let your child get that story out on his or her own.
Your child is developing his oral narrative skills. Your child is learning how to put sentences together that focus on a central thought or theme. She increasing her descriptive vocabulary by repeating words and phrases that she has heard you use to tell her story. He is practicing sequencing skills in relating what happened first, then next and finally. She is beginning to clue in on the idea of cause-and-effect. Those skills are a vital part of speech & language development; foundational skills for learning to read and write.
Take a deep breath. Listen and be encouraging as the story progresses. Remind yourself that this is homeschooling at its most organic. No lesson plans needed.
The Adventist Home Educator 