A game that grew out of practice
The LingvaStep video-modeling method was created by a speech-language therapist and special educator based on many years of working with children and an understanding of which tasks and visual cues truly engage a child in learning.
About the method
How the idea to bring cards to life came about
How do you explain to a child an action shown in a static picture if the child doesn’t understand speech or finds it hard to keep attention? I really wanted the “picture to come to life.” And that turned out to be possible!
Based on cards depicting people of various professions, which I had created and already used in developmental games, I used modern technology to make short educational videos in which the characters come to life and show exactly what they do. The videos are very short — 3–7 seconds: this time, as practice has shown, is enough to grasp the essence of the action.
In my sessions I prefer using cards, the question-and-answer format, lively communication and discussing details. The video joins this process only as a reward and an additional cue.
I noticed that a child works more willingly, knowing that after answering they will see this short video. The first reaction, when the picture suddenly comes to life on the device’s screen and the character moves, is joyful surprise. The child begins to compare, moving their gaze from the video to the picture, and at that moment an understanding of the static scene occurs through its dynamic development in the video.
Another important observation is the reaction to the question “shall we watch a video?”. It instantly returned attention to the dialogue and awakened interest in continuing the session: the child became focused and attentive in anticipation of the video and answered questions more willingly.
This format helps to trigger the functional use of the answer “yes” and reinforce its understanding. For example, the adult asks: “Do you want to watch a video?” — and the child is motivated to answer “yes,” because they understand that afterward they will see a short clip.
In today’s reality, saturated with media content, many have noticed that children seem to ignore us or not hear us. But just ask whether they want to watch a video — and the child’s attention immediately returns to you.
Ultimately, the answer “yes” becomes for the child not just repeating a word, but a conscious way to express a wish, to agree and to enter into communication. The child sees a clear connection: question — answer — result. This helps to gradually reinforce the skill of answering questions and to use speech more actively in communication.
I actively use this game to develop other skills as well:
The game will be useful for children from multilingual families, as well as for learning an additional language besides the native one.
A technique for developing phonemic awareness
I would like to separately highlight the potential of this method for phonemic awareness. For example: 3 profession cards lie on the table, you play a video with the sound of what is happening but without the character’s voice, and you do not show the video itself to the child. The task is to determine from the sound which profession it is. For example, the sound of a fire or a hairdresser’s scissors.
The game is suitable for different age groups. With the help of supplementary cards it can be made more challenging — depending on the child’s level of development.
For parents
An excellent way to increase the child’s attention to learning and shared play. The manual describes options and game scenarios in detail.
For specialists
A powerful tool for developing imaginative thinking, phonemic awareness and stimulating the use of speech.