Always give praise for each effort the child makes, especially if he is trying but not succeeding. Praise the child for trying to do what you ask!

Clap and give extra praise when answers are correct—but also praise your child even when the answers aren’t correct. Always act as if it is a fun game and not a task to be accomplished.

Don’t use the word “no.” Don’t say anything that means “no.”

Don’t act as if mistakes are “bad” or “dumb” or “wrong.” Mistakes are a regular part of learning!

It is very important for all of your responses to be positive

If a child makes a mistake (like pointing to a duck and saying “dog”), then in a happy and upbeat voice point to it and say, “This is a picture of a duck. A duck is sort of like a chicken. Let’s put it in the picture-window like this, and let’s say ‘duck.’ Very good! Let’s try that again!”

Always look for ways to make your statements positive instead of stating what was incorrect.

There should be no frustration at all for your child during the first three lessons, and only very brief levels of mild frustration after that.