Description

Ages: 8 and up

Grades: 3rd and up

Authors: Rebekah and Leigh

Catch My Convo is a game and teaching tool, where building a real conversation means everyone wins! This collaborative game teaches 6 research-based strategies for a balanced conversation:

• WH QUESTIONS: Keep the conversation going by requiring more than a yes/no answer.
• YES…AND: Taken from improvisational theater, this tip teaches you to acknowledge what someone else has said.
• FLIP THE QUESTION: When you really can’t think of what to say, simply return the question.
• LISTENING PROOF: Little words and phrases that show we are interested, like “wow” or “bummer.”
• KEY WORD COMMENTS: Listening for the main idea can give you the power to steer the conversation.
• TINY QUESTIONS: Two-word questions that really doesn’t require an answer, but indicate interest.

KEY BENEFITS:

• Therapist Created and Approved
  • Catch My Convo was created by therapists who needed a tool that went beyond traditional topic cards, and strategies that result in scripted conversations. It’s used by speech therapists, occupational therapists, social skills professionals, psychologists, and educators.
• Helps you ‘See and Touch’ a Conversation
  • Make the abstract concept of a “good conversation” more concrete. In Catch My Convo, players hear, touch, and see the conversation unfold! All players work together to create a conversation where everyone listens and talks equally.
• Reaches a Wide Range of Learners
  • Leveled game boards give you flexibility and control in teaching just the right number of strategies for your students.
• Fun, Easy Learning
  • Colorful mini-posters outline each conversation strategy with easy to follow instructions.
• Provides Instant Feedback
  • Stacking the blocks during the conversation helps with self-monitoring. Players know in real-time whether they should talk more or less.
• Never the Same Game Twice
  • Just like real life, the Convo Pitch cards guide you to think of conversation in just 5 categories that are always relevant: people, places, ideas, problems, and feelings. It’s about what’s current for you…nothing scripted, contrived, or stale.

SKILLS THIS WORKS ON:

• Starting a conversation
• Keeping a conversation going
• Friendships
• Turn-taking (no monologuing allowed!)
• Staying on-topic in conversation

CONTENTS: 10 game boards, 6 Convo Catch strategy cards, 6 Convo Pitch topic cards, 6 Mini Posters for teaching strategies, 1 Digital timer (battery not included), 70 colored stacking cubes, Game bag