Offer choices using positive statements. Give children acceptable alternatives rather than telling them what they cannot choose. It would be bette r to say “You can use the blocks to make something...

Offer choices using positive statements. Give children acceptable alternatives rather than telling them what they cannot choose. It would be bette r to say “You can use the blocks to make something like a road, a house, or a rocket” than to say, “You can make anything except a gun.” The former statement helps children to recognize what alternatives are available; the latter directs children’s attention to the very thing you do not want them to consider.