May 19, 2026
OWL – Observe, Wait and Listen
The power of silence
Last week I shared the progress of one of my little friends. This week, I want to highlight the power of silence using a technique from the Hanen Foundation’s Course “It Takes Two to Talk” called OWL: Observe, Wait, and Listen.
OWL encourages caregivers to first Observe a child. How is he feeling? What does he need?
Then Wait. Allow space and silence to encourage, give a child time to respond. We all have a desire to fill in the space, so this step is really hard especially if you are chatty like me!
Last, is to Listen, to really be present and genuinely interested in what a child has to say. It is important to take time to listen in these moments. He or she won’t be little for long. As I write this post, my daughters are now 28 and 25!
What did my little friend do when his mom and I used this strategy? He filled in the silence! We heard new words. While we waited we learned what was important to him in play. He was smiling and inviting us into his play with his eyes, gestures, single words, and close proximity to use. When we truly listened, we could then build on his single words which lead to additional imitation to further growth and self-exploration.
Take the time this week to OWL. It doesn’t have to be a child, it could be any person you communicate with during your day. Enjoy the power of silence. Enjoy truly spending time getting to know them. Allow them to fill in the space. Who knows what you will learn that you didn’t know before?