What is it about alpacas that elicits such a barrage of sentences from John? These gentle creatures are constantly interacting and socializing in
their herd. They create concrete visual pictures.
He is quick to recognize that Princess Nomian has been moved back from the wagon due to just a head gesture from her mother. She
stands frozen with her ears pulled back waiting for a chance to move to a differnt spot at the hay. Immediately John calls out "Alpaca sad!"
As they run and jump around the pen at the end of the day (this is called "pronking"- an activity thought to warm their bodies in order to withstand the cold temperatures of the night)-he cautions them to
"Watch out for Johnny!" "Don't push me!"
A cria begging her mother for milk, Kaboom spitting Irish Rose away
from his wheel barrow of hay, or worst of all (from John's point of view)
a cria using the barn floor for a poop pile, are invaluable motivations to use language.
This spontanity and excitement that he exhibits is not easy to duplicate
elsewhere. The alpacas allow us to expand and increase this important
aspect of his development without tedious repetitions and meaningless
exercises.
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