What defines incidental teaching as a teaching method?

Incidental teaching is characterized by its child-initiated approach, which significantly enhances language development in a naturalistic context. It occurs when an adult responds to a child's spontaneous request or comment by providing a more detailed or expanded response that promotes language use. Through this method, learning opportunities arise organically as the child expresses their interests or needs, allowing for the teaching moment to emerge naturally. This child-driven initiative ensures that the learning is relevant and engaging, making it more effective for language acquisition. By focusing on spontaneous interactions led by the child, incidental teaching fosters a supportive environment where language skills can grow in context, rather than through formal instruction.

The other options highlight different educational approaches that do not align with the principles of incidental teaching. These include structured teacher-led initiatives, group strategies, and assessment-focused methods, which do not prioritize the child's input in the same way incidental teaching does.