What strategy can be used to teach students proper eye contact?

Modeling eye contact and rewarding interactions is an effective strategy for teaching students the importance of maintaining proper eye contact during communication. This approach involves demonstrating eye contact in real-life situations, which helps students understand not only the behavior but also its social significance. By modeling this behavior, educators provide a clear example of what appropriate eye contact looks like and emphasize its role in effective communication.

Additionally, reinforcing and rewarding students when they demonstrate proper eye contact can encourage the behavior further. Positive reinforcement helps students associate eye contact with successful interactions and encourages them to practice this skill consistently.

The other strategies do not effectively capture the importance of eye contact in a communicative context. Direct instruction alone may not be sufficient, as students benefit from seeing the behavior modeled in addition to being told about it. Relying solely on electronic aids does not provide the necessary real-world practice and social interaction that is crucial for developing communicative skills. Limiting communication practice goes against the principle of building competency through exposure and interaction, which is vital for mastering skills such as maintaining eye contact.