Topic “Level 1”  

Pictures of common actions

You could use photos, or create using symbols

1. Put a range of pictures of actions in front of the child.

2. Check the child can pick up/point to the action you name.

3. Ask the child to have a really good look at the cards.

4. Ask the child to close their eyes or turn their back.

5. Take one card away.

6. Ask the child to uncover their eyes and say what's missing.

Action cards

You could use photos, drawings, or create using symbols

Picture books showing a range of actions.

Pictures of actions with paper clips attached.

You could use photos, or create using symbols

Magnetic fishing rod - you can make one yourself with a stick or pencil, piece of string and a magnet.

Box or blue sheet of paper to represent a fish tank or pond (optional).

Use toy clothes and a teddy/dolly. Put the teddy in front of the child and a choice of two clothing items e.g. hat and shoes. Say' Teddy wants shoes.' Help the child to select shoes and allow the child to dress the teddy or help if needed. Repeat 'Teddy's shoes...........shoes'.

Continue with different clothing items. When the child is familiar with some clothing names give the child more items of clothing to choose from.

Washable toys

Wash cloths

Soap

Shaving foam

Drying towel

Laminated 'I need you to help me' card

Use the card during classroom tasks. Introduce it as something that reminds us to ask for help when we need it.

Make it a 'reward' to have the card for an activity. Tell the child who has the card for that activity, that they can ask anyone for help by showing them the card. Give them a target to use it at least once.

Praise the child for using the card.

• Pictures of dishes - e.g. baked potato with beans and salad;
• Pictures of the ingredients to make each dish.

"On my way home from school" resource: activity available to download free from www.speechteach.co.uk

(see: www.speechteach.co.uk
/p_resource/speech/
on_my_way_home.htm)

Download selected pictures and assemble the board in your chosen way. A start square and a finish square are recommended - try not to make the game board bigger than an A3 size sheet. Laminate for future use.

1. Players each have a token and roll dice or use a spinner to move places on the board;

2. When a player lands on a picture of an animal they must say the starter phrase "On the way to school I saw..." and then add the name of that animal;

3. The activity can be extended by asking players to add to their story. Additional information could include adjectives (describing words - e.g. "big"), conjunctions (joining words - e.g. "and", "because") and verbs (action words, e.g. "run", "drop"). For example, "On my way to school today I saw a tiny mouse."

Pictures of familiar objects and their printed labels e.g. Picture of a dog and the label 'dog'

Maybe borrow a book from home which the child likes and photocopy and then use as a picture resource .

1. Cut out or photocopy 5 pictures of items the child is familiar with. E.g. animals/food items/objects or people from Peter and Jane books.

2. Print labels for the items

3. Give the child one picture and one label.

4. Put the two together - point to the print and read it.

Set of picture cards representing everyday objects.

Objects to match the things on the cards.

For the picture cards, you could use photos, or create using symbols

1. Start with the child's most familiar/favoured objects. Choose 2 and the two matching pictures. Match the object to the picture and say 'Look........sock/pen/flower it's the same'

2. Can the child put the object on a picture given 2 pictures and 2 objects.

3. Reward any success.

4. Start to increase the number of objects and pictures to 3 then 4 but go slowly.

5. Play a game by putting out 3 cards face down and 3 matching objects . Take it in turns to turn over a card and select the matching object

6. Use a puppet and see if the child can help the puppet match objects and cards.

7. Get a selection of cards of things in the room can you walk around with the child and find objects to match the cards

Reward!

Picture books

1. Get 2 simple books with clear pictures. Or choose flap or pop-up books. Offer the child a choice. The book the child reaches for or looks at is considered the child's choice.

2. Get comfortable with the child and look at the first picture. Use lots of animation in your voice and lift the flap or move the pop-up feature or point to an item on the page and name it at the one word level e.g. 'Look...........apple!' or 'Look...........monkey'.

3. The child may not want to continue very long with this ......a few minutes attention is OK. Finish the activity on a good note even if you have only liked at one or two pictures.

Ask parent for family photos from home

Two soft toys

cups and plastic food

Laminated symbols for who and what

Use symbols you already have, or get them using the Commtap Symboliser.

1. Set up a tea party together and talk about it using 2/3 word phrases e.g. "teddy's got the cup" and "dragon's got the banana";

2. Play at drinking and eating etc.;

3. Show the symbol for "who" and ask "Who has the banana?" To start with give the model answer "Look.........teddy's got the banana";

4. As the child gets used to this type of response give fewer clues e.g. "Look, ... t....." etc.

Small figures

Small furniture

Small animals

1. Use these to play games so that the boy sleeps on the bed or the camel jumps on the chair etc. Ask "who" questions as above using the "who" symbol;

2. Model the correct answer if needed.

Favourite book

See above activities for resources, plus laminated "what" symbol

Any of the above equipment

Home made dice:

(Stick "who" and "what" symbols onto sides of a square box to make a dice)

Use symbols you already have, or get them using the Commtap Symboliser.

Any of the above equipment

Several "Who?" and "What?" symbols

Bag

For the symbols, use symbols you already have, or get them using the Commtap Symboliser.

e.g. a pop-up or a picture book

When the child is familiar with a book and the possible answers to likely questions point to pictures and ask questions using a short phrase e.g. 'Where's Spot?', 'Who's that?', What's that?'. You want a two word answer e.g. 'under bed' etc.

Digital camera

Book of photos taken at school

If a digital camera is not available use ordinary cameras and photos.

Dressing up cloths

Cooking toys

Dolls

Tea set

- A hand puppet

- Selection of play food

1. Place the puppet on your hand and lay a few items of play food in front of you.

2. Explain that the puppet is hungry.

3. Give your child instructions, e.g. '(puppet) wants the bread', '(puppet) wants the banana'.

4. Encourage your child to give the puppet the piece of food you asked for.

5. After a few turns, swap roles and see if your child is able to tell you which food to give to the puppet.

- A selection of every day items

- A box

- Optional soft toy

- Optional action cards - click here to print

- Optional action dice - click here to print

- Post box - you can make your own with a cardboard box

Optional printable post box template here

- Picture cards to post - cick here for first words picture cards.