Topic “Level 3”  

What's wrong pictures (e.g. LDA, Colorcards)

Pen and paper

1. Choose a picture (or let the child choose one). Both people look at it. Take it in turns to describe the picture and say how it should look. Make sure you have a new picture to describe each time.

2. Take it in turns to choose a picture, which you keep hidden from the other person. Describe the picture while the other person tries to draw it based on your description. Compare the drawing to the original picture and say how the picture should look. If the drawing does not look very much like the picture, say why this went wrong.

Large composite pictures (e.g. "passages a decouvrir").

Score sheet (2 columns - one with your name at the top, the other with the child's)

Pen

Marble run

Waiting cards (as required)

1. Set up the track and pass the marbles round the children. When everyone has had one go say 'Who's turn next?' You want the children to name the next child in the circle and to pass the marbles with as little prompting as possible. Some children may need handover hand modelling to pass the marbles.

2. The target child may need to hold a waiting card to support waiting for their turn.

A bag with a selection of appealing toys inside.

- Photographs of different people showing different emotions - you could get these from magazines, newspapers or by internet search.

- Emotion symbols - click here to print.

- Paper and pens

1. Look through the photographs together - talk about what feelings or emotions the person is showing - you may have different answers from each other. Talk about why they may be showing emotions.

2. Can you match the symbols to the emotions. Talk about the differences you notice in peoples' faces.

3. Can you think of times when you felt this emotion - use the paper and pens to write this down. Compare your experiences.

- Exercise book/note pad/sheets of paper

- Emotion symbols - click here to print. You can draw your own if you prefer.

- Emotion symbols (click here to print)or feelings Dictionary (see above)

- Time-line of a day

Ask the children "what is a compliment? What should you do if someone gives you a compliment?"

'Teen-age' rag dolls

Cards with names of everyone in the group (including adults)

Giving and receiving compliments as part of a language group. This is a good way to boost children's self esteem.

Materials:

Compliment prompt cards, with or without visual support, as appropriate.

Compliments chart, with each child's name on the left side, with a space on the right side for the chosen compliment to be stuck.

For example:

Blu-tac to stick the compliment cards on to the chart, and the chart on to the wall.

Ball of string

Compliments prompt cards if appropriate.

- Pictures/photos of different emotions - a printable set of emotion cards are available here.

- Situation cards - click here to print.

1. Print and cut out the resources.

2. Introduce the activity by having a quick discussion of how it's fine if different people feel differently about the same situation.

3. Take turns to choose a situation card and discuss it together. See if you can match how you would feel to the emotions symbols or pictures.

4. Some children may be able to explain why they'd feel that way e.g. "I'd be scared if I saw a spider because I don't like them'.

Story script

- see "Robert's Friend" (https://en.commtap.org/additional-resource/roberts-friend), or make up your own story (two main characters and two others - one of the main characters wants to play with their friend the whole time, and they fall out).

Explain to the child / children that you are going to tell them a story. They need to tell you what the characters did that was good and what was not good.

Tell the story, and repeat it.

Discuss. Talk about what the characters could do differently.

Puppets / paper figures

Story script used above

A3 sheet of paper

pens

Flash cards (optional)

Puppets (optional)

Laminated card 'I would like to play a game with...'

Sticky notes

Pen

Some simple games

Timer (optional)

Group game for a minimum of three people

• Dice and shaker
• Pictures of a variety of different emotions (minimum 6), for example  Google image search;
• Two counters per person (each person needs two counters the same colour, but different from everyone else’s);
• 1-6 grid;
• Game track;
• Phrases cards.

1. Shuffle the emotions cards and put one face up in each of the spaces on the 1-6 grid.

2. Check the children/young person know what each card says and what the emotion is (remove any that are too difficult and put new cards in their place).

3. Let everyone choose a coloured counter. Everyone puts one of their counters on the “start”.

4. Choose one person to start (perhaps the adult should go first).

5. The person who starts shakes the dice in the cup, and puts the cup upside down on the table. Carefully lift up the cup and look at the dice so only you know which number is on top. Look at the emotions cards on the board to see which emotion corresponds to the number on the dice – but don’t say what it is.

6. Pick a phrase card. Read the phrase on the card, displaying the emotion you have been given. Use your voice and gestures. It’s fine to give children help in reading what the phrase is, but not in how to display the emotion!

7. The other players watch the player acting out the emotion. They decide which of the emotions the player is portraying. They put their other counter on the name of the emotion they have chosen.

8. When everyone has voted, the player who acted the emotion lifts up the cup to show which number was on the dice.

9. Check to see who chose the correct emotion. The people who chose correctly move their counter on to the next space

10. The player who acted also moves their counter on the same number of orange spaces as the number of people who guessed correctly.

11. The next player then has a turn to act. Continue until someone has reached the “finish” space.

Pictures of people talking to each other, for example:

Picture books (you may need to cover any writing on the page if this distracts the child);

Commercially produced pictures (e.g. LDA - Emotions cards, "Passages a decouvrir", etc);

Photos (e.g. family snaps, or photos you have specially prepared);

Pictures from comics and magazines;

Drawings you have done.

Pieces of paper cut into the shape of a speech bubble (you can buy speech bubble-shaped post-its from stationers such as Ryman or on-line)

Blu-tac (optional)

1. Show the child the picture you have selected;

2. Encourage them to have a good look at the picture;

3. Encourage them to talk about what is happening in the picture;

4. Encourage them to think about what the people in the pictures might be saying;

5. Stick a speech bubble on the picture so that it is coming out of each person's mouth;

6. Ask what each person is saying;

7. Write this down in the speech bubble (or let the child write it themself).

- Draw string bag

- Sets of objects, for example:

Groups of pens, cars, Lego bricks.

- You could also use objects which differ markedly in texture, for example six normal pieces of paper and a piece of sandpaper.

If you do not have obejcts available you could print out and use a selection of category cards below:

     - clothes

     - animals

     - body parts

     - food

     - transport

     - toys

1. Put a group of objects/pictures into a bag and add one clearly different object/picutre.

2. Take turns taking things out of the bag and saying/signing what they are.

3. Comment on the item that is different, for example "look... this is the odd one out" or "this is different" (look surprised, puzzled, make an exclamation).

- Odd one out pictures - click here to print

This is a preparatory activity for working on sequencing daily events. See also the following (at www.commtap.org):

Sequences three or more pictures;

Sequences three pictures with first next last;

Sequence pictures symbols words

Materials required:

Your own or commercially produced sequencing cards (e.g. Black Sheep press - see "general resources"), Colorcards - available from many educational suppliers)

FIRST/LAST template which looks like this (leaving spaces to put the pictures):

FIRST

LAST

FIRST/NEXT/LAST template, as follows (leave spaces for the pictures):

FIRST

NEXT

LAST

1. Use the first/last template to model the sequence of first and last.

2. Start with 2 picture sequences of a simple event e.g. 'rain falling' 'girl puts up umbrella'.

3. Talk about the pictures. Ask the child 'What is happening in the first picture?' Discuss the consequences of the first picture (getting wet) and what the girl does (puts up the umbrella)

4. Put the two pictures into the template: one in the FIRST column and the other in the LAST column.

5. Do this with a range of 2 sequence picture stories.

6. Turn the cards face down and take turns to turn them over and put them in the right part of the FIRST/LAST template. Can the child tell the story?

7. When the child is confident using the FIRST LAST template to order 2 picture sequences move onto using 3 picture sequences and use the FIRST/NEXT/LAST template.

8. Follow the procedure for working with 2 picture sequences.

FIRST/NEXT/LAST

template

Photos of familiar aspects of school life (use a digital camera to take photos)

Toy snake (or some other character)

Basket

3 each of fruit, vegetables, cooked foods.

Whiteboard and pen

1. Set out the food in a row of 3, each different type on a different table.

2. Explain to the children that Sammy Snake is hungry, but doesn't know the names of the foods. He needs them to listen to what he says and go and get him the food he wants, in the basket.

3. The children take it in turn to go shopping with the basket. Sammy gives instructions e.g. 'I want the first fruit and the last vegetable'.

4. The children can take a turn to be Sammy.

Monkey (or some other character)

Washing line

Pegs

Some clothes (dolls clothes are good)

3 wind up toys

'beginning' 'middle' 'end' written on cards and finishing line ribbon

First next last written on pictures of gold silver and bronze medals

The visual timetable used in class, or in your small group / 1:1 session

Pictures sequences of simple animal life cycles

First next last, beginning middle end prompt card / frame

Imagination!

Play Simon Says, but change the rules. The important thing is not 'Simon' or 'no Simon' it is to get the actions right.

Make sure you use the concepts 'before' and 'after' in the instructions and that the children do the steps in the same order that you do them. E.g. 'touch your head after you jump on the spot'.

Written sentences

(use pictures/symbols to support those with reading difficulties)

Pen

- Paper and drawing materials

- Object that looks different at the front/back.

1. Ask you child to look at the item in front of them and draw a picture of it.

2. Now turn the object around and ask them to take a look at it from the back, and to draw it again.

3. Talk about the pictures using the words "front" and "back" in your descriptions. Ask your child to say which ones show the back of the figure and which ones the front.

- Front/back sorting game materials - click here to print

Sheet of paper (A4 size or larger)

Pens/ pencils/ crayons etc.

1. Explain that it can be difficult to tell which is your left hand and which is your right, but that there are some things we can do to help us.

2. Encourage the child to put out their hands palms downwards, with the fingers together and the thumbs extended at right angles.

3. Encourage the child to look for a capital "L" formed by the index finger and thumb. This will be on the left hand. Explain that the one on the right is backwards.

4. Help the child to draw round each hand with their thumb extended, with both hands on the same piece of paper. Help the child to write the words "left" and "right" on the correct hand shape.

5. Help the child to write a large capital L shape on the left hand following the index finger and thumb. Use a contrasting colour to do this.

6. Ask the child to draw a pen or pencil beside the hand they write with. If the child is right handed, you can remind them that "your right hand is the hand you write with; your left hand is the one that is left". This does not work for left-handed children.

7. If possible, ask the child to identify something visual to help tell their left or right hand and draw it on their poster. This could be their watch or a freckle, for example.

Object with a distinctive look and feel (I use a painted wooden egg)

Blindfold (optional)

One large object such as a toy bus, house etc.

Several smaller objects e.g. toy animals

Prompt cards saying "left" and "right"

1. Put the large object in the centre of the table in front of the child.

2. Ask the child to identify the left side and the right side. Help if necessary.

3. Put the "left" and "right" prompt cards to the left and right of the object.

4. Give the child instructions such as "put the lion to the right of the bus"

5. Swap roles so that the child has a chance to give the instructions.

6. When the child is fairly proficient at carrying out the activity with the prompt cards, try the activity with no prompts.

Paper

Pens

Cards with pictures of two items drawn next to each other, e.g. car and cat, tree and house

Matching pairs cards.

Visual prompt for left, right, up and down like this:

↑

up

←left right→

down

↓