Topic “16-26m”  

- a soft toy

- big/little food pictures - click here to print

1. Print and cut out the big/little food pictures.

2. Ask your child to choose a favourite toy and explain you are going to feed them.

3. Explain you have big food and little food. Lay out a small selection of food - make sure you have both the big and little version of the same food.

4. Give your child instructions, e.g. give teddy the big carrot, give teddy the little eggs.

5. After a few turns, encourage your child to give you an instruction to follow. 

- 2 different soft toys

- Actions cards - click here to print

1. Print and cut out the action cards - you could draw some actions if you do not have access to a printer. 

2. Show your child the actions and say the word - practice making both soft toys carry out the actions.

3. When you are sure your child understands the different action words, start to give your child instructions, e.g. make teddy fly, make dolly sleep.

4. After a few turns see if your child can give you an instruction. 

- a ball

1. Look at your child, say their name and roll a ball to them. 
2. Encourage your child to roll the ball back to you. If your child is unsure how to do this, ask another adult to sit with the child and gently show them how to roll the ball back. As you receive the ball, say your name, or ask the other adult to say your name.
3. Continue rolling the ball back and forth, saying the name of the person who is receiving it, until your child is ready to finish the activity.
4. Once you have taken a few turns and your child knows what to do, you can start adding the word 'turn' after the name, e.g. 'mummy's turn' 'Harry's turn'.
5. It is not expected your child will use the words as this activity can be used with children who are not yet verbal - it is important for them to hear the adult using words. 

- a selection of musical instruments 

- Click here for ideas of how to use household items to make musical instruments

- optional noisy/quiet symbols

1. Each person chooses a musical instrument.

2. If you wish, you can use symbols alongside the words you use. Talk about noisy sounds and quiet sounds. Practice making these with your musical instrument.

3. Swap musical instruments and make noisy/quiet sounds again.

4. Play a game where you take turns at being the conductor and give the instructions of noisy or quiet for the others to follow.

- optional camera to take photographs

- piece of paper and pencil

- optional noisy/quiet symbols

- Click here for printable noisy/quiet sorting pictures.

- Some everyday clothes eg hat, gloves, scarf, sun glasses

- Large soft toy

- Digital camera or phone with a camera.

1. Take turns to put on the clothing items one at a time and take a picture. Take a picture with the clothing item removed. You can print the pictures out if you wish.
2. Comment ‘Look ...... ‘Child’s name) with a hat, and (child’s name) with no hat’.
3. Ask the child to look at the two pictures and say ‘Show me (child’s name) with a hat’ and show me (child’s name) with no hat.’
4. Do the same using the large soft toy.

-

A ‘HELP’ picture symbol 

Container the child can see into but can't open e.g. screw-top jar/zip-top bag etc which contains a motivating reward e.g. crisp, raisin, sticker.

You can get symbols with the Commtap Symboliser.

1. Put the ‘Help’ symbol in front of the child.
2. Put the motivating reward into the container.
3. Shake the container and get the child’s interest.
4. Give the container to the child, so they can try to get the item out of the container.
5. Make sure the child can give you the container for you to open it for them. At first you may need to take the container from them, open the it, and give it back to them for a few goes.
6. When the child can do this, when they are going to give you the container, redirect the child to the ‘Help’ symbol and hold out your hand to receive the ‘Help’ symbol. Say ‘Help …… I want help.’
7. Wait for the child to say ‘Help’ or hand you the ‘Help’ symbol.
8. If this does not happen help the child to hand over the ‘Help’ symbol. Say ‘Help’ as the child gives you the symbol.

Container the child can see into but can't open e.g. screw-top jar/zip-top bag etc which contains a motivating reward e.g. crisp, raisin, sticker.

Make sure you know the sign for help before doing the activity (e.g. Signalong, Makaton).

Materials as needed, for example:

• Pictures for cutting out e.g. old Argos catalogue
• Scissors
• Simple board game
• Blunt pencil
• Pencil sharpener
• Paper
• Equipment for an activity the child enjoys
• Bubbles

Catalogue pictures of toys or favourite food

Glue

Cut pictures from catalogues that you know interest the child, stick one picture onto a page and spend some time looking and talking about the picture e.g. say 'What's that?' Use the child's words to write a label under the picture.

Make up a small book of favourite things which can be shared with a teacher or a parent.

Can the child take this to an adult and show them with comments on the pictures?

Photos of everyday school life

Glue

Home made pictures

Glue

Stickers any glitter/cotton wool etc

Paints

Glue

Computer

Symbol for computer

Mouse

Attractive programme like 'dazzle' for paint effects.

You can make a symbol card using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

1. Show the child a symbol of the computer and lead the child to the computer holding the symbol for the child to see.

2. Model clicking on the mouse to make a change to the computer screen.

3. Comment on the change. E.g., 'Look... its gone red.'

4. Gradually give the child less and less help to click with the mouse.

5. Print out some of the screens that the child has made by using the mouse.

6. Comment on the print outs using one or two words e.g. 'Look......... green'.

7. Help the child take this print out to another adult for comment and praise.

8. Make a scrapbook of the printouts. Write the child's name under the print out.

Felt sheets (e.g. "Funky Foam") in basic colours.

Digital camera.

Examples of other materials you could use:

small coloured bricks in different shapes with some proportionately sized cars or animals;

small soft toys with plastic food items.

How to make the game:

1. Choose your subject e.g. house & setting; face; person with top, trousers & shoes.

2. Make a simple pattern and cut the main features from the felt in two or more different colours e.g. 2 walls, 2 roofs, etc. (with garden items too if required).

3. Set up one house on a neutral background and photograph from above.

4. Change one feature and photograph again. Carry on until you have a set with a variety of combinations (10 cards or more). It is much easier to take the photos with extra background and edit them to fit 4 per A4 page afterwards. Avoid flash if any of your items are shiny.

5. Do not make the pictures too complicated and have some really simple ones, for example one just consisting of a red car, or one containing a flower and a tree;

6. Print your pictures on lightweight card.

7. Keep pictures and the materials used in a box together!

1. This game is best played in pairs;

2. Introduce the game by turning over a picture so the child/children can also see it;

3. Show them how to copy the picture using the materials: describe the picture using two word phrases as you do it;

4. Turn over another picture for a child to have a go;

5. Once you are sure the children understand how to make their "picture", turn over another card but this time describe what's on the card (with two word phrases) for them to make a picture/scene;

6. Players take it in turns to take a card and say what is on it so the other person can make it with their materials;

7. Many pictures can be described with two-word phrases e.g. blue eyes/ smiley mouth; green house/ yellow door; big brick/ car

Miniature figures

List of target action words e.g. run, jump, sit, sleep, stand, walk

1. Model making a figure run. Say 'Look. The boy's running!' , 'Look. Daddy's jumping!' etc.

2. Give the child the figures. Can he/she make the figures do the actions?

3. Help him/her label the actions and form sentences by saying 'Daddy's jumping/ sleeping/ running' etc.

4. Ask the child 'What's daddy doing?' You want the answer 'Daddy's running' or 'Dad run' etc. If the child does not provide this response model the response for them.

No special equipment

e.g. cut, clap, eat, drink, brush etc

Digital camera

Play food, cutlery, brush, cup etc.

Start by playing with the cutlery and play food. Eat some food yourself and say ' eating banana/apple/bread' etc

Let the child play with the food. As he/she eats say 'Eating banana/apple/bread' etc

Take a photo of the child eating/You eating/soft toys eating etc. Look at the photo on the camera and say 'Look.......eating apple etc.'

Print the photo and put in a book. Show the child the book. Can he/she respond when you ask 'What's this?' You may need to model the answer for the child i.e. 'Eating apple/banana/bread' etc.

Miniature figures

List of target action words e.g. run, jump, sit, sleep, stand, walk

No special equipment

Plastic animals and a water/sand tray/pots/cups/etc

Watch the child playing with an animal in the sand or water and comment on the play at the two word level e.g. 'dog's swimming' or 'cat's hiding' or 'horse gone'

Copy the child's activity and comment on what you are doing e,g, child makes dog jump........you make dog jump and comment by saying 'Dog jump!'

Marble run

Cars and a car run

Spinning top

Jack-in-a-box

Cause and effect toys

Drum

Cups

Boxes

Anything to bang with a beater

Play equipment such as tea set, teddies, dolls; cars, bricks, play people etc.

Could also be done with outdoor play equipment or in any other play situation.

1. Allow the child to play with the toys freely with the minimum amount of help or intervention;
2. Using one or two keywords only comment on what the child is doing. For example teddy's got the apple; the bricks fell over; Fred's swinging.

(1) Sets of pictures and two places to sort them to e.g. clothes pictures, furniture pictures, picture of a house, picture of a wardrobe.

or (2) Sets of clothes pictures and outlines of a boy and a girl to stick them to

or (3) Sets of objects and two places to sort them to.

For example with the clothes and furniture pictures activity:

1. Introduce the pictures first. (The child should already know the names of the objects you use).
2. Mix up and turn the clothes and furniture pictures over.
3. Take it in turns to turn over the picture and say its name, and the place it goes, for example 'TV... House'.

A selection of about four to six objects, cloth to cover them.

Symbols for the objects if required

You can get communication symbols for objects with the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

(Small group)

Symbols for actions to support communication if required

You get communication symbols for actions with the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

No specific materials

Favourite story and some toy figures or toy plastic animals from the story

Plastic tea set and food and some soft toys

Hats and scarves and socks and shoes

1. Play a dressing up game;
2. Put a hat on your head and say 'look.... Mary's hat';
3. Then let the child choose a hat and (you) say 'look.... Mohammed's hat'.

Soft toys and clothing

As above and a tidy up bag

Favourite story and some toy figures or toy plastic animals from the story

Plastic tea set and food and some soft toys

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

When the child is familiar with a book, 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

Dressing up cloths

Cooking toys

Dolls

Tea set