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Topic “16-26m”
16 to 26 months developmental range.
Show curiosity about book content
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing a book Two attractive books - maybe pop-up or flap books. | 1. Start by offering the child a choice of the 2 attractive books. Take as a choice the child reaching for a book or looking at a book. 2. Find a nice place to sit and open the book so the child can see the pages easily 3. Point to an object and name it - use lots of animation in your voice. 4. Direct the child attention if needed. 5. Use lots of repetition when you look at a book 6. Make 'reading' sessions short but enjoyable. | The object is to develop spontaneous interest in books. The child may want only to look at one book or to look at lots in a row , all of which is fine so long as it is a shared activity. Keep the language you use to talk about the books to 2 word phrases. E.g. 'big apple', 'red bus' etc. |
| Answers basic two-key word questions about the book | Keep language simple Keep it fun Keep it short. |
Match objects to pictures to symbols
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Object to picture matching 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! | Keep rewarding Give enough time Focus attention using one or two words only Stop while the going is still good Have fun! |
understand verb plus noun
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Colour or cut Simple outline drawings, e.g. pictures of food, everyday objects, or pictures related to the current class topic Coloured crayons or pens Safety scissors | 1. Put three or four pictures in front of the child; 2. Make sure the child understands the names of the items in the pictures (e.g. ask them to "find the apple"); 3. Ask the child to colour or cut out one of the items (for example "cut out the fish", "colour the house"); 4. Guide or prompt the child if they are having difficulties working out what to do; 5. After a few goes, you can give the child a go at telling you what to do. | If the activity is too hard, you can make it easier by only having one picture out (so the child only needs to understand one word - "colour" or "cut"), or by only asking the child to colour in pictures to start with. When the child gets it right (whether they needed prompting/help or not) give strong positive feedback using the words/sentence you are working on, e.g. "Mary's colouring the house!" You can also support the child's development of this skill by using signs (e.g. Signalong/Makaton) with the underlined words. |
| Physical Education Various PE activities, for example ball and beanbag or Crawl tunnel or bench or mats etc. | Make sure the child understands the names of the various objects or actions you are using. Other children who understand the language can be used as a model to help the child understand what to do. If the activity is too hard, you can start off by only having one place to go to, but two possible actions; or only using one action word with two possible places to do it. When the child gets it right (whether they needed prompting/help or not) give strong positive feedback using the words/sentence you are working on, e.g. "Sadia's jumping on the mat!" Try to make sure that there is always a choice of at least two possible actions (e.g. walk or jump) and two possible places to do the action (e.g. hoop or mat). You can use key word signs (e.g. Signalong/Makaton) to support the child's understanding. This activity should be adaptable to many gymnastic type activities. |
understand a negative and an action eg do not run
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Tell teddy to do the actions A teddy or soft toy | 1. Tell teddy to do something, e.g. "jump" and then make him do it; 2. Do this three or four times with different actions, e.g. "run", "sleep", "sit", "lie down"; 3. Give the child the teddy and tell them to do one or two actions; 4. Take the teddy back and tell him to do an action again, e.g. "run"; 5. Tell teddy "don't run" (make sure he stays still!); 6. Tell teddy to run, then tell him "don't run" (repeat); 7. Give the teddy to the child, and then give commands using just run (or another action you chose in "4"). Change between saying e.g. "run" and "don't run". Help the child to keep the teddy still when you say "don't run". 8. Repeat with different actions. | You may need to demonstrate this several times. If you say an action with a negative, for example "Don't jump" and the child starts to make the teddy jump, you will need to keep the teddy still. Be ready to hold the teddy down as soon as you have said the command. Support this activity with keyword signs if possible (such as Signalong or Makaton), or picture symbols. To go further, you could get the children to give the instructions - use pictures or symbols as a prompt as to what instructions they can give. |
| Do the action No materials required | It may be easier to make sure that the child is able to respond to the activity where you are telling teddy to do the actions (above). You may need to help children to not move if you give an instruction containing a negative (for example "don't jump"). Support this activity with keyword signs if possible (such as Signalong or Makaton), or picture symbols. To go further, you could get the children to give the instructions - use pictures or symbols as a prompt as to what instructions they can give. |
Activities to develop understanding of instructions containing 2 key words - set 1 (noun + noun)
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Shopping game (noun + noun) - printable shopping game pictures - click here - You could substitute the printed pictures for real objects. | 1. Print and cut out the pictures. 2. Put the bag and the trolley in front of the child. 3. Lay the shopping items out on the table. 4. Explain to your child you would like them to do some shopping and put the item in either the bag or the trolley. 5. Some examle instructions you could use: - put the carrot in the bag - put the pizza in the trolley 6. After a few turns, ask you child to give you an instruction. | To simplify to one key word instructions, use the food items with either the trolley or the basket, e.g. put the banana in the basket, put the apple in the basket.
To increase complexity, click here for activities focusing on three key word instructions. |
| Posting Game (noun + noun) | To simplify to one key word instructions, use the food items with either the lion or the tortoise, e.g. give the banana to the tortoise, give the yogurt to the tortoise.
| |
| Picnic (noun + noun) - Toys - tea set, 2 different soft toys and play food. | To simplify to one key word instructions, use the food items with one of the soft toys, e.g. give the banana to the teddy, give the yogurt to the teddy.
To increase complexity, click here for activities focusing on three key word instructions. | |
| Feed the puppets (noun + noun) - 2 hand puppets - Play food |
Understand where
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing a familiar book e.g. a pop-up or a picture book | 1. When the child is familiar with a book point to pictures and ask questions using short phrases beginning with "Where?" e.g. 'Where's Spot?' 2. The child should either point to the appropriate place, or say the name of the place where the object is on the picture (e.g. "basket", "car"). | If the child is not able to respond to the question, find the object for them on the picture, and say for example "Oh! There he is." |
| Naughty puppet Puppet or teddy or doll. Items to hide and somewhere to hide them. | Choose items to hide which the children already know the names of. |
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