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Topic “Communication and Language”

Activities to develop understanding and use of the pronoun 'they'

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Matching Pairs - printable picture cards - click here	Print and cut out 2 copies of the picture cards. Lay them face down in front of you. Explain to your child that a boy is called a 'he', a girl is called a 'she' but when there is more than one person we use the word 'they'. Take turns at choosing two cards to see if you have a matching pair. Name the picture according to whether it shows 'he', 'she' or 'they'. When you find a matching pair, you have an extra turn. The winner is the person with the most pairs at the end of the game.

Activities to develop the pronouns 'him' and 'her'.

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Play with dolls A male doll A female doll 2 identical sets of items, e.g. toy food, counters, any small items.	1. Explain to the child that you are going to play a game that will help them learn 'him and 'her. 2. Set out the dolls and the items. Explain that you call the male doll 'him' and the female doll, 'her'. 3. Give you child instructions - e.g. give the cup to him, give the plate to her. 4. After a few turns, ask your child to give you an instruction using the word 'him' or 'her'.	Before woring on him/her, make sure your child can understand and use he/she - click here for activities to develop these concepts.
Him/her sorting game - printable him/her sorting game - click here	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.

Developing awareness that an object exists when out of sight

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Peek-a-boo - A toy that your child is motivated by. - A small blanket.	Show your child the toy and let them explore it. Cover the toy with the blanket. Pull the blanket off the toy - you could say 'peek a boo' or name the toy as you uncover it. Repeat this a few times and watch your child's reaction - do they anticipate you are going to pull the blanket off? Do they attempt to get to the hidden object? If your child is not looking towards the blanket when you hide the toy, try using a noisy toy so they can listen to the sound when it is hidden under the blanket.	Only do this activity when the child is interested in the toy and is likely to want to continue to play with it Keep other distractions to a minimum - if there are other toys for them to play with they may not look for the hidden toy If the child is not aware that the toy still exists, gain their attention and lift up the cloth. 'Here it is!' Let the child play with the toy again

Common irregular past tense verbs

These can be used with activities sheets from www.commtap.org including:

Some common irregular past tense verbs for use in the above activities

See below if you are not sure what an irregular past tense verb is.

use single words signs or symbols for actions 2

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
What's missing? 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.	The child needs a good visual memory to do this activity.
Secret card Action cards You could use photos, drawings, or create using symbols	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.
Books Picture books showing a range of actions.	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.	You could ask questions like "Who's crying?". To encourage speaking, you could talk about the picture leaving (long) pauses in your speaking where the child could add their own comments, you could even try making the occasional errors in your descriptions (especially if the child is understanding the names for actions) and see if the child corrects you (correct yourself if they don't).
Fishing 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).	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.	Some children may need help with the fishing rod - a shorter line can make it easier for some children with motor difficulties, larger paperclips or less cards can also make it easier. If the child has difficulty understanding, you can reduce the number of cards or give a prompt.

Developing the skill of looking at and responding to another person

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Peek-a-boo - A piece of material - this could be a blanket, a muslin, a cloth, a scarf.	Sit down with your child. Call your child's name to encourage them to look at you. Hold up the cloth between yourself and your child so that you cannot see each other's faces. Make a noise to help your child anticipate what will happen, e.g. "ooooo". Pull the cloth down and say "boo" maintaining eye contact with your child. Wait for a response, e.g. your child smiling and then say "more" and repeat the activity.	Sit on the carpet or at a table dependent on where is most comfortable for your child. Your child may not respond to their name so you may need to make an interesting sound to get their attention.

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