Topic “Individual”  

• Figures - finger puppets, figures cut from magazines, Playmobil (miniature world) figures etc.
• Some short story scripts.

1. Explain to the child that you are going to practise deciding if people are being good friends or not.
2. Explain that they need to watch / help to act out the story and then you will talk about it.
3. Act out one of the story scripts together.
4. Have the child say if the characters (or one specific character) are being good friends or not, and why.
5. Ask them what the characters could do differently.

• Puppets (optional)
• Story scripts or requirements for what the story should be about.

• A small notebook.
• A poster on 'how to be a good friend' - optional.
• Pen.
• Rewards - e.g. stickers or certificate.

• Small motivating stickers.

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).

Bag of small reward toys that are not too noisy for use in class e.g. small bubbles pots from party shops, squeeze balls, spinning toys, 'stocking filler' toys from catalogue companies.

Laminated strip of card.

Laminated symbols for 'work' and 'reward'. Or, make your own.

You will need about 4 of each symbol.

Sand timer.

1. Put the reward toys into a bag and keep them only for reward times.

2. Make the laminated strip and the symbols and keep them in the bag with the reward toys.

3. When the child sits to do a work activity take out the laminated strip and put the 'work' and 'reward' symbols on the strip e.g.:

4. Encourage the child to do the work activity but watch carefully and as soon as the child looks as if they have had enough say 'work is finished......time for reward'. Then take off the first 'work' symbol and point to the 'reward'' symbol as you give the child the reward bag to choose a reward toy from.

5. Turn over the sand timer so the child has a visual reminder of how long they are allowed to use the reward toy for.

6. When the reward time is finished take the 'reward' symbol off the laminated strip and point to the 'work' symbol.

7. In time the child will come to trust that work is followed by a reward. You will be able to vary the length of time you expect a child to work depending on the child's mood and state. By watching the child carefully you will be able to give the child a reward before their behaviour slips into something unacceptable. This ensures that you are always rewarding good behaviour.

'I am working for .........' laminated card A 5 size.

Symbols/pictures of motivators, laminated and with a Velcro square on the back to fix to the A5 star chart. Software to help create this.

Small counters, smiley faces or stars with small bits of Velcro on the back so that they can be stuck to the star chart as needed.

A group of identical objects e.g. red lego bricks/coloured beakers/paint brushes and an object that is quite different.

Pictures of identical things e.g. lots of pictures of apples/shoes from the computer. Or photo copy something a number of times

Contrast with a different computer image or photo copied item.

Put out the identical objects one at a time and say 'Red lego, red lego' etc 'Look...........the same.' Use a sign/symbol/word to label the things as 'Same'.

Make a show of the item that is different. Label as 'Different' with sign/symbol/word.

Follow the same procedure with pictures as for working with objects.

Colouring -in pictures of house/car/child/snowman etc

Set of snap cards.

- Sorting by location picture cards - click here to print

1. Print and cut out the resource.

2. Choose how many categories your child is going to sort - it may be best to start with 2 or 3, before making it harder by adding extra categories.

3. Shuffle the items to be sorted. Each take a turn at choosing an item, naming it and placing in the correct location.

4. If your child is finding challenging to name items, use some of the strategies in the word finding information sheet linked above.  

- Paper

- Glue

- A selection of pictures from your chosen category.

- Printable category cards

- Printable category picture cards:

- animals

- body parts

- clothes

- food

- toys

- transport

Or use a seletion of your own real objects or pictures. 

1. Print and cut out the large category cards and the small picture cards.

2. Start by sorting items from teo different categories.

3. Place the picture cards from the categories face down. Explain to your child you are going to sort the items into groups.

4. Each take a turn at choosing a picture card, naming them item and placing it in the on the appropriate category card.

5. If your child is able to sort items into two catgories, next attemp items from three different categories. 

- 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

Linkable cubes

Play games linking these together and pulling them apart. Who can build the biggest tower?

Puppets

Cotton wool

Containers

Tweezers

Small things to pick up

Can the child put pegs on the puppet's hand/nose/arm etc? Can the child rescue the puppet from the clothes peg monster which has covered the puppet in pegs? Can the child be the clothes peg monster and cover the puppet in pegs?

Can the child use tweezers to pull off bits of cotton wool and hide them/put them into a container/give them to a hungry puppet?

Can the child feed a teddy small bits of paper balls/sponge etc using tweezers held in finger and thumb?

Lace and card with holes

Can the child follow a line to thread the lace through the pre-cut holes? Can the child undo the threading to start again?

Beads

Threading lace

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)

Pictures of activities relevant to a school day

e.g. break time, different lessons

Pictures of activities relevant to a weekend day

e.g. going to the park, going to the shops

A strip of card with Velcro on it, long enough to fit the whole sequence on it / timeline

1. Start with just one set of pictures; the school day ones will have the least variation and so should be easier.

2. Go over what the pictures are first.

3. Have the child put them in the right order on the strip to fit their own day.

4. Discuss any variation in routines, and use sequencing language such as 'before, after, first, then, next'. Refer to time for well known points, e.g. start of school, lunch time, home time. Emphasise concepts of 'morning, afternoon, evening, night'.

5. Introduce pictures of activities at home and put in order for a weekend or holiday day. When the children are confident with this, you could give them all the pictures and have them sort them out.

Pens / pencils

Paper

Glue

Scissors

Black Sheep Worksheets:

There are several relevant packs, including 'times of the day' and 'days'.

Black Sheep Press

A set of cards with shapes you are working on - say four with squares on, four with triangles on, four with rectangles on and four with circles on.

1. Place the cards face down;
2. Take it in turns to turn over two cards. Say the name of the shape on the card as you turn it over.
3. If the two cards have the same shape on it you get to keep them, otherwise you turn them back over.

Printed cards with pictures of the shapes and their names.

Selection of 2D shapes.

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

- Animal pictures or toys

- Toy furniture: table, chair, bed.

1. Place the furniture in front of the child.

2. Ask the child to tell you what to do with an animal of their choosing if they are able to use three word phrases. If they can only use two word phrases, select the toy for them and ask them to tell you where to put it.

e.g. under table / on bed (two word level);

cat under table / sheep on bed (three word level)

Cup,

box,

pencil,

ruler

(you could substitute different objects if you prefer)

prompt cards showing the required positions of the items (optional)

1. Tell the child that you are going to put the pencil behind the cup - put the objects in the right places.

2. Next tell them that you are going to put the pencil behind the box.

3. Put the pencil and ruler in different places, describing what you are doing.

Repeat a number of times as necessary putting different objects behind other objects.

4. Then explain it's the child's turn to put the object in the right place. Say "put the pencil behind the box". If the child gets it right, say, "well done, the pencil is behind the box". If s/he gets it wrong, show them where the pencil goes.

5. Carry on giving the child instructions.

6. Let the child have a turn to give the instructions so s/he practices use the words. If the child finds it difficult to think of what to say, make a set of prompt cards.

Materials as above

Miniature people (such as Playmobil) or Teddy, Doll

Places for the miniature people to hide, for example toy furniture, bricks, toy car, book etc.

Several paired pictures showing the same person, animal or object behind and in front of an object (e.g. a cat behind a bin and a cat in front of a bin; a person behind a chair and a person in front of a chair, etc.)

Pencil and paper or white board and pen