Topic “Small group”  

- A piece of paper for each of the blend sounds you are working on, e.g. for 's' blends you would have 'sc/sk' 'sl' 'sm' 'sn' 'sp' 'st' 'sw'

- Glue/Blu-tac

- Pen/pencil

- Feely-bag/ other container

- A selection of picture cards with words starting with your target blends/clusters - this will either be 's' blends, 'l' blends or 'r' blends - click here for printable picture cards.

1. Help the child to write a different sound blend in the centre of each sheet of paper. 

2. Put all the pictures in the feely-bag or container. Shake it to mix them up.

3. Ask the child to pull one picture out of the feely-bag.

4. Ask them to say the name of the picture. Give them a clue if they are not sure what the picture shows. Model the correct pronunciation if the child says it wrong.

5. Ask the child to stick the picture on the correct piece of paper according to the blend at the start of the word. (Use Blu-tac if you want to be able to re-use the pictures).

6. Repeat until all the pictures have been used up.

• A selection of common objects (you could use pictures instead)
• Suitable adjectives could include:
• common colours (red etc.) plus multi-coloured
• rough/smooth
• round
• flat
• edible
• size terms (big etc.)
• expensive/cheap
• old/new/old-fashioned
• striped
• spotted
• patterned
• metallic
• wooden
• plastic
• painted

1. Decide on a common category e.g. "things which are round" or "things which are red".

2. Help the child to sort the items into 2 groups according to whether they fit the category or not (i.e. a 'red' group and a 'not red' group).

A selection of common objects (you could use pictures instead)

2 sorting rings (draw two overlapping circles on a large sheet of paper if these are not available)

Category labels (optional)

1. Decide on two common categories e.g. "things which are round" and "things which are red".

2. Place the sorting rings on the table so that they overlap.

3. Explain that one ring is for items that have one feature (e.g. "round"). Explain that the other ring is for items that have the other feature (e.g. "red"). Explain that where the rings overlap, is where things that have both features go (see diagram on the left). Items which do not fit either category are left outside the rings.

4. Add labels if you are using them.

5. Help the child to sort the items into groups according to which category they fit.

• Pencil and paper

• Bag
• Common objects

No materials required

No materials required.

• Any book about different animals
• "Touch and feel" type books
• "All Kinds of Bodies" - Emma Brownjohn
• The "Children just like me" series - Annabel Kindersley and Barnabas Kindersley

Picture cards. These can be related to class topic vocabulary

Have each adult and child in the group take it in turns to make the cards into 2 groups (or 3 if necessary).

The cards in each group must all share a property or a function e.g. made of metal / transport (encourage the children not to base their groups purely on appearance).

Write down the categories that are thought of, so that the children can review them.

Flash cards with possible properties and functions written on them (e.g. hard, rough, things you wear, things you use to cut with, things you can read, etc.)

A dice

Assorted picture cards.

(They can be linked to class topic vocabulary. Make sure there are cards from a range of different categories)

This activity requires the purchasing of a commercial programme. SLTs/specialist teachers - help to further develop this sheet by providing an example or description of alternative resources to use in this activity.

Worksheet from Semantic Links programme - available from Stass Publications

Choose one with 3 choices.

Pictures of everyday objects from classroom or home, or real objects.

Cards with words and symbols of actions e.g. cut, stretch, squash

Dice

Counters

You can create cards with symbols for actions using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

Explain that you are going to be thinking about things you see around you, and what you can do to them.

Discuss each of the action cards, and model each action. E.g. stretch - stretch a rubber band

Lay the picture cards out in a simple race track. Put the action cards up where you can all see them. Take turns to throw a dice and move round the track. Turn over the picture card you land on and say which one of the actions can be done to that object.

The first person to the end of the track wins.

Cards with words and symbols of actions

Bag / box

Pictures of objects from school, or home / real objects

Sandtimer

You can create cards with symbols for actions using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

Pictures of everyday objects from classroom or home, or real objects.

Cards with words and symbols of activities e.g. eat, draw

You can create cards with symbols for actions using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

Pictures of everyday objects from classroom or home, or real objects.

Cards with words and symbols of activities e.g. eat, draw

Counters in 2 colours - 10 each.

You can create cards with symbols for actions using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

A Playmobil figure or similar

Small world objects - some of them broken

1. Explain that you are going to tell a story about the toy.

2. Tell a story about what the toy does in the day. Lots of things go wrong because the objects are broken e.g. 'want to go to work in the car but it won't move.'

3. Whenever there is a problem for the toy, ask the child 'why?' e.g. 'why won't the car move?' Answer: 'because there is no wheel!'

A toy character (called Freddy)

Pictures of different locations, e.g. beach, mountains

One or two items which go with each location e.g. bucket and swimming costume for the beach

Pictures of different locations with different 'hazards' or things of interest e.g. a jungle with a river and dinosaurs

Two toy animals (wind up toys are ideal)

Equipment to demonstrate an everyday problem and discuss it.

Some examples of equipment you could use:

Torch or toy with no batteries;

Cup with a hole in it;

Dry pasta;

Pen with no nib and in;

Broken pencil;

Dry pen with no lid.

Pictures of everyday objects and situations with errors, for example a picture of a house with the front door on the second floor, a picture of a phone with a banana instead of a handset, a someone using an umbrella with holes in it in the rain

Commercially produced

"What's Wrong?" cards are available.

If you have any of your own pictures appropriate for this activity or you know of a link, please consider adding them to the site at www.commtap.org

1. Have a look at the card and get the child to identify what is wrong or unusual about what is depicted on the card.

2. Get the child to talk about what problems could arise from the situation in the picture and how they could be resolved.

3. Get the child to relate the picture to their own experience.

Pairs of related objects, for example:

pencil and paper

sock and a shoe

bar of soap and a flannel, toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste

hammer and nail

knife and fork

box

1. Select pairs of related objects;

2. Place one member of each of the object pairs in front of the child (e.g. pencil, sock, soap, toothbrush);

3. Place the remaining objects (e.g. paper, shoe, flannel, toothpaste) in a box;

4. Have the child pick an object from the box and ask them to "Find the one we use with this";

5. Repeat with the rest of the objects in the box.

Place cloth over Child's face

Place cloth on Child's face, wait and see if he makes any reaction, then pull it off saying 'peek-a-boo'

'Where is Child? Where is Child? Here he is! Here he is!'

To the tune of 'Frere Jaques'

Box

Bricks

Empty the bricks on the floor or table

Help child pick up a brick and place it in the box...

Remember to use simple words like 'in', 'more'...

When all the bricks are in the box say 'all in, no more!' (or something similar!)

Then help child take them out again - say 'out', 'more' etc

Commercial or home made post box, pictures or objects to post

Monkey box and plastic food

- 4-5 bricks or other items that will stack.

- Show your child the items.

- Stack them on top of each other - use words while you are stacking, this could be the number, e.g. 1, 2, 3..., or the colour, e.g. red, green yellow, or brick, more bricks.

- Use 'ready steady...' or 'i, 2, 3 knock down' while you knock the tower down.

- Rebuild the tower and carry out the sequence again.

- When your child becomes familiar with this routine see if they copy you by knocking the tower down.

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 game;

Waiting cards.

1. Set up the track and pass the marbles round the children.
2. 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.
3. Some children may need handover hand modelling to pass the marbles.
4. The target child may need to hold a waiting card to support waiting for their turn.

Box of song cards with a name/picture for each song that could be chosen.

1. Give the song card box to one child.
2. They choose a song;
3. All sing a short bit of the song.
4. Encourage them to offer the box to the next child to choose a song.

Variety of stickers - for example of cartoon characters, cars, animals etc.

Pot of bubbles liquid.

One drum or other instrument. Or, on drum or other instrument for each child.

Game

Waiting cards

Marble run;

Bricks for sharing building and knocking down a tower;

Any lotto game where pictures have to be matched;

Skittles;

Pushing cars down a run/pipe.

1. Choose a patient friend!
2. Demonstrate the game to both children.
3. Support turn taking by saying "It's John's turn... it's Fatimas's turn".
4. You may need to support the child to maintain turn taking.

Bag

Set of objects which the child understands the names of

1. Take the objects out of the bag one at a time, for each item say to the child "It's a [name of object]" for example "It's an apple". Look to the child for confirmation that it's an apple (as if you are not quite sure). Then, with certainty, say "Yes, it's an apple";

2. After a few items, start to get the occasional item wrong (use exactly the same not-quite-sure facial expression you used before). E.g. "It's a pencil" (but it's a toy car). Can the child tell you that it isn't? If not, have a look at the item again and pretend to suddenly realise you were wrong, say "(oh) No, it's not a pencil. It's a car.

3. Repeat.

Two toy animals or dolls (each with a name)

(Optional) things that the dolls can use, e.g. tea set

Selection of highly motivating toys

Squeeze ball/sponge

1. Sit the children in a circle and take toys out of a bag. The child is allowed first choice of toys on the first occasion that toys are taken out of the bag but on subsequent occasions will have to wait. A squeeze ball or sponge may help a child to wait by giving the child something to fiddle with while they wait.

2. While the child is waiting for a go with a desirable toy praise good waiting.

3. Gradually extend the time the child must wait.

'First......then' card - example

Desk equipment e.g. glue, scissors, rulers.

A short 'story' specially written to explain the behaviour that is wanted in the situation.