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Topic “Early Years (0-5yrs)”
Early Years (0 to 5 years)
understand and use prepositions behind in front
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Behind with easily available objects 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. | Make sure that you sit next to the child when you work on these prepositions - this will make sure that what's "behind" for you will also be behind for the child Each time you describe what you are doing or you ask the child to carry out an action, stress the preposition word so they can hear what the important word in that sentence is. At first you should usually work on contrasting prepositions, such as "behind" and "in front" separately, as working on them together when they are both new to the child can cause the child to be confused between the two. |
| "In front" with easily available objects Materials as above | ||
| Behind and "in front" with easily available objects | Make sure that you sit next to the child when you work on these prepositions - this will make sure that what's "behind" for you will also be behind for the child Each time you describe what you are doing or you ask the child to carry out an action, stress the preposition word so they can hear what the important word in that sentence is. Do this activity only after you have worked on the prepositions separately. | |
| Hide and seek with miniatures Miniature people (such as Playmobil) or Teddy, Doll Places for the miniature people to hide, for example toy furniture, bricks, toy car, book etc. | The more enthusiastically you act his out the better. This game can be highly motivating. | |
| Picture description 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 | This activity is particularly useful for children who are mixing up the words "behind" and "in front". Make sure that the child understands that you are expecting a quick sketch, rather than a very careful drawing that would take a long time to execute. |
Understand and use more for quantity
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| More food 3 soft toys plastic tea set plastic food two bowls and fruit to cut into fruit salad | Have a tea party. Hand out the food. Point out which ones have more. Ask the child to give some food to one of the toys so that it has more. Make fruit salad. In two bowls. Cut up fruit for the 2 bowls and ask "More banana here? Can the child tell you what to put in each bowl using more? | Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. When the child is able to use "less" and "more" on separate occasions in separate activities, you can then use both together in this activity - e.g. ask "More/less banana here?" and so on. |
| Various materials See-through plastic cups Materials to put in them, for example: water beans sand pegs bricks pens Symbol for 'more' If you don't already have a symbol for "more" you can find one in the Commtap Symboliser. | You need to make the learning very visible. Allow the child to explore materials and give time to respond to questions Give lots of opportunity for repetition Provide a central group of items against which 'more' can be compared. Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. When the child is able to use "less" and "more" on separate occasions in separate activities, you can then use both together in this activity: use three beakers, have more in one beaker and less in another (than the central beaker). | |
| Sharing out materials Materials, for example: water beans sand pegs bricks pens Symbol for 'more' 2 different coloured sheets If you don't already have a symbol for "more" you can find one in the Commtap Symboliser. | Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. When the child is able to use "less" and "more" on separate occasions in separate activities, you can then use both together in this activity: use three sheets, have more in one sheet and less on the other (than the central sheet). | |
| Biscuit decorating Biscuits Something to sprinkle on to them | Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. |
Understand and use larger
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Drawings Drawings of houses and stick man families | Draw pictures of houses with windows and say 'Look...this house has 10 windows...it is larger/bigger. Draw stick man families and say 'Look...5 children here - this family is larger.' | Avoid working on larger with a contrasting word (such as smaller) until the child is confident with 'larger'. Contrasting concepts taught together can be confusing for the child. Once the child is confident with both larger and smaller (from work in separate activities on separate occasions) you can incorporate both concepts in this activity. |
| Washing up Dirty dishes Sink/bowl Water/detergent | Avoid working on larger with a contrasting word (such as smaller) until the child is confident with 'larger'. Contrasting concepts taught together can be confusing for the child. Once the child is confident with both larger and smaller (from work in separate activities on separate occasions) you can incorporate both concepts in this activity. | |
| Objects Play dough, dried beans | Avoid working on larger with a contrasting word (such as smaller) until the child is confident with 'larger'. Contrasting concepts taught together can be confusing for the child. Once the child is confident with both larger and smaller (from work in separate activities on separate occasions) you can incorporate both concepts in this activity. |
Pick out shapes from a collection
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Hunt the shape Plastic shapes Soft toys Beakers | Use squares, circles, rectangles etc and play hiding games under soft toys or beakers. As the child or you 'find ' the item label it, for example: 'Look...a circle.' | You need to make the learning very visible. Allow the child to explore the materials and give time to respond to questions. Use simple language and as much as possible use the same phrases to name shapes e.g. 'Square...this is a square.' Use lots of repetition. |
| Posting Plastic shapes Post box Bag (optional) | Allow the child to explore the materials and give time to respond to questions. | |
| Join dots to make shapes Dotted pictures of shapes Pencil, colouring pencils or crayons A post box (optional) | Use simple language and as much as possible use the same phrases to name shapes e.g. 'Square...this is a square.' Use lots of repetition. | |
| Play dough modelling Play dough, plasticene or similar. | Allow the child to explore materials and give time to respond to questions Use simple language and as much as possible use the same phrases to name shapes e.g. 'Square...this is a square.' Use lots of repetition. |
On under in out
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Hiding game "under" 3 common containers e.g. cup, box and hat Small toy e.g. car/ball Teddy | Encourage the child to close their eyes and hide the toy 'under' one container While the child is trying to find the toy model the word 'under'. "Is it under the hat", "Is it under the box" When the child finds the toy encourage them to say where it is. Swap roles the child now has a turn to hide the toy. Using a teddy or another child, pretend teddy is closing his eyes/or ask other child to close eyes and ask the child "Where shall we hide it?" The child then has to say where. | Start with just one preposition and give lots of models of e.g. "under" For expression give forced alternative e.g. "is it under the hat or under the box" When the child has learnt 'under' introduce another preposition and move on to discriminating between e.g. 'in and under' Use sign for 'under' along with the word to help understanding Use everyday situations to model the word 'under' |
| Understanding and using "on" and "under" through physical play Class room furniture PE furniture Playground furniture | Play games in a small group sitting on the chair and sitting under the table, crawling on a mat or carpet and crawling under a table or chair. Comment on what the child is doing e.g. 'Look......you are on the mat' or 'Look........you are under the table' Can the child give instructions about who must go under or on a piece of furniture? This activity is much more fun in a PE setting or a playground if you can arrange it. | Label the children's activities with clear 2 or 3 word phrases. Repeat the phrases over and over again to give lots of learning opportunities. These concepts are taught in contrasting pairs to illustrate the concepts clearly. |
| Understanding "on" and "under" using small toys Small plastic animals or Playmobil people. Boxes and containers to hide the small toys.
| Make this a fun game! Can some children not look while a toy is hidden by another child etc.? | |
| Understanding "in" and "under" when looking at pictures | Give lots of rewards for success and correct mistakes by saying ‘Look........this is on. Dog is on the box’ etc. | |
| Understanding "in" and "out" through physical play | ||
| Understanding "in" and "out" using small toys | Keep the activities fun and snappy! | |
| Understanding "in" and "out" when looking at pictures |
Activities to develop understanding of the concepts front and back
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Draw a picture - Paper and drawing materials - Object that looks different at the front/back. | 1. Ask you child to look at the item in front of them and draw a picture of it. 2. Now turn the object around and ask them to take a look at it from the back, and to draw it again. 3. Talk about the pictures using the words "front" and "back" in your descriptions. Ask your child to say which ones show the back of the figure and which ones the front. | |
| Jump on board game |
Understand and use prepositions
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Activities Materials to use can include: playground equipment, furniture, boxes, hoops, bean bags etc | Show the child how they can be 'on', 'in', 'under' etc these objects. When they are doing an action, say where they are, for example, 'you're under the slide', 'you're on the swing', 'you're under the blanket'. You can extend this by giving the child instructions containing the prepositions you are working on. | |
| Hide and seek with toy animals Table, chair, box, teddy, doll | While the doll is not looking, get the child to hide the teddy somewhere by giving them an instruction for example 'put him under the chair'. (Work on no more than two or three prepositions at a time). The doll comes back and asks questions such as 'Is he on the chair', 'Is he under the table' Give the child an opportunity to say where to hide the teddy. Give them a forced alternative, for example 'shall we put him in or under the box' using a sign for each preposition or physically showing the two positions of the teddy along with each word. | |
| Lotto game Lotto cards containing pictures of things in different positions, for example teddy on the table, teddy under the table etc. | ||
| Tea party Dolls, tea-set | ||
| Obstacle course for example: hoops, table, chair | ||
| Giving a puppet instructions puppet, objects such as spoon, cup, brush etc. | ||
| Tidy up | ||
| Nursery Rhymes |
Activities to develop understanding and use of position words (prepositions) in, on and under
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Physical activities Preposition symbols Playground equipment Furniture, boxes, hoops etc. If you don't have any, you can get preposition symbols - such as "on", "in", "under", "over" - using the Commtap Symboliser. | 1. Introduce one preposition concept at a time. 2. Get your child to do an action by saying "Stand on the bench" and then show them what you mean by standing on the bench, showing them the 'on' symbol and then encouraging them to copy you. 3. What other things can they stand on? 4. Once they are familiar with the first preposition, then introduce the next one. 5. Remember to show your child what to do when you introduce a new concept, as well as supporting it using visual clues. | Remember to support these activities with additional visual clues including signing and the symbols. In addition to working on the prepositions during particular activities, utilise every day opportunities to comment on what your child is doing. For example, by saying "You are on the slide. If you don't know the sign for a preposition, ask your Speech and Language Therapist. It may take one or more sessions before the child has understood the first preposition and before you can move on to another one. |
| Obstacle Course Various objects such as table, chair, bench, hoop, etc. Masking tape Preposition symbols You can get preposition symbols - such as "on", "in", "under" - using the Commtap Symboliser. | It may be easier to do this activity when your child is familiar with the prepositions or if you have another adult to help your child complete the obstacle course. Have fun!!! It can be a race with other children. | |
| Obstacle Course with toy animals/puppets Toy animals/puppets Real or miniature furniture Masking tape Preposition symbols You can get preposition symbols - such as "on", "in", "under" - using the Commtap Symboliser. | ||
| Hide and seek with toy animals Table, chair, box, teddy, doll. Preposition symbols. You can get preposition symbols - such as "on", "in", "under" - using the Commtap Symboliser. |
Activities to understand and use the concepts of full and empty
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Introducing full/empty - full/empty symbols - click here to print - play activity - water/sand/soil/small toys - different containers | 1. Print and cut out the symbols set you wish to use - you could work on full empty straight away or simply if by using full/not full. 2. With your chosen play equipment, model to your child what full and empty look like with a range of different containers and items to fill them. 3. Comment on your child playing, encourage them to make full containers then empty them. | If your child is finding it challenging to grasp the difference between full and empty. Choose one concept first, e.g. full, and use 'not full' as the alternative. Once you are confident that your child understands this concept you can start to teach the concept of empty. |
| Water play - Aprons for you and child - Symbol for 'full' and 'empty' - click here to print - Four identical see-through containers - Two large jugs/bottles - Paper towels - Plastic sheet to work over
| ||
| Watering the garden |
Activities to develop understanding of the concepts fast and slow.
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Fast slow car game | 1. Print and cut out the fast/slow symbols. 2. Explain to your child that they are going to pretend to be a car and move around the room. You will tell them to go slow or fast depending on which symbol you show. 3. Have a practice by showing the symbol and saying the word and encouraging your child to move slowly or fast around the room. 4. Swap over and let your child tell you whether to go fast or slow. | If your child is finding it challenging to grasp the difference between slow and fast. Choose one concept first, e.g. slow, and use 'not slow' as the alternative. Once you are confident that your child understands this concept you can start to teach the concept of fast. |
| Traffic Spot | If your child is finding it challenging to grasp the difference between slow and fast. Choose one concept first, e.g. slow, and use 'not slow' as the alternative. Once you are confident that your child understands this concept you can start to teach the concept of fast. |
Uses coins to 10p
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Coins
Pretend money in 1p coins Objects to buy from a shop Piggy bank, which you can open easily. Soft toys | 1. Start by making sure the child can count 10 coins accurately. Ask the child to post 5/6/ etc coins into a piggy bank. 2. Can the child choose one of your hands hidden behind your back with some coins in and count them correctly? 3. Can the child tell you to post coins? Will the child notice if you do it wrong? 4. Play games with giving soft toys pocket money e.g. teddy gets 3p and dolly gets 7p. 5. Play shopping games. Label objects and take turns to 'buy' from the shop. Children may want to play with items bought. This will help motivate them for the activity. 6. Take turns to be the shopkeeper and count the correct money has been given. | Have fun! This is an activity that can be done in small groups Allow children time to count and manage the coins. |
| Pictures of coins Draw pictures of 1p coins on a sheet of paper |
Match quantities up to 8
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Pens in pots 2 Plastic pots Up to 16 pens/coloured pencils | 1. Put out 2 pots one in front of yourself and one in front of the child 2. Get child's attention and slowly count 3 pens into your pot. Say 'Your turn' to the child and, if necessary, help the child put 3 pens in his/her pot. 3. Reward with praise and/or a sticker. 4. Repeat the activity with different numbers of pens working up to 8 at the end. | Keep the activity snappy and fun. Have your equipment ready in advance so that the child does not loose interest. |
| Lego towers Pile of Lego bricks | Keep the activity snappy and fun. Have your equipment ready in advance so that the child does not loose interest. | |
| Peg board patterns Peg board and pegs | Keep the activity snappy and fun. Have your equipment ready in advance so that the child does not loose interest. | |
| Drawing simple shapes. Paper and pens | Keep the activity snappy and fun. Have your equipment ready in advance so that the child does not loose interest. | |
| Generalise the skill throughout the school day | Keep the activity snappy and fun. Have your equipment ready in advance so that the child does not loose interest. |
First last next
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding "first" Lego bricks Miniature plastic animals and play mobile people. Two part story sequence pictures Home made drawings | Play games in a small group lining up at the door or the window. Point out who is first. Change the order and ask 'Who is first now?' At dinner time comment on what the child takes first. Say 'Look.......first you are eating..........' Build Lego towers. Take a pile of Lego bricks and say 'What colour do you want first?' Build a tower yourself and comment on your first colour. Follow the same routine when choosing pens to do a colouring in picture. Make a line of plastic animals or Playmobil People. Make sure they all point in the same direction and say 'Look.......... cat is first.' Can the child make a line and answer if you ask 'Who is first?' Look at the time table for the school day and comment on what comes first. Use 2 part sequencing stories and comment on what picture comes first. Ask the child to make a story and ask 'What is the first picture?' Draw pictures of stick men walking in one direction -can the child draw a circle round the first man etc. | Use objects to explain this concept and then move onto work with paper stories etc. Extend the concept into everyday life as much as possible. Repeat and repeat examples of first and last in the environment. |
| Understanding "last" | ||
| Understanding "next" | Make sure you are teaching this concept with physical things before you teach 'next' for a list of activities. Use a visual template to help a child order these concepts when you start to use these concepts to label class activities. Otherwise the concepts can seem very abstract and the child might get muddled. |
Add or take away one from a number of objects
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Add one to any given number between 1 and 10 - to understand that adding one means 'more' 2 small containers Sets of bricks, compare bears, pens, lego etc Number lines 1 - 10 that you can write on. | 1. Count say 4 items into a container and 4 into a similar container. Line them up, build them into towers , let the child discover that these are the same amount. 2. Tell the child "Put one more here." Go through the counting and comparing routine again and label the group with the extra item as "Look........one more here...this makes 5" etc. 3. Use two number lines. Match the number of items in each container with its position on the number lines. Say 'Look......here are 4 and here are 4.....they are the same. They are both 4." Tell the child "Add one more to this container". 4. Compare the two containers with the two number lines. Say "Look............this is 4" and mark 4 on the number line, and "Look .......this is 5" and mark 5 on the other number line. Compare the number lines , point out that one number line has "more" than the other. 5. Go through this process with different numbers. You want the child to be able to associate the real objects with the more abstract concept of a number on the number line. 6. Extend the concept to everyday life e.g. does the child want one more spoon of yoghurt?, or one more colouring pen in his/her bag? | You need to make the learning very visible. Start working with objects and move onto working with worksheets when the child is performing well with objects. Allow the child to explore materials and give time to respond to questions. Give lots of opportunity for repetition Work in short bursts and give many small rewards throughout the learning time. One aim is to help the child understand that real objects can be represented abstractly with numbers. |
| To take away one from numbers between 1 - 10 - to understand that taking away one means 'less.' Materials as above | ||
| From a given number find the number before Miniature people Groups of cars or trains Books with pictures of lines of people or cars or trains e.g Richard Scarry's transport books. Stickers Blu Tack Home made coloured dots (red and blue) | ||
| From a given number find the number after Miniature people Groups of cars or trains Books with pictures of lines of people or cars or trains e.g Richard Scarry's transport books. Stickers Blu Tack Home made coloured dots (red and blue). |
Understand and use one more
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Tea party 3 soft toys plastic tea set plastic food two bowls and fruit to cut into fruit salad | Have a tea party. Hand out the food. Point out which ones have more. Ask the child to give a piece of plastic food to one of the toys so that it has one more - say that it has got "one more". Make fruit salad. Use two bowls. Cut up fruit for the two bowls and ask 'One more piece of banana here? Can the child tell you what to add to each bowl using 'one more'? | Avoid working on "one more" and "one less" together until the child has mastered both of these. When both are mastered, you can mix both concepts in this activity, for example asking "one less banana here?" |
| Number line | Avoid working on "one more" and "one less" together until the child has mastered both of these. |
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