Topic “Secondary (11-16yrs)”  

- Activities to work on noisy/quiet concepts

1. Before working on the activities below, make sure your child has an understand of the concepts of noisy/quiet. Click on link under materials section for activities relating to these concepts. 

- printable noisy/quiet symbols

- sound picture cards - you may have a set of phonic cards given to you by your speech and language therapist or education setting (e.g. Jolly Phonics, Nuffield Dyspraxia Resources) - Use these resources if you have them. If you do not have a set of phonic resources you can use click here to for a printable resource.

- optional - you could use noisy/quiet characters from Mr Men books by Roger Hargreaves.

- 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.

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.

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

Computer

2 chairs

simple computer programme e.g. a painting programme

Set up the computer with your chosen programme

Sit next to the child

Show the child how to take turns by:

Saying 'My turn' ........'Your turn' etc Support this by using gesture/points

Depending on the level of difficulties the child is having, you may also need to do the following:

Use a visual timetable with your name in a (drawn) box and then the child's name in a box, then your name in a box and so on i.e. make a list of the turns with names written in boxes

For example:

As you take a turn, cross off one of the boxes with your name in it

As the child takes a turn help him/her to cross off one of his/her names in a box.

Computer game and two chairs

Egg timer

- Photographs of different people showing different emotions - you could get these from magazines, newspapers or by internet search.

- Emotion symbols - click here to print.

- Paper and pens

1. Look through the photographs together - talk about what feelings or emotions the person is showing - you may have different answers from each other. Talk about why they may be showing emotions.

2. Can you match the symbols to the emotions. Talk about the differences you notice in peoples' faces.

3. Can you think of times when you felt this emotion - use the paper and pens to write this down. Compare your experiences.

- Exercise book/note pad/sheets of paper

- Emotion symbols - click here to print. You can draw your own if you prefer.

- Emotion symbols (click here to print)or feelings Dictionary (see above)

- Time-line of a day

Have the children stand facing each other in pairs. Tell them to walk forward until they feel they're the right distance away. Discuss how close you can be to others.

Photos of familiar people e.g. adults leading the group, class teacher/s, head teacher, all children in the group, other children from the children's class/es, etc.

photos of unfamiliar people e.g. child, baby, man, woman, police officer, shopkeeper/ market stall holder, bus driver, person at ticket booth at station etc. - from Flash-pro or internet image search

Outline drawing of the body e.g. from "pictures, please" or "language steps" for each child

red and green pens/pencils

Photos of familiar people e.g. adults leading the group, class teacher/s, head teacher, all children in the group, other children from the children's class/es, etc.

Photos of unfamiliar people e.g. police officer, shopkeeper/ market stall holder, bus driver, person at ticket booth at station etc. - from Flash-pro or internet image search.

Comment suggestion cards: comment cards can say things like:

Hello

Hi, mate

How old are you?

What's your name?

How are you?

What do you want?

Please can you be quiet

Shut up

Get out of the way!

Get lost!

Can you help me, please?

Good morning

Excuse me

Oi, you!

Are you a boy or a girl?

Alright?

1. Put the photos where the children can see them and check they can identify who every one is.

2. Have a child pick a comment card and decide which people they could say it to and which people they couldn't

3. children can suggest other comments

- Pictures/photos of different emotions - a printable set of emotion cards are available here.

- Situation cards - click here to print.

1. Print and cut out the resources.

2. Introduce the activity by having a quick discussion of how it's fine if different people feel differently about the same situation.

3. Take turns to choose a situation card and discuss it together. See if you can match how you would feel to the emotions symbols or pictures.

4. Some children may be able to explain why they'd feel that way e.g. "I'd be scared if I saw a spider because I don't like them'.

Photo emotions cards (e.g. LDA, Colorcards or from Flash-Pro) showing photos of Happy, Sad and Angry faces

1. Show the child the pictures and ask them to identify the emotion shown.

2. Help the child to think of alternative names for each emotion (e.g. angry = cross, annoyed, vexed, mad, cheesed off, in a bad temper etc. ...).

3. Put the pictures where the child can see them.

4. Say a sentence in a tone of voice that contradicts the message, e.g. "I'm fine, nothing's wrong with me" in a sad voice.

5. Ask the child to point to the right picture (or say its name) for the emotion you portray

6. Ask the child: "how did I say I was feeling?" and "How did I really feel?"

Group game for a minimum of three people

• Dice and shaker
• Pictures of a variety of different emotions (minimum 6), for example  Google image search;
• Two counters per person (each person needs two counters the same colour, but different from everyone else’s);
• 1-6 grid;
• Game track;
• Phrases cards.

1. Shuffle the emotions cards and put one face up in each of the spaces on the 1-6 grid.

2. Check the children/young person know what each card says and what the emotion is (remove any that are too difficult and put new cards in their place).

3. Let everyone choose a coloured counter. Everyone puts one of their counters on the “start”.

4. Choose one person to start (perhaps the adult should go first).

5. The person who starts shakes the dice in the cup, and puts the cup upside down on the table. Carefully lift up the cup and look at the dice so only you know which number is on top. Look at the emotions cards on the board to see which emotion corresponds to the number on the dice – but don’t say what it is.

6. Pick a phrase card. Read the phrase on the card, displaying the emotion you have been given. Use your voice and gestures. It’s fine to give children help in reading what the phrase is, but not in how to display the emotion!

7. The other players watch the player acting out the emotion. They decide which of the emotions the player is portraying. They put their other counter on the name of the emotion they have chosen.

8. When everyone has voted, the player who acted the emotion lifts up the cup to show which number was on the dice.

9. Check to see who chose the correct emotion. The people who chose correctly move their counter on to the next space

10. The player who acted also moves their counter on the same number of orange spaces as the number of people who guessed correctly.

11. The next player then has a turn to act. Continue until someone has reached the “finish” space.

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).

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