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Topic “Concepts”
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. |
Activities to help develop understanding and use of the words 'left' and 'right' on own body
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt poster Sheet of paper (A4 size or larger) Pens/ pencils/ crayons etc. | 1. Explain that it can be difficult to tell which is your left hand and which is your right, but that there are some things we can do to help us. 2. Encourage the child to put out their hands palms downwards, with the fingers together and the thumbs extended at right angles. 3. Encourage the child to look for a capital "L" formed by the index finger and thumb. This will be on the left hand. Explain that the one on the right is backwards. 4. Help the child to draw round each hand with their thumb extended, with both hands on the same piece of paper. Help the child to write the words "left" and "right" on the correct hand shape. 5. Help the child to write a large capital L shape on the left hand following the index finger and thumb. Use a contrasting colour to do this. 6. Ask the child to draw a pen or pencil beside the hand they write with. If the child is right handed, you can remind them that "your right hand is the hand you write with; your left hand is the one that is left". This does not work for left-handed children. 7. If possible, ask the child to identify something visual to help tell their left or right hand and draw it on their poster. This could be their watch or a freckle, for example. | When it's finished, put the poster in a visible place to act as a prompt for the child. You may need several copies if the child works in different locations. Remind the child to use their strategy to tell which is left and which is right when they get stuck. |
| Following instructions Object with a distinctive look and feel (I use a painted wooden egg) Blindfold (optional) | You can give tactile feed back if the child is struggling to tell right and left. Touch them gently, but firmly on the right arm and say, "this is right". Touch them gently, but firmly on the left arm and say, "this is left". Understanding "left" and "right" on someone else is more difficult. To make it easier, make sure the child giving the instructions is following the child to whom they are giving instructions so that "left" and "right" for both children is the same. If the child giving instructions stays still then this is a much harder task - this equates to working at Level 3 (8 to 9 year old typical development). |
pupils use words left and right on objects in front of them
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Put it there One large object such as a toy bus, house etc. Several smaller objects e.g. toy animals Prompt cards saying "left" and "right" | 1. Put the large object in the centre of the table in front of the child. 2. Ask the child to identify the left side and the right side. Help if necessary. 3. Put the "left" and "right" prompt cards to the left and right of the object. 4. Give the child instructions such as "put the lion to the right of the bus" 5. Swap roles so that the child has a chance to give the instructions. 6. When the child is fairly proficient at carrying out the activity with the prompt cards, try the activity with no prompts. | The child should be able to understand and refer to left and right when talking about their own body first (see "understand and use words left and right on own body"). You should sit next to the child so their left/right is the same as your left/right. Note: if you are sitting opposite the child and want them to refer to your left and right this is a more difficult task: this equates to working at Level 3 (8 to 9 year old typical development). |
| "Draw it" barrier activity Paper Pens Cards with pictures of two items drawn next to each other, e.g. car and cat, tree and house | ||
| Matching pairs Matching pairs cards. Visual prompt for left, right, up and down like this: ↑ up ←left right→ down ↓ | Sit next to the child so that your left is the same as their left. Note: if you are sitting opposite the child and want them to refer to your left and right this is a more difficult task: this equates to working at Level 3 (8 to 9 year old typical development). Use an appropriate number of pairs for the age and ability of the child. If the child struggles with giving instructions using up/down, put the cards in one long horizontal line and work only on "left" and "right". Vary your starting point so the child has the opportunity to use all the direction words. You can use the words further and nearer instead of up and down, if it is more appropriate, but you must be consistent in which word you choose. |
think and talk about events in the past and future
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Which day? Card with 3 boxes, for yesterday, today and tomorrow A jumping frog (or any other toy animal that jumps!) | 1. Talk about each day, one at a time. Have the child draw or write key things they have done or that they will do in each box. 2. When you have finished, explain that there is going to be a quiz. Describe an activity and the child must say if they did it yesterday, today or if they will do it tomorrow. 3. Have them jump the frog onto the right day. | This works best when there are key things which are different about each day! |
| Walter the Worm Set of three toy animals - a small one, a medium sized one, and a large one - all the same colour - for example three plastic worms
Large 'thought clouds ' on A3 or A4 paper: Sticky tape Pens | * It is better to do this over at least two sessions. If the child is finding it easy to think about this, you could repeat the activity but have the child think about when he was a baby, and then about when he is grown up. | |
| Calendar Calendar Pens | This is an ongoing activity You could take photos of the key events, and put them on the calendar | |
| Visual Timetable Any activity where you use a visual timetable This activity is also suitable for working with children at lower levels: for example to develop communication about past present and future experiences (English Speaking P7), and sequence pictures of daily events (Maths Shape Space and Measures P8). You can make a visual timetable with symbols using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.
|
understand and use comparatives and superlatives
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| About my class Classroom equipment: Pencil, Paper, Etc. Prompt cards with the key words (as indicated in the text of the activity) written on. | 1. Working with a group of children, help the group to line up in order of height. 2. Ask one child to identify the tallest (or biggest) and shortest (or smallest) person. Help as necessary. 3. Give the tallest person a card that says "tallest", and give the shortest person a card that says "shortest". 4. Explain that 'taller' means "more tall". Find two children who have quite different heights. Say e.g. "Martin is taller than Fatima". Explain that 'shorter' means "more short". Say e.g. "Fatima is shorter than Martin" 5. Ask each child to identify one person who is taller and shorter than themselves. 6. You can repeat this activity comparing other features such as: biggest/smallest shoes longest/shortest hair widest/narrowest hand span heaviest/lightest person person who can jump the longest/ shortest distance person who lives nearest to/furthest from school most/fewest brothers and sisters most/fewest letters in the name longest/shortest hair oldest/youngest person or anything else you think of! | This is a group activity. This work could be tied in with practical maths activities such as measuring and weighing people. You could make a graph or table to record the information. It is easier to make comparisons between two people (or things) that are very different, rather than things that are quite similar (e.g. a very tall and a very short person, rather than two people who are almost the same height.) |
| Sort the pencils Selection of pencils | An activity for individuals. | |
| Order of age Pictures showing people at different stages of life (e.g. baby, toddler, young child, older child, teenager, young adult, middle aged adult, old adult) | An activity for individuals. This could be linked to a Science or PSHE activity about growth and development. You could use pictures from an animal's life cycle as well as a human's. | |
| Superlative pass the parcel Pass the parcel consisting of the following: A small prize in the centre (a bag of sweets/raisins etc. which the group can share is a good idea). Several layers of paper, each one needs a sticky label with a description on it. Each description needs to contain a superlative e.g.: the oldest person the youngest person the tallest person the shortest person the person with the biggest feet the person with the smallest feet. the person with the longest hair the person with the shortest hair the person who was born furthest away the person who was born nearest the person who lives furthest away the person who lives nearest the person who has the most brothers and sisters the person who has the fewest brothers and sisters the person who speaks the most different languages the person who has had fewest turns at the game anything else you can think of! | This is a group activity. This activity requires a significant amount of preparation. If you use alternate coloured paper to wrap each layer, it is easier for the children to see when they have got all the paper off. Make sure you have access to a bin when you are playing the game! |
before after then in sentences
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Timetable Game A blank timetable for a school day (or week) Flashcards with lessons and other school day activities on them (e.g. assembly, playtime, literacy, history etc) Pen and paper or whiteboard | 1. Explain that you are going to give instructions and the children should take it in turns to listen to you and put the right things on the timetable. 2. Give an instruction, using 'before', 'after' and 'then'. E.g. 'Before lunch I have numeracy and then handwriting. After lunch I have ICT.' 3. Note down what you have said on paper or a whiteboard so that the children can check later. 4. Have the children take it in turns to put the things on the timetable in the order you have said. 5. Let them check it against your notes. | Give the children a chance to give instructions too. |
| Simon Says Imagination! | At first you should choose to either work on 'before' or 'after' or 'then'. Once the children respond to each concept appropriately when used individually, use them contrastively, i.e. mix instructions containing 'before' with others containing 'after'. Initially you may need to provide plenty of model responses yourself; you may need to build up the sentence to show how they work: for example say 'jump on the spot', then 'touch your head after you jump on the spot'. Make sure the child listens to the whole instruction. Make sure that you give each instruction in one go, and not as several short ones. | |
| Barrier games Pictures to colour Pens OR Blank paper Pens OR Sets of objects | It can be difficult to see what order children do the steps in, so watch carefully. They may be able to number what they do too, but after they have finished the instruction as it's too much to remember all at once. Make sure the children cannot see each others sheets to copy! You can use blank paper and have them draw things rather than colour what is already there. Or you can use objects to make a pattern and the children must make the same as yours. | |
| Picture sequencing to descriptions Sets of pictures (one for each child) E.g. food pictures, clothes pictures, activities, or topic related words. | Have the children take turns giving a description too. |
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. |
Understand and use one less
| 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 less. Ask the child to take away a piece of plastic food from one of the toys so that it has one less - say that it has got "one less". Make fruit salad. Use two bowls. Cut up fruit for the two bowls and ask 'One less banana here? 'Can the child tell you what to take out of each bowl using 'one less'. | 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 more banana here?" |
| Number line Number line | Avoid working on "one more" and "one less" together until the child has mastered both of these. |
Match two equal sets
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Making matching Lego towers Lego bricks | Make a tower of 3 bricks and another identical one of 2 bricks. Hand the child the third brick needed for the smaller tower and help the child complete the tower. Say 'Look...the same' and point to the 2 towers. Compare the towers and count the bricks. Increase the height of the towers and the number of the bricks the child has to add to make the towers the same. Make your tower and then say 'Look......make the same'. Give lots of praise for making a tower the same. | Allow the child to explore the materials you are using before you start the activity' . You want the child to get the idea of things being the same. Extend the idea into everyday life e.g. match cups at snack time or knives and forks at dinner time. |
| Peg board patterns Pegs and a peg board | Make a peg pattern e.g. red peg, blue peg, red peg. Start the pattern off for the child. Say 'Look.........Make the same'. You may need to hand the child the pegs to complete the pattern to start with. When the child makes the same pattern praise and say 'Look.......the same' Allow the child to complete more and more of a pattern that you have made as they become familiar with the activity. Praise for completion. | |
| Matching using coloured counters/coloured care bears etc Care bears Counters | ||
| Line of coloured dots on a piece of paper Colours and paper. | ||
| Paper and colours | ||
| Establishing one to one correspondence Large laminated numbers 1/2/3 on card Small laminated numbers 1/2/3 on card Pieces of food/crisps/biscuits (or other motivating items) Marbles and marble run game Cars and garage ramp | Understanding that '1' is always '1' and '2' always '2' etc is quite abstract and a big step for a child. This skill needs lots of practise and encouragement. Give yourself enough time. |
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