Topic “Early communication”  

- 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.

Recording of the song;

(for example on youtube)

Water spray;

Picture of a log and a pond with Velcro attached to the log and three bits of Velcro in the pond;

Three Velcro frogs

1. Give the child one frog at a time to place on the log.

2. You count the frogs.

3. Start playing the recording and do the actions to the rhyme.

4. Let the child move the frogs from the log into the pond at the correct part of the song and reward with a spray from the water spray.

Recording of the song; Visual prompt card (grid 2x3 on A4 with prompts for clap, stamp, nod, say "Ha ha" and do all 4).

1. Play the recording and/or sing the song.

2. Encourage the child to do the actions with a physical prompt, verbal prompt, in imitation or spontaneously as necessary.

Chair;

Large thick cardboard covered in glittery paper;

Water spray;

Talcum powder.

Optional: symbols for more/finished.

You can find symbols in the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

Objects to represent number rhymes

Pictures for familiar rhymes

Laminated picture of a flying saucer and five men. Attach Velcro to the flying saucer and each of the five men.

• Small pieces of desired food
• Small pieces of less desired food

1. Find a quiet place to work and sit opposite the child.
2. Get the child's attention by calling their name or stroking a cheek or clapping your hands.
3. Present pairs of food items the child must choose from (one desired and one less desired item).
4. Put them on a small tray and place the items as far apart as possible.
5. At first give choices between favoured and hated food items e.g. crisps and raw onion!
6. Draw the child's attention to both the options. You may need to take the child's hand and reach their hand in the direction of the options. Say "Look ... ... crisps ... ... onion. Choose".

Small pieces of 2 different desired foods.

• One desired toy
• One undesired toy.

Two desired toys

Computer

Symbol for computer

Mouse

Attractive programme like 'dazzle' for paint effects.

You can make a symbol card using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

1. Show the child a symbol of the computer and lead the child to the computer holding the symbol for the child to see.

2. Model clicking on the mouse to make a change to the computer screen.

3. Comment on the change. E.g., 'Look... its gone red.'

4. Gradually give the child less and less help to click with the mouse.

5. Print out some of the screens that the child has made by using the mouse.

6. Comment on the print outs using one or two words e.g. 'Look......... green'.

7. Help the child take this print out to another adult for comment and praise.

8. Make a scrapbook of the printouts. Write the child's name under the print out.

Any simple activity that the child enjoys for example:

- marble or car run

- rolling a ball

- rolling a ball at some skittles

- pushing the child in a swing

For example for the marble run:

1. Hold a marble at the top of the run;

2. Say "ready steady go" (using a sign for "go" at the same time) and let the marble go;

3. Repeat a few times;

4. Now: say "ready steady" (but don't say "go") and wait, if the child makes any noise (or sign), interpret that as "go" and say and sign "go" clearly letting the marble go at the same time;

5. If after a time the child has said or signed nothing, say and sign "go" clearly and let the marble go anyway;

6. Repeat as necessary.

Any simple activity that the child enjoys for example:

- bubbles

- balloon

- marble run

- rolling a ball

- rolling a ball at some skittles

- pushing the child in a swing

Use toy clothes and a teddy/dolly. Put the teddy in front of the child and a choice of two clothing items e.g. hat and shoes. Say' Teddy wants shoes.' Help the child to select shoes and allow the child to dress the teddy or help if needed. Repeat 'Teddy's shoes...........shoes'.

Continue with different clothing items. When the child is familiar with some clothing names give the child more items of clothing to choose from.

Washable toys

Wash cloths

Soap

Shaving foam

Drying towel

Set of picture cards representing everyday objects.

Objects to match the things on the cards.

For the picture cards, you could use photos, or create using symbols

1. Start with the child's most familiar/favoured objects. Choose 2 and the two matching pictures. Match the object to the picture and say 'Look........sock/pen/flower it's the same'

2. Can the child put the object on a picture given 2 pictures and 2 objects.

3. Reward any success.

4. Start to increase the number of objects and pictures to 3 then 4 but go slowly.

5. Play a game by putting out 3 cards face down and 3 matching objects . Take it in turns to turn over a card and select the matching object

6. Use a puppet and see if the child can help the puppet match objects and cards.

7. Get a selection of cards of things in the room can you walk around with the child and find objects to match the cards

Reward!

Picture books

1. Get 2 simple books with clear pictures. Or choose flap or pop-up books. Offer the child a choice. The book the child reaches for or looks at is considered the child's choice.

2. Get comfortable with the child and look at the first picture. Use lots of animation in your voice and lift the flap or move the pop-up feature or point to an item on the page and name it at the one word level e.g. 'Look...........apple!' or 'Look...........monkey'.

3. The child may not want to continue very long with this ......a few minutes attention is OK. Finish the activity on a good note even if you have only liked at one or two pictures.

Ask parent for family photos from home

Two different attractive books

1. Hold the two books for the child to choose from where the child can see but a distance apart - it is easier to make a choice if objects are not too close.

2. If necessary help the child to choose by following the child's eye gaze and then guiding their hand to that book. Say 'You want this one.'

A chosen book

Somewhere comfortable and pleasant to read together

Blow some bubbles to get the child's attention / Blow a balloon up and then let the air out to make a noise.

Get ready to do the activity again, but wait for the child to indicate that they want some more.

Bricks or stacking beakers.

Small bucket

Sand in a sand pit

Spade

Small animal to hide at the bottom of the bucket.

Several containers

Large amount of bottle tops (or other similar material)

• water tray or washing up bowl;
• containers of various sizes;
• sponges;
• apron(s).

1. Try actions that the child might enjoy, for example squeezing out the sponge, pouring water over their hands, flicking a little bit of water towards the child;

2. Stop and wait;

3. Look for any sign that the child might want the action repeated, this could be looking, smiling, a slight movement. For some children the only indication they might make is not moving their hands away;

4. Repeat the activity.

Hand held battery operated fan.

One or materials with different textures, for example:

• rough and smooth textures;
• shaving foam;
• play dough (you can make your own play dough very cheaply - see https://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Affordable-Play-Dough/)
  

Musical instruments, for example:

• percussion instruments,
• battery operated musical toys.

Any toys which have a quick response, e.g. a jack in a box.

- A piece of material - this could be a blanket, a muslin, a cloth, a scarf.

1. Sit down with your child.
2. Call your child's name to encourage them to look at you.
3. Hold up the cloth between yourself and your child so that you cannot see each other's faces. Make a noise to help your child anticipate what will happen, e.g. "ooooo".
4. Pull the cloth down and say "boo" maintaining eye contact with your child.
5. Wait for a response, e.g. your child smiling and then say "more" and repeat the activity.

No materials required.

1. Sing songs with simple actions like 'Row row the boat' (with rocking).

2. When the song is very familiar pause after (or during) the song and encourage the child to indicate that they want the song to continue by looking at you, smiling, or pulling on your hands to continue rocking.

- A selection of vibrating toys, light and sound toys.