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Topic “Expressive Language”
Activities to encourage the use of 'first', 'next' and 'last' when describing a sequence of events.
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Sequencing cards - sets of 3 picture sequencing cards - you will need to source these. | 1. Choose a set of three cards and mix them up. 2. Ask your child to sort the pictures in the order that they happened. If your child finds this hard, put them in order together. Match them to the symbols. 3. Describe what is happening in the pictures using the words first, next and last - you can point to the symbols as you say the words. 4. Encourage your child to describe what is happening using the words first, next and last. | If the child finds it difficult to remember whether to put the pictures in order from left to right, or right to left, you can draw a large arrow (→) on the sheet. Numbering the boxes 1-3 can also help. |
| Photo sequencing |
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make predictions about physical actions
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| What would happen if? Selection of the following equipment as appropriate: Candle and matches/ lighter; Balloon and pin; Building bricks/ Jenga game; Jug and cups, access to sink; Glass, water and instant coffee granules | Using appropriate equipment, ask the child to predict what will happen, then carry out the action to see if they were right: What will happen if you... Touch a flame to the candle's wick? Hold the candle horizontally? Blow onto the candle's flame? Blow into the balloon? Touch the balloon with the blunt end of the pin? Touch the balloon with the sharp end? Put a large brick on top of a smaller brick? Build a tower using all the bricks? Pull out a brick from lower down the tower? Start the tower on an uneven surface? Put lots of water (more than it can hold) into a cup? Have the cup upside down when you try to fill it? Put some coffee granules in the glass, then add cold water? Fill the glass with water, then sprinkle coffee granules on the top? | |
| Science activities Equipment as appropriate to the science activity. |
use adjectives to describe and classify objects
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Classify the object 1
| 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). | |
| Classify the object 2 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. | To make this activity more difficult, you could sort according to three categories. |
| Spider chart
| Example of a spider chart:
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| What's in the bag?
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| Nicknames No materials required | Works well as a group activity - could be used as an ice-breaker. | |
| I spy adjectives No materials required. | ||
| Books
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Identify errors in pictures of everyday objects
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| What is wrong? pictures 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. | If the child has difficulties, you can look surprised or puzzled when you see the picture, make comments like "there's something wrong", or "my phone's not like that", or "Oh no! He's getting wet!" To keep the child motivated they could also post the card once the card has been discussed. |
Activities to develop categorising items by where you find them/location
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Soring by location activity | 1. Print and cut out the resource. 2. Choose how many categories your child is going to sort - it may be best to start with 2 or 3, before making it harder by adding extra categories. 3. Shuffle the items to be sorted. Each take a turn at choosing an item, naming it and placing in the correct location. 4. If your child is finding challenging to name items, use some of the strategies in the word finding information sheet linked above. | |
| Make a collage - Paper - Glue - A selection of pictures from your chosen category. |
Categories - to recognise the odd one out
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| What's in the bag - Draw string bag - Sets of objects, for example: Groups of pens, cars, Lego bricks. - You could also use objects which differ markedly in texture, for example six normal pieces of paper and a piece of sandpaper. If you do not have obejcts available you could print out and use a selection of category cards below: | 1. Put a group of objects/pictures into a bag and add one clearly different object/picutre. 2. Take turns taking things out of the bag and saying/signing what they are. 3. Comment on the item that is different, for example "look... this is the odd one out" or "this is different" (look surprised, puzzled, make an exclamation). | |
| Odd one out pictures |
Fine motor skills to support writing skills
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Link Cubes Linkable cubes | Play games linking these together and pulling them apart. Who can build the biggest tower? | Have fun with the activities in this area. The activities are designed to build up both skill and strength with thumb and forefinger as a precursor to writing. . |
| Tweezers and clothes pegs Puppets Cotton wool Containers Tweezers Small things to pick up | Can the child put pegs on the puppet's hand/nose/arm etc? Can the child rescue the puppet from the clothes peg monster which has covered the puppet in pegs? Can the child be the clothes peg monster and cover the puppet in pegs? Can the child use tweezers to pull off bits of cotton wool and hide them/put them into a container/give them to a hungry puppet? Can the child feed a teddy small bits of paper balls/sponge etc using tweezers held in finger and thumb? | |
| Card Threading Lace and card with holes | Can the child follow a line to thread the lace through the pre-cut holes? Can the child undo the threading to start again? | |
| Necklaces Beads Threading lace | ||
| Toy nuts and bolts on a board. | ||
| Pegboard and pegs | ||
| Silly putty and small objects to hide | ||
| Stress balls | ||
| Bubble wrap | ||
| Shape sorter |
Name 2d shapes e.g. square
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Shape pairs A set of cards with shapes you are working on - say four with squares on, four with triangles on, four with rectangles on and four with circles on. |
| Make sure you have a go as well as the children. Take your go in the same way as they do, saying the name of the shape as you turn it over. If the child struggles to say the name of the shape, say it for them. Having lots of goes rather than labouring over one go is likely to be more satisfying for the children. Variations Shapes and object pictures Half the cards have the shape picture on, the other half have pictures of objects that are that shape (viewed from an angle that looks like that shape) - for example: book, iPad, ball, clock, door, coin, cheese triangle, end of Toblerone box, road warning sign. To make pairs, you now have to match a shape to an object picture. Call out the shapes for the objects and shape pictures as before. Object pictures |
| Models with 2D shapes Printed cards with pictures of the shapes and their names. Selection of 2D shapes. | Start with a small number of shapes - e.g. squares and triangles. |
Activities to develop the use of prepositions 'in', 'on' and 'under' in a short phrase.
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Hide the toy - Animal pictures or toys - Toy furniture: table, chair, bed. | 1. Place the furniture in front of the child. 2. Ask the child to tell you what to do with an animal of their choosing if they are able to use three word phrases. If they can only use two word phrases, select the toy for them and ask them to tell you where to put it. e.g. under table / on bed (two word level); cat under table / sheep on bed (three word level)
| Allow the child to explore materials and give time to respond to questions. Respond to however the child manages to get their message across (for example if they just point): you may need to demonstrate what you want the child to do using the appropriate language (e.g. "under (the) table"). After the child is familiar with the objects - you can make the task more difficult (and communicative) by putting a screen between the objects and the child whilst they give you an instruction. |
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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. |
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 |
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.
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