To follow verbal instructions of 4 to 5 key words, that involve a sequence of steps.
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Early years skill: | Understanding |
Early years typical range: | 40-60+m |
P-scales/Curriculum skill: | English Listening |
P-scales/Curriculum level: | P8 |
TAP skill: | Understanding of Language/Comprehension |
TAP level: | TAP48 |
Pre/Nat. Curriculum Area: | not specified |
Pre/Nat. Curiculum Standard: | not specified |
Section: | Early Years (0-5yrs) info; Primary (5-11yrs) info; Secondary (11-16yrs) info |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Barrier Worksheets A picture to colour - enough copies for everyone doing the activity, and for the adult too. Colouring pens / pencils A big book or folder to make a barrier | Explain that this activity is to practise listening, so the child must listen carefully. You will only say the instruction once. Give the child / children a sheet (one for everyone) and take one yourself. Put the barrier up, so that the child cannot see your picture. Give an instruction telling them to colour part of the picture, and colour it yourself. Make sure the instruction has at least 4 key words, and involves doing one thing before something else. E.g. if you have a picture of a robot you could say: 'Colour the robot's head blue and then colour two shoes red.' The words underlined are the key words, and there are 2 steps to the instruction. When you have all finished that instruction, hold up your picture, so the children can check if they got it right. | The activity is designed so that the child has to listen to, understand and remember an instruction of 4-5 key words. If you break the instruction up into the different steps, the child will be working with several short instructions instead of one long one. E.g. 'colour the robot's head blue. And then colour two shoes red.' is two instructions not one. Make sure the child listens to your whole instruction before s/he starts to carry it out. There is automatic feedback in this activity, as the child will be able to see from your picture if s/he got it right. If s/he got it wrong, s/he will be able to see what the instruction actually was. Topic vocabulary from e.g. a science topic or a history topic could be used, and simple worksheets created using software such as Clicker or Communicate in Print (see www.commtap.org for links to suppliers of this software). |
Barrier Patterns 2D shapes in several different colours Something to use as a barrier | Explain that this activity is to practise listening, so the child must listen carefully. Explain that the have to get the shapes in the same order that you have yours. You will only say the instruction once. Give everyone a set of shapes. Put up the barrier so that the children cannot see your pattern. Tell them a pattern to make, and make it yourself. Make sure there are 4-5 key words in your instruction. E.g. 'a circle, then a square, then a triangle, then a circle, then a square.' Or: 'A blue circle, a red square and a triangle'. The words that are underlined are the key words. When you have all made the pattern, remove the barrier so that the children can see your pattern. This means they can check if they got it right. | Make sure you say the pattern as one instruction and don't break the instruction up into the different steps. Otherwise the child will be working with several short instructions instead of one long one. E.g. 'A blue circle. A red square. And a triangle' is 3 short instructions. Make sure the child listens to your whole instruction before s/he starts to carry it out. You can use almost anything to make patterns - compare bears, mini beasts, small world toys etc. Pictures of topic vocabulary could be printed out and cut to make cards. The barrier pattern could then be made using a pattern of pictures. E.g. 'fire, fire, bucket of water, diary, diary' (linking to the Fire of London topic). |
Simon Says Imagination! | Play Simon Says, but change the rules. The important thing is not 'Simon' or 'no Simon' it is to get the actions right. Make sure you have 4-5 key words in your instruction, and that the children do the steps in the same order that you do them. E.g. 'touch your head, pull your ear, and jump'. This is an activity you can do during outside play or PE lessons. | Make sure the child listens to the whole instruction before doing it. Make sure that you give the instruction as one long one not several short ones. |