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Administrator Group

This group holds information for administrators of the site.

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Commtap - an online collaboration platform for speech and language therapists and all who work with or care for those with communication difficulties.

Recall a sequence of three or more activities in the right order

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Recall what happened in a lesson

The materials you had in the lesson.

Picture prompts for the activities that were carried out.

Piece of card to stick the prompts onto as you do the activities in the lesson.

  1. As you do the lesson, each time you do an activity, get the prompt card for the activity and put it on the card - so that the activities appear there in the same order that you did them;
  2. At the end of the lesson get the students to say what activities they did;
  3. Ask them which came first, then which was next, and which was next again (etc.);
  4. Use the prompt cards if students are having difficulty recalling the sequence.

You can work on recall of the main activities in the lesson, for example:

  1. Listening to the teacher/tutor;
  2. Draw a picture;
  3. Play the picture game;
  4. Sit in the circle.

Strategies you could use if the student is finding this difficult:

At the end of one activity say we were "listening", next we will draw a picture. Show a prompt card for each - so the student can see the progression from one activity to another. Ask them about these two activities at the end of the second one.

Describe a practical activity having three or more steps

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Breakfast

Breakfast food and implements, rough sketches or photos of each stage in the sequence to use as prompts.

Ideas for sequences:

Toast

  1. Get the bread
  2. Open the packet
  3. Take out two slices
  4. Put them in the toaster
  5. Push down the lever
  6. Wait for it to pop up
  7. Take it out
  8. Spread butter on them
  9. (Spread jam on them)
  10. Eat

Note: you can simplify the sequence - e.g. bread - toaster - spread butter. Or you could make it more complex.

Make a cup of tea

  1. Fill the kettle with water
  2. Switch it on
  3. Wait
  4. Put the teabag  the cup
  5. Pour in the water
  6. Wait
  7. Take out the teabag and put it in the bin
  8. Add milk
  9. Drink

As with the toast, you can simplify this or make it more complicated!

  1. Ensure that the student already knows how to do the activity - for example that they are able to make toast and spread it.
  2. Get them to tell you what to do/show you what to do: initially start with a simplified sequence with 3 or 4 steps (see ideas on the left);
  3. Respond to what the student indicates that you should do - but look confused if it won't work - for example if they ask you to put cold water in the tea (yuk!) to help encourage them to correct themselves: use the pictures or photos if necessary.
  4. Over time, see how much of the sequence they can describe without any prompts. 

This activity incorporates some automatic feedback - if the student gets it wrong, then it will probably not work and they will need to correct themself.

sequences three pictures showing a practical activity

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Practical sequences

Camera to make the picture sequences (or alternatively you can draw them or use a commercial resource).

Resources as appropriate to carry out a simple sequence

Examples of sequences (with suggested steps to make pictures for):

Putting on a jumper (get jumper, put head through, put arms through);

Drinking a drink (jug and cup, pour water into the cup, drink it)

Peeling and eating a piece of fruit (fruit, peel fruit, eat it)

Sitting down and eating dinner

Drawing a picture (pencil and paper, child drawing, finished picture)

Looking at a book (get it, open it, look at it)

1. Carry out the activity without the pictures;

2. Do it again, showing the relevant picture for each part of the activity as you do it;

3. Get the child to do the sequence, tell them what to do by showing them a picture for each part of the sequence;

4. Get them to show you what to do by giving you a picture for each part of the sequence. Try to do exactly as the picture you are given indicates, for example if they give you a picture of someone blowing bubbles without having given you the step for opening the bubbles container, try to blow the bubbles anyway (and act being disappointed when you don't get any bubbles).

At this level children may often be able to learn particular sequences of pictures without understanding that they relate to a sequence of actions, these activities are designed to address this issue.

Seeing how the sequence goes wrong if the wrong picture is chosen (in step 4) will encourage the child to work out which should have been the right picture without you needing to give any further feedback.

Sequence three pictures related to hygiene

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Self Care Activities

Camera to make the picture sequences (or alternatively you can draw them or use a commercial resource).

Resources as appropriate to carry out a simple sequence

Examples of sequences:

Clean teeth: get toothpaste, open lid, get brush, squeeze toothpaste onto brush, put lid back onto toothpaste, brush teeth, spit out, put brush under water, repeat, clean brush, put brush away.

Wash hands: turn on tap, rinse hands, put soap on hands, scrub hands, rinse under water, turn tap off, dry with towel.

Brush hair: get brush, brush hair, put brush away.

Deodorant: get deodorant, take off lid, spray at appropriate area, put lid back on, put away.

1. Carry out the sequence without the pictures;

2. Do it again, showing the relevant picture for each part of the activity as you do it;

3. Get the student to do the sequence, showing them a picture for each part of the sequence as they do it;

4. Get them to show you what to do by giving you a picture for each part of the sequence. Try to do exactly as the picture you are given indicates, for example if they give you a picture of scrubbing your hands before the tap is turned on/before you have the soap, try to do this - but appear confused when this doesn't work.

At this level students may often be able to learn particular sequences of pictures without understanding that they relate to a sequence of actions, these activities are designed to address this issue.

Seeing how the sequence goes wrong if the wrong picture is chosen (in step 4) will encourage the student to work out which should have been the right picture without you needing to give any further feedback.

Early Years

Group for developing activities and resources for use in the early years. First job is to convert all Early Years activities sheets to the new areas of learning brought in in September 2012.

Groups

A group on Commtap is a place where you can collaborate, plan, organise, and work on projects. The pages that a group can create can be either public or private to that group (only visible to them). List of groups

Creating a new group

Contact us if you would like to create a new group on Commtap.

"Private" Groups

The idea of private groups is not to have something kept secret, but rather to help people not have stuff in their searches of the site which they won't be able to use.

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Share information about self with others

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Likes and dislikes

Optional - something to record the students responses on (e.g. paper/pen) which can later be used as a prompt;

Soft ball or beanbag.

  1. Go round each student, asking them what their favourite food is - write it down and/or do a very rough sketch of it as you go;
  2. One student has a ball, they choose another student and say the other student's name and what their favourite food is - for example "Tom - you like burgers". They then pass the ball to that student. Use the prompt card if necessary.

To make it harder, you can go around again asking for favourite drinks - so that everyone now has to remember a food and a drink for each student when they pass the ball (e.g "Tim - you like carrot cake and tea").

You could use favourite games, favourite places to go, etc. instead.

Talk about things in the recent past

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
What have you done today?

Optional - way of recording students responses - e.g. paper/pen, whiteboard/marker

  1. Go round each student in turn asking what they have done today - e.g. "what did you do this morning": ideally one or two things each.
  2. Write and/or sketch something (very roughly!!) under each student's name on the sheet of paper (you can use this as a prompt later).
  3. After all students have said something, pretend to have "forotten" what they'd said - ask individual students to remind you, for example "Karen, what did Abdul do?" - use the prompt sheet if necessary.

Variations

  • After a student has said what they did, get them to ask their neighbour what they did.
  • Get the students to ask each other in pairs and then tell the whole group what their partner did.
  • Ask students to say what they did at the weekend or what they did in the holidays.
What have you done today - with a ball

Optional - way of recording students responses - e.g. paper/pen, whiteboard/marker

Soft ball or beanbag

Starts to greet familiar people using a reward chart system

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Says ‘Hello’ to 3 familiar people
  • Digital camera
  • Velcro
  • Laminated sheet of paper
  • Stickers
  • Laminated symbols for  ‘Hello’

If you don't already have a symbol for "hello" you can find one in the Commtap Symboliser.

 

  1. Agree with 3 familiar people that the child is going to start greeting them by saying ‘Hello’.
  2. Explain to the people you have selected that the child is learning to greet another person and there are a number of steps to this.
  3. Explain that the child will get a sticker reward for starting to say ‘hello’.
  4. Ask the people you have selected to respond to the child’s greeting by making eye contact and saying ’hello’ with a welcoming gesture.
  5. The steps for greeting include:
    • Stopping
    • Looking
    • Gesturing
    • Handing over a symbol of ‘Hello’
    • Saying/signing ‘Hello’
  6. Take photos of the people you want the child to greet and laminate.
  7. Put the photos on a laminated sheet of A4 paper using velcro.
  8. Next to each photo velcro on a laminated symbol of ‘Hello’.
  9. As you approach the target person they need to stop and get down to make eye contact with the child and say and gesture ‘hello’. It is best to use just one word.
  10. Help the child identify the person in the photos by pointing to the photo.
  11. You model saying ‘Hello + name + welcoming gesture. As you do this point to the person’s photo and then point to the ‘hello’ symbol.
  12. Support the child to do the same if needed.
  13. The child gets a sticker for stopping / looking / gesturing / saying ‘Hello’ verbally.
  14. As the child learns the routine slowly give fewer and fewer prompts for greeting targeted adults.
  15. Keep giving stickers for as long as the child needs this reinforcement.

The length of these instructions show that this is quite a difficult routine to learn!

The object of the activity is give the child conventional politeness.

Allow time to develop this skill.

 

Develop an awareness that different people have different preferences

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
I like/ I don’t like

Laminated A3 sheet divided in half with a line, with an "I like" symbol on one side and an "I don’t like" symbol on the other side (symbols could be a smiley face and a sad face);

Assortment of pictures of food, animals, cartoon characters, games etc.;

Use Velcro or blue-tak to attach pictures to board.

You can also get picture symbols from the Commtap Symboliser.

 

  1. Talk through the "I like/ I don’t like" board with the child. 
  2. Start with a picture of food – as most children have clear ideas about what foods they like and dislike!
  3. Choose a food picture and show the child, asking "X, do you like broccoli?" 
  4. Attach the picture to the correct side of the board, depending on the child’s response.
  5. Once the child has responded for 6-8 pictures, review the board. E.g “You like apples, chocolate and pasta, but you don’t like broccoli, oranges or ice-cream." 
  6. Take the pictures off the board and support the child to ask another adult/ peer "Do you like..." questions.
Jump in the hoop

Large plastic hoop.

Assortment of pictures of food, animals, cartoon characters, games etc. (if needed).

Use "is" to join a noun to an adjective

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Sentence Sequencing cards

Cards showing a range of nouns and adjectives plus the words "the" and "is". DLTK's examples. (https://www.dltk-kids.com/)

Pencil and paper (optional)

1. Lay the word "is" on the table in front of the child. Put the word "the" to the left of this, with a gap in between them. Check that the child can read both words;

2. Put one of the noun cards into the gap between the words "the" and "is";

3. Put one of the adjective cards after the word "is";

4. Read the sentence to the child (e.g. "the monster is green");

5. Encourage the child to make up new sentences in the same manner. It doesn't matter if the sentences are silly;

6. You can use the paper to record the sentences made, or for the child to draw an appropriate picture on.

Only suitable for children who can read simple single words.

What's in the bag?

Feely bag containing a range of objects (choose objects appropriate for the children you are working with);

"is" cue card as previous activity.

To make eye contact

Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Gain visual attention

Use something that the person may be visually attracted by, for example:

  • Flashing light;
  • Any favoured object;
  • Hair band with a visually interesting item e.g. Christmas bands.
  1. Work in an environment that has as little visual distraction as possible.
  2. Talk to the person and attract their attention by moving around the flashing light or other object.
  3. Once the person is looking at the item establish visual tracking (move it around a little so that they can follow it with their eyes).
  4. When visual tracking is established bring the item up towards your eyes so that the person is looking towards your eyes.
  5. If the person makes eye contact then give lots of verbal encouragement by saying "hello" smiling etc.

Remember that although the room needs to have little visual distraction the light needs to be sufficient to allow clear eye contact to be made e.g. a low light sensory room may not be so good for this activity.

Contribute Activities (advanced)

Key things you can do

Choose one of the following and follow the steps to create or upload something.

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Commtap Code Download

HTML to docx Converter (BSD licensed version)

This code is used to power the Word document downloads on this site (example - click on the Word document icon towards the top right of that page). The code is available under a GPL license from https://github.com/neilt1700/htmltodocx.

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