Section 3

1. Use the following link to support the child with naming parts of the body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35D0tpEPSvo
2. Sing the song with the child pointing to the different parts of the body.

• After the song has finished, as the child to recap the parts of the body that they have touched.
• Use songs without visual clues/watching the video. For example, sing ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ together and encourage your child to join in.

• Model the song to the child first.
• Support the child with the actions of the song.

More body part songs and videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlKXoHvwluA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cqLp1RqHl8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BrS0a5PUFo

Apps:

Available from the Play store – Body Parts for Kids

1. You will need a favourite toy of the child and a spoon.
2. Put out both objects and tell the child: ‘Feed the toy.’
3. Then give the child a small towel and tell the child: ‘Clean the toy.’

• Increase the number of actions that the child has to complete.
• Use less common verbs.

• Model the verb to the child first. For example, feed the toy first and then ask the child to repeat it.
• Look through books together and talk about what the characters are doing.

Understanding two key word sentences

This is part of the continuum of language development: children learn to abstract meaning from one key word (in this case a toy) and then move to being able to do the same with two (the object like a chair, plate or cup).

1. Gather together two of the child’s favourite toys. For example, a teddy and a doll.

2. Also collect two of the following objects: chair/table/box/plate/cup.

3. Place both toys and three of the objects in front of the child.

4. Ask the child to put one of the toys ‘under’ or ‘on top of’ one of the objects. For example, ‘Put the teddy on top of the plate.’ ‘Put        the doll under the chair.’

• Reduce non-verbal signals so the child needs to only focus on the words.
• Ask the child to tell you what to do.

• Use non-verbal signals to support the child.
• Model the activity first to the child.

• Use these instructions when out and about. For example:

When shopping – ‘Put the apples in the trolley’

When in the park – ‘Give the ducks the bread’

Getting in the car – ‘Put the bag in the car’

The following activities are suggested by Leicester Speech and Language Therapy service:

https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Following-Instructions-2-Key-Words.pdf

• Action Game: Use 2 different toys, e.g. teddy and dolly. Request the child to make toys carry out actions: ‘make dolly sleep’ ‘make teddy jump’ ‘make teddy walk’ ‘make dolly sit’ etc.
• Objects Game: Use 2 different toys and a variety of objects e.g. hair brush, sponge, book, pretend food, small cup. Give your child instructions to carry out an action on one of the toys: ‘brush dolly’ (hair brush) ‘wash teddy’ (sponge) ‘make teddy read’ (book) ‘make teddy eat’ (food) ‘make dolly drink’ (cup) etc.
• Washing Game: Use 2 different toys and a sponge/cloth. Ask your child to wash different parts of the toys’ bodies: ‘wash teddy’s nose’ ‘wash dolly’s foot’ ‘wash dolly’s ears’ ‘wash teddy’s hands’ etc.
• Shopping Game: Use 2 different toys and gather together some pretend food items. Play a shopping game where your child has all the shopping items in their basket. Ask the child to share the food with the toys: ‘give the apple to teddy’ ‘give the cake to teddy’ ‘give the egg to dolly’ ‘give the carrot to teddy’ etc.
• Posting Game: Play a posting game where your child has to find two pictures to post into a box or container. Display a range of picture cards in front of your child and ask them to find two objects: ‘find the car and the tree’ ‘find the boots and the teddy’ etc.

Whilst playing these games, you can also give your child an opportunity to say what they want you to do, or to describe what they are doing, so they get practice at using these small sentences themselves.

When children first begin to understand simple instructions, they use all the cues around them (e.g. routine, pointing, gestures) to work out what they need to do – the words are not necessarily the most important part. As the link between the words and the cues is established, the meaning of the words alone begins to develop. We can then say that verbal understanding is beginning to develop.

1. It is important for the child to understand that not everything happens at the same time. For example, not everybody will visit the gym class at the same time.  In these situations, children cannot rely on their routine.
2. To support the child with this, reduce the number of additional cues. For example, instead of putting on your coat first, ask the child ‘Can you go and get my coat?’

• Use longer two or three-part instructions e.g. ‘Hang your coat up and put your shoes by the door.’

• Use shorter one step instructions e.g. ‘Hang coat’ or ‘Hang up coat.’

• This activity can be carried out at many points during the day, in fact all the better if you are completing an activity out of routine/without cues. For example, if you usually shopping on a Saturday, make a quick trip after school. Walk into the fruit and vegetables section but don’t stand near the item you are going to ask for. Then ask you child to collect some carrots/grapes/cucumber etc. They will need to understand the words to complete the task and it will make a boring shopping trip more fun! You can also ask your child to pick the same items out of the basket onto the conveyor belt when you pay.
• At the park, say ‘Let’s go on the swings’ but don’t walk towards them, Let your child take the lead but repeat instruction and correct them if they go to the wrong place. While they are playing on the swings keep reinforcing the vocabulary ‘swing’.

1. Choose an item that will keep your child’s attention. For example, ice-cream.
2. Give the child a spoon of ice-cream.
3. As the child comes closer to you to ask for more, encourage the child to say ‘more.’
4. Support the child to say ‘more’ each time the child wants more ice-cream.
5. Once the ice-cream has finished, tell the child that it has ‘gone.’
6. Repeat the above exercise with different items.

• Continue to use the words ‘more’ and ‘gone’ in real life situations. For example, once the groceries have been packed away, tell the child ‘All gone.’

• Only work on one word at a time.
• Sound out the word when you want the child to say it: ‘mmm for more,’ and ‘ggg for gone.’
• Create a non-verbal signal with the child to demonstrate ‘more’ and ‘gone.’

1. Show the child the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ1a94-tNyw (Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush).
2. Get the child to join in with the actions.
3. Support the child with the actions first if required and then let the child do it independently.
4. Next, show the child the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkO8DaPIyXo (Simon Says).
5. The child needs to follow the instructions that are on the screen.

• Link two words together for the child to say. For example, if you are clapping your hands, you can say ‘Daddy clapping.’
• Show the child a picture of a man and a woman completing the same activities. For example, they are both jumping.  Can the child say ‘Man jumping,’ and ‘Woman jumping’?
• Ask the child to identify action words that you are doing around the house. For example, ‘Daddy is cleaning.’ ‘Mummy is washing.’

• Create a non-verbal signal with the child to demonstrate the action words.
• Model the correct terminology to the child.

1. Collect ten household objects. For example, cup, plate, fork etc.
2. Place these all in a bag.
3. Tell the child to put their hand in the bag and pull something out.
4. Once they have done this, ask the child to name the objects.
5. Once they have named all objects, ask the child to name the objects again and put them back into the bag.

• Ask the child to take two or three objects out of the bag.
• Include less familiar items. For example, a bar of soap.
• Ask the child to describe the household object. For example, when the child picks up a fork, the child could say ‘shiny fork.’

• Keep language simple for the child.
• Use non-verbal gestures.
• Model the name of the object to the child and tell the child to repeat it.
• Do ‘My turn, your turn’ with the child.

1. Use the following lik: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9AxMQibZGA (BBC Nursery Rhymes) and sing along with your child.
2. Work with the child to join in with the actions of the songs.
3. If required, slow down the singing so that the child is able to join in with the actions correctly.

• Pause the video near the end of each chorus and encourage the child to finish the sentence.
• Create your own nursery rhyme with your child.

• Watch the video first but begin to hum the song, not sing it.
• Sing every day with the child as repetition works very well.

1. When walking around the house or out on a walk, provide the child with opportunities to point to things in the environment.
2. Follow what captures the child’s interest and discuss what the child is pointing to.

• If the child points to a ‘car,’ use another word to extend the noun. For example, ‘fast car.’
• Ask the child to recount what they have seen when out on a walk. Get them to say this to different members of their family to strengthen their memory.

• If the child does not say the name of the thing that he/she is pointing to, model it to them.
• Model pointing to the child and saying ‘Look there’s a …’