RL.C.51 SHOWN 5 DIFFERENT FURNITURE ITEMS, SELECTS 3 WHEN NAMED

The three items RL.C.49, RL.C.50 and RL.C.51, although assessed and taught separately, have much in common, so we will discuss them as a group.

When small children are learning to talk, they tend to generalise from the particular to the general. Hence we often find children to whom all four-legged animals are ‘doggies’, all fruit ‘apples’ and so on. But by this level of development, a child should be starting to differentiate between such ‘same-but-different’ objects.

Materials can consist of the real objects (where practical), realistic toys or pictures.

For food items: Select 5 food items that are familiar to your child. Avoid items that your child sees as special treats, such as lollies or ice-cream, as she may not associate these with ‘ordinary’ food at all!

For animals: Select 5 four-legged animals, such as a horse, a cow, a dog, a pig and a cat.

For furniture items: Select 5 familiar furniture items, such as a bed, a chair, a table, a cupboard and a TV.

How to Assess

Assess each category separately, in turn.

Materials: For each category, have 5 objects or pictures, as described above.

Method: Put the objects or pictures in front of your child. Say ‘Point to the . . .’. Continue until each item has been tested twice.

Score plus for a category if your child selects at least three out of the five items in two tries per item.

How to Teach

This skill can be taught in the same way as earlier object selection skills (beginning at RL.C.20).

Many children will learn this skill without special teaching sessions, if an effort is made to teach the names of things as natural opportunities arise.

Playtime and Round-the-house Activities

Even if your child has scored plus in assessment, it is worth keeping in mind that ‘now’ is a good time to start extending your child’s vocabulary to a finer level of detail. Even if she is not yet talking, you can aim to increase the range of words that she understands. Use the general words as well as the particular ones: ‘Look at all the animals. There are pigs and horses and cows, and sheep.’ Or: ‘I’m dusting the furniture. First the table . . . now the piano. You dust the coffee table.’ And so on.

Remember to give your child plenty of opportunities to show you that she understands, by selecting objects or following simple directions.

Remembering and Extending

Other categories to think about are parts of plants, birds (duck, hen, etc.), parts of houses (floor, walls, roof, etc.) and insects. There may well be others that are particular to your environment or occupation.

We will talk about this skill again at RL.C.71 to 74.