RL.C.52 RESPONDS TO ‘GIVE ME …AND…’, CHOICE OF 4 OBJECTS

The important word here is ‘and’. Instead of naming just 1 object, you will now name 2, and your child must remember and give you both. When your child masters this skill, she will have taken a big step forward.

This skill is a prerequisite to RL.D.42 and all the skills which follow it (that is, two-part directions).

How to Assess

Materials:4 objects known to child (say, dog, cup, spoon and ball).

Method: Put the objects on the table in front of your child. Say ‘Give me the . . . and the . . .’. Give 5 tries, naming several different combinations of objects. Do not give any extra hints or reminders. Make sure that your child listens to all the direction before she begins to select the objects.

Score plus if your child follows your direction, giving you both objects you asked for, in at least 4 out of 5 tries.

How to Teach

Because this is something quite new, it often requires intensive teaching.

You will start by giving a lot of help, and reduce it gradually.

Remember that good attending is essential to this skill.

To begin with, give your direction and then take your child’s hands and guide her to pick up both objects. Say ‘Look, you’ve got dog and ball’. You do the giving from time to time. Say: ‘I’ll give you spoon and cup. You’ve got spoon and cup.’

When you have repeated this procedure several times, try again without guiding your child’s hands. If she gives you just one of the objects you named, say ‘dog and . . .’ giving her the chance to remember the second item. If she does not remember, repeat the entire direction: ‘Give me dog and ball.’

If your child gives you 2 objects, but they are not the ones you named, replace the objects without comment and say: ‘Listen hard. Give me dog and ball.’

Once your child is succeeding regularly with the amount of help described above, make any reminders you give more general – ‘Have you finished?’ or ‘What did I ask for?’ If she has forgotten, put all the objects down again and repeat the original direction.

You can vary the exercise by putting a large bowl or bucket on the table and saying ‘Put dog and ball in’. You may think of other variations.

You can use different sets of objects each day – any familiar objects will do.

Continue teaching until your child follows your direction in at least 4 tries out of 5 on 2 consecutive days.

Playtime and Round-the-house Activities

See RL.C.53.

Remembering and Extending

See RL.C.53.