This building activity encourages children to recognize shapes and to use math-specific vocabulary to talk about a structure they are building.

Learning Area(s):Language and Communication, Math

MATERIALS

• Building blocks (made out of wood, foam, plastic, etc.)

LET'S PLAY

Sit on the floor with the child and build a structure together using building blocks. As your child builds the structure, ask her to name the block shapes she is using. If she doesn’t know the name of the shapes, name them for her. You might also ask, “How many squares did you use? Did you use any triangles? What shape are going to use next?”

Once the block structure is complete, you and your child can count the number of blocks used or the number of blocks left over. Together you can also practice measuring the building. For example, “The building is five blocks high.”

TIPS

• Be mindful of how many questions you are asking while your child builds. Some children do not liked to be “quizzed” and will begin to ignore you or end the activity. If this happens, reduce the number of questions you are asking and just be a friendly play partner.

• To make this activity more challenging, have the child give specific directions so that you can build an identical block structure. You can say, “I really love what you built! I want to try to build mine so it looks just like yours, but I need you to tell me how to build it!” Build the structure according to the directions the child is giving. Ask additional questions when necessary to complete the structure: “Where do I put this block? What block goes next? Do I use the blue rectangle or the red rectangle?” When the second block structure is complete, encourage the child to compare it to the first block structure to see if they look the same.

From CLI Family Engagement Website

In this game, your child will practice listening and identifying different sounds. Listening with eyes closed helps children practice focusing attention. Naming the objects and sounds they hear promotes brain connections between auditory processing (understanding what is heard) and expressive language (speaking with words).

Learning Area(s):Language and Communication

MATERIALS

• Objects that make different sounds. For example: whistle, bell or other small musical instrument, portable kitchen timer, piece of paper or tin foil, wooden block or other item that can be “hammered” on the floor, squeaky toy, baby rattle, cell phone, keys, etc.

LET'S PLAY

Gather materials for making sounds and put them into a bag or container next to you. Introduce the activity to your child by saying: “Let’s play a listening game. Can you think of some times when we need to listen to sounds around us?”

Let your child respond. If your child can’t think of any responses, you might talk about everyday sounds that we pay attention to because they tell us something important, such a phone ringing, a microwave timer, the whistle of a crossing guard if you walk to school, a car or truck horn honking in the street, a person calling your name, a dog barking, etc. Talk with your child about what these different sounds mean and what might happen if we ignore them. You can also talk about other sounds that we choose to listen to for enjoyment, such as music or birds singing.

Continue by asking your child: “How do we listen? What part of our bodies do we use when we listen?” Let your child respond and affirm that ears are for listening.

Introduce the game by saying: “Let me show you how to play. First, I’m going to close my eyes and sit very quietly so that I can listen to the sounds I hear in the room. When I close my eyes, it helps me to focus on what I hear instead of what I see.” Close your eyes for 5–10 seconds, then open your eyes and tell your child what sounds you heard.

Continue with: “Now it is your turn to listen. First, close your eyes. Next, sit very quietly so that you can listen to the sounds around you. When I say ‘open your eyes,’ open them, and you can tell me all of the sounds that you just heard. Ready?”

Pick one of the objects and make a sound with it. Tell your child to open her eyes and let her tell you the sound(s) that she heard. If your child needs help naming the object and describing the sounds (e.g., “I heard a rattle shaking”), show her the object and model for her the name of the object and how to describe its sound (you might use words like “ringing,” “tapping,” “squeaking,” etc.).

Continue the game several more times, making a different sound each time for your child to guess. Then let your child take a turn to choose an object to make a sound with while you close your eyes. Continue taking turns as long as your child is interested.

TIPS

• It is okay if your child sees the group of objects you are using to make sounds, as long as his/her eyes are closed when you choose one and make a sound.

• If you don’t have any objects to use, you can make sounds by clapping your hands, tapping your feet, whistling, snapping your fingers, banging your hand on the floor, etc.

• For more listening sounds, record some sounds indoors and outdoors on your phone or other recording device, and play the game with these recorded sounds. Or use the Find Sounds website for generating almost any sound.

Activity From CLI Family Engagement Website