We don't want you to teach colour, shape and size yet!

As you know we have just launched our new parent hub so we can  offer our advice and support to more parents.  We've done that because I believe all parents want the best for their child but if they don't know what that is, how can they?

As school has just started, I've heard so many conversations about what child can do. The clear favourites are counting, colours and shapes because that's what parents think they need to be teaching their little ones. However, teachers can do that when they're ready. They need to child to be at the right level to do that but there's important things that are needed first, language and  communication wise.

What teachers need little Johnie to be able to know, is the right vocabulary for his everyday needs, to be able to answer simple what, where questions and to be able to listen.

We use the Blank levels to explain the right order. We need to be able to answer blank level 1 questions before blank level 2

Blank level 1

  ·         Matching  e.g. Find one like this

·         Identifying a Source of noise e.g. what can you hear? 

·         Naming objects e.g. what is it?

·         Naming people e.g. who is that?

·         Naming actions e.g. what are you doing? 

·         Imitation e.g. Say this 

Blank  Level 2 

  ·         Describe scene e.g. what’s happened? (still in view)

·         Remembering information e.g. Who/what/where?

·         Finishing sentence e.g. Finish this ….

·         Identify and describe characteristics of objects e.g. what size is it? What shape? What colour? How many? How does it taste/smell/feel? Where is it?

·         Identifying object functions e.g. Show me the one we use for …

·         Identifying differences e.g. how are these different?

·         Naming object from category  e.g. Tell me something that's a type of

It makes the teacher's life a little easier if they can answer these questions. Oh yes, plus be able to go to the toilet by themselves and certainly be out of nappies!! Let me know what you think.

Consultant Speech and Language Therapist