Vocabulary Game Short Description:

This file folder game contains many objects all scattered across the pages of a file. There are instructions for activities that will help you and your child work on a variety of speech and language skills through vocabulary games, following directions games, and answering questions games.

Vocabulary Game Materials Needed:

• One File Folder
• Paper to print this file

Vocabulary Game Assembly Instructions:

1. Print out pages 4 and 5 on regular printer paper. Cut out the pages and glue them onto the left and right sides of the inside of a file folder as pictured above. If desired, laminate the file folder for added protection.
2. Use the game as described in the instructions on the following pages. Choose one skill that your child needs to work on and do the activity for that skill.

Vocabulary Game Speech and Language Activities:

Vocabulary:

• Talk about what your child sees on the board. He can tell you what things are called or follow directions with the vocabulary words that you say (such as “touch the ball” or “where’s the apple”).
• Talk about the function of vocabulary words on the board. You could say “Look, an apple. You eat an apple”. Ask her to show you something you eat, play with, wear, etc.

Sorting/Categorizing:

• Have your child find and/or circle (dry erase marker if laminated) everything of one category. Ex: circle all of the animals, or food
• You can circle certain things and then have your child tell you the category (ex: “They are all ani-mals”)

Spatial Concepts:

• Circle or point out one object. Next, talk about which other objects are around that one. Ask which one is above, below, beside, next to, on the left, on the right, close to, far away from…etc

Answering Questions:

• Ask questions about the vocabulary you find, including questions about its function (what do you do with an apple?, Where is the ball?, Who likes to eat cookies?)

Following Directions:

• Have the students follow one-step and multi-step directions of varying difficulty levels
      Basic: “Point to the hat”
      Two-step: “Point to the hat, then the ball”
  Complex: ”Circle the hat, then put an X on the ball”
  Even more complex! “Before you circle something blue, put an X on                  something you eat”

Adjectives:

• Have the child describe attributes of an object or identify an object based on your descriptions.  Ex: Show me something red, bumpy, sticky, wet, dry, etc.

Describe Similarities and Differences

Circle two objects and have the child explain how they are alike and different.

• They are both animals
• One is red and the other is blue

Pragmatics:

Bring two or more children together to work on the board.

• Have your child take turns with another child or with you during this game.
• Conversational Repair: Have your child give directions to the you or another child. The second child must then either follow the direction or ask for clarification if he didn’t understand. This helps children understand they must be specific in their directions and it gives them practice asking for help or clarification when they don’t understand

Target Skills: Topic maintenance and maintaining joint attention with a peer (or adult)

More Resources for Speech-Language Pathologists:

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