The ability to attend to sounds is a part of phonological awareness. In this activity, your child will watch and hear you produce sounds with your hands, feet and voice and repeat what you’ve done.
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Step 1: Perform different actions, one at a time, to make noises with your hands, feet or voice. Just do the actions; do not say what you are doing.
Here are some examples of actions you might perform:
- Clap three times.
- Tap your toe twice.
- Whisper, “Hello.”
- Stomp both feet three times.
- Pat your lap twice.
- “Moo” like a cow once.
- Tap your belly with your hands three times.
- Bend down and pat the floor twice.
- Clap both hands over your head once.
Step 2: After you do an action, say to your child, “Ready? Do it with me!” Repeat the action with your child. Pay attention to whether your child is imitating the correct number of repetitions. Help him to make the same number of sounds or actions as you did.
Step 3: Once he has imitated that action, try another one. Repeat the process.
Step 4: As your child gets more comfortable with the routine, see if he can repeat an action on his own. You might say, “Ready? Now you do it!”
Continue providing a visual support for your child (thus omitting Step 4 above) as he repeats the set of actions.
Add more repetitions to a set of actions. For example, do four claps instead of three. You might also give your child the opportunity to direct the actions. Once he adjusts to the routine of the game, ask him, “What do you want me to do?” Then, you repeat his actions.
