The Georgia Early Learning Standards Activity Guides may - gapitc

Expresses thoughts with
sounds, words, gestures
(expressive language)
Activities and Strategies
for Development
Hide and Seek
“Hide” some familiar objects in different places in your classroom.
Tell the children you cannot find some of their toys and need their help to
find them.
Invite children to walk with you around your classroom to hunt for the missing
toys. Act lively and make gestures as you look for and find each toy.“I can’t find
the tractor! Where can it be? Oh, here it is! Look, Bailey, we found the tractor.
Can you say tractor?”
Continue your search as long as children are interested or until you’ve found all
the hidden toys. Each time you find one, encourage the children to repeat the
name. Accept all attempts with enthusiasm.
Baskets of Fun
Set out baskets with different toys in each one. For example, one might have a
few stuffed animals, another could have plastic animals, and a third might have
trucks and cars.
Watch as children come to see what is in the baskets.
Let them choose freely which toys they want to play with.
As they point to or take a toy, describe what they are doing, and encourage
them to name the item or imitate a sound.“Maddie, I see you want to play
with the truck. Can you say ‘truck’?” “Ivan, you chose a puppy. What sound
does a puppy make?” Accept all attempts enthusiastically!
Some children may dump the toys out of the baskets and put them back in
instead of just choosing one. Name and describe the items as they pick them
up to put them in the basket.
Coming and Going
Use a playful puppet to help your one year olds learn to say “Hi” or “Hello,”
and “Bye” or “Good-Bye.”
When the children arrive in the morning wear the puppet on your hand to
greet them by saying “Hi” and the child’s name. Have the puppet say “Hi” to
the parent, too.
Encourage the children to say “Hi” to the puppet.
Use the puppet again at the end of the day to say “Good-Bye” or “Bye-Bye”
to each child. Ask each one,“Can you say bye-bye to Piggy Puppet?”
Language Tip
Learn to say “Hello” and “Good-Bye” in the home languages of
the children in your class.
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