2. Week 3 - Tuesday
Age 2–3
Watch the story of ‘The Hunt for the Giggle’ with your child.
Model simple sentences to your child, ensuring that they hear how to link words together, for example; “Jackson is worried” or “Squiggle is sad”. Listen to and answer your child’s questions about the names of objects and people.
Point to and name lots of action words like; sitting, walking, bouncing, climbing and laughing.
Don’t ask your child too many questions but make comments to explain what is happening in the story. A good guide is to ask one question, supported by four comments. Remember that your child may need up to 10 seconds to think about what you have asked and reply with an answer.
Age 3–4
Watch the story of ‘The Hunt for the Giggle’ with your child.
Explain some of the more unusual concepts to your child as you hear them in the story. For example, do they know the meaning of “searched”, “marched”, “crept” or “slid”?
Play a game of ‘Simon Says’ using the new actions. Put your hand above your eyes and say, “Simon says search”, stamp your feet and say, “Simon says march”. Don’t forget to leave out Simon says when you want to catch each other out.
Age 4–5
Watch the story of ‘The Hunt for the Giggle’ with your child and help your child to practise their good listening behaviours – make sure there are no other distractions whilst you share the story.
Think about any new words that are being introduced to your child and explain what they mean.
Introduce more “why?” questions as you listen to the story and model the answers to your child if they’re not sure. For example, “Why is Squiggle sad?” or “Why do Jackson and Squiggle need a map?”.
Emphasise sounds at the beginning of phrases. Can your child tell you which sound they can hear?