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Take advantage of each opportunity to have the child count objects or actions. Examples, going up or down steps, putting silverware on the table, counting stamps in coupon books, egis in a carton, letters in the mail, etc.
Have a “Sound Hunt” to develop discrimination among environmental sounds, using an alarm clock, bell, horn, whistle or other classroom materials that makes sound. Have the children close their eyes while a sound is made with one of the items. Hide the object, and then ask the children to find it. The player who finds the object repeats the procedure using a different object.
Have the children keep heads down and eyes covered while the teacher walks quietly around the room. When the teacher snaps her fingers, the children are to point in the direction from which they think the sound came. A child could be the one to make the sound with a whistle, bell, or “cricket”.
Prepare several pairs of shakers from plastic or cardboard cylinders and fill with sand, pebbles, beans, etc. Have the child find the two that make the same sound. Discuss with him the different words which can be used to describe those sounds.
Play records which have a variety of rhythms and have the children tap fingers or clap hands to the beat. Use a drum or rhythm sticks to tap out and reproduce patterns. Although some will rely on visual cues by watching others, gradually encourage closing the eyes and tapping only from the auditory cue.
Use a tape recorder or language master to record children’s voices and that of the teacher or others (i.e custodian, principal, secretary). Have children identify them as the recording is played back.
Spread 4 picture of familiar objects on a table or ledge and cover the. Say the name of 2 (or 3) OF THEM. If child can recall (repeat) names from hearing them once, he can look for them in the uncovered group and keep them in his pile until game is over. Increase difficulty by using more pictures and saying more than two or three names. Variations would be to have pictures all from same category (fruits, toys, animals) or different ones. This activity is best suited for four-year olds.
Have one child in a small group say the first words of a sentence and then have each child in turn repeat what has been said and add one or two words to the sentence. Start new sentences when needed.
Read nursery rhymes or rhyming books like Dr. Seuss so children can help you make up new words. Start with long ones: elephant, bellephant, mellephant, shellephant; chocolate, mocolate, tocolate, bocolate, Then try real ones: hopping, topping, flopping, stopping. Use words of one syllable: cat, hat, bat, rat, sat. Then let children supply ending words for familiar songs. Some that lend themselves to this are: “This Old Man", Put Your Finger in the Air"', “Over the Meadow." They will be proud of making a new version.
Read or tell stories with “magic words” which serve as signals to the child to touch his nose, tap his head, etc. In stories which contain several magic words which recur frequently different words can be assigned to different children to encourage independent listening and responding. Responses with animal noises can be fun, too.
Say three words, two of which are the same, and ask the child to tell which word he heard only once. Begin with words of one syllable that are quite different and gradually present words which are more similar and words with more than one syllable. Examples: cat, dog, cat, cat, cat, can; hat, cat, cat; cat, cat, cut; mitten, kitten, mitten.
Plan activity sheets to be used with simple directions recorded on tape. Have the children use earphones to assure attention to the auditory cues.
In reading short stories to children or in planning events of the day together picture clues can be used to help children recall what they have heard. These visual clues should be phased out gradually as auditory memory improves.
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