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Language
Reception - 0-2 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will increase body, head, or eye activity when hearing sounds or stop movement as though listening.
Ring a bell or shake a maraca or castanets above or behind the baby’s head, being sure to keep the instrument out of her range of vision. Watch for an increase in body and eye movement or a cessation of activity.
Song to the baby when you first enter the room before she sees you. Watch for an increase in movement or a cessation of activity.
Expression - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will vocalize on hearing the human voice.
Give (or hold for) the child a bell. Imitate the sound of the bell. Reward the child when she makes any sound by patting her, smiling and talking.
Sing or hum to the child using simple sounds (i.e., mmm or lalala). Encourage her to make any type of sounds.
Reception - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will turn head to locate sounds and voices.
Sing the baby’s name when you enter her room before she sees you. Reward her when she turns towards you by smiling or hugging her.
Ring a bell or play an instrument in different parts of the room, being careful to stay out of her range of vision. Reward her when she locates the sound by smiling and hugging her.
*Motorically Involved: If the child has cerebral palsy and/or a tendency to keep her head turned to one side, try to position her in the following ways before you have someone else sing or play an instrument.
- Sit in the floor with your knees bent. Have the child rest her back on your thighs while you bend her knees to her chest and cross her arms over her chest.
- Have the child sit facing forward with her legs straddling one of your knees. Make sure both of her arms are being brought forward, and that her head is facing forward.
- Cradle the child in one of your arms and position her so that she must turn her head in the direction that she does not normally look.
*Visually Impaired: As the child does not benefit from turning her head to see an object, reward her for turning by giving her the object to touch and feel.
Expression - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will vocalize sound patterns.
Use words such as oh-oh, all gone, and bye-bye with exaggerated pitch changes and encourage the baby to imitate.
Sing and say nursery rhymes to the baby using exaggerated rhythm. Encourage her to vocalize.
When babbling or talking to the baby, use exaggerated pitch patterns and reward her with a smile or kiss when she talks back.
*Hearing Impaired: It is at this stage that the hearing impaired child may be identified. A child with a hearing loss may not ‘play’ with sounds as a hearing child does.
Imitation - 3-5 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will use objects to make noise.
Tie small bells to the baby’s wrists and ankles so that when she moves, the bells will jingle.
Place a bell or shaker in the child’s hand and shake her arm to demonstrate how the noise is made. Encourage her to shake her arm.
Give the child a drum. Demonstrate and encourage her to play it.
*Motorically Involved: Manipulate the child through the action many times. Experiment with a variety of positions (back, side-lying, supported sitting over a bolster) to find the position in which the child is most easily move her hands and feet. To make a noise.
Use a ribbon to tie the bells to the child’s wrist if she id unable to hold on to them herself.
Imitation - 6-8 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will imitate simple consonant-vowel combinations.
Imitate the child’s vocalizations as exactly as you can. Praise her when she repeats them. Play an echo game.
Direct the child’s attention towards your face. Sing a consonant-vowel combination several times (ma-ma-ma, or da-da-da). Encourage her to imitate. Repeat, you may vary the pitch or use the same pitch, depending in which creates the best response from the child.
Switch from one combination to the other after an immediate imitation.
*Motorically Involved: It is often difficult for the severely involved child to achieve the sophisticated oral movements necessary for consonant-vowel productions. In such cases the child should be rewarded for all attempts at making sounds.
*Hearing Impaired: Encourage the child to watch your mouth while you are talking to her. Repeat the same movements several times.
Reception - 6-8 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will listen to music or singing.
During rest periods, place the child near a record player or radio with the volume on low. Observe if the child quiets when the music is on.
Sing softly to the child when putting her to bed. Observe if the child quiets.
Sing during bath time. Make up songs which include the baby’s name, the names of her brothers and sisters, mommy, daddy, bath toys, ect. Encourage the child to sing back.
CAUTION: Do not play the radio constantly throughout the day. Children learn to tune out constant noise. They also need quiet time. Also in the following procedures do not turn the volume up when the radio is close to the child or when using headphones.
*Hearing impaired: Encourage the child to feel the vibrations from a radio speaker or from your throat while you sing. Turn the volume on low and place the music close to the child’s ear.
If you have headphones or earphones, it will be good preparation for future hearing tests to help the child become familiar with the touching them and putting them over her ears; this should be done daily.
If the radio speaker is 8 feet or more from the child, turn it up louder so she can feel the vibrations through the floor.
Imitation - 9-11 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will play pat-a-cake.
Say pat-a-cake for the child several times a day, using only one gesture (such as clapping). Say it with emphasized rhythm. Begin manipulating the child’s hands through the clapping. Add other movements such as rolling and patting.
After the child is familiar with the game, say pat-a-cake and note whether she begins the clapping when only hearing the name of the game and not seeing the gestures.
Begin other word games, such as peek-a-boo, this little pig, so big.
*Motorically involved: Reward the child for any arm movment even if she just moves one hand or keeps her hands in fist. At this point she may be unable to do more.
*Visually Impaired: Manipulate the child’s hands through each activity.
Imitation - 9-11 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will imitate sounds such as tongue clicks, and brrrr.
Hold the child in front of you. Get her to look at you and make one of the sounds several times. Wait for her to imitate you and then make the sound again. Reward the child with a smile or by saying Good Baby, if she attempts to imitate you.
When the child does imitate a sound several times, switchn sounds and encourage her to make the new sounds.
*Hearing Impaired: Encourage the child to imitate meaningful actions such as kissing, waving, patting, ect.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to feel your mouth and throat while making the sounds. Direct her hands toward her mouth and throat. Reward her for using her hands to examine her facial parts.
Reception - 9-11 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will stop activity on hearing the command, NO.
Say the word no firmly and with feeling when undesirable behavior or dangerous situations occur. Stop the child from continuing her activity.
Remove the child from the undesirable situation while saying no.
Shake your head as you say no to interrupt her behavior.
NOTE: Praise the child when she responds to the word no.
*Hearing Impaired: The child will notice facial expressions and gestures. Shake your head and finger to indicate no.
Imitation - 9-11 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will imitate animal sounds.
Show the child a realistic animal or toy or a picture of an animal. Name the animal and sing Old MacDonald, making the sound the animal makes. Encourage the child to imitate.
*Hearing Impaired: The child may be able to imitate gestures for the animals as long as they are consistent with the chosen communication system—i.e.,:
Elephant- the fore arm on nose to indicate trunk
Cat- use fingers as whiskers
Rabbit- use hands to indicate long ears
*Visually Impaired: Let the child listen to and feel live animals whenever possible
Imitation - 9-11 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will imitate words.
Simply ask the child to say a word and reward her with a smile or a hug when she attempts it.
Ask the child, “What’s that?” when pointing or showing an object. Then tell her what it is and ask her to repeat it.
Turn slowly through a book with large pictures. Point to the specific pictures and name them. Ask the child to point to specific pictures and encourage her to name them.
Give the child a number of opportunities to be in the company of other children her age or slightly older. She may imitate their speech.
*Hearing impaired: Follow alternative communication system.
*Visually Impaired: Use real objects instead of pictures. Encourage the child to explore and handle the object while you are naming it. Demonstrate the use of the object for her.
Causality - 9-12 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will manipulate an object to produce an effect.
Call the child’s attention to the on-off button of a radio. Help her turn it on and off when appropriate. Encourage her to do it on command.
Demonstrate the use of a xylophone and mallet and let the child experiment.
Encourage spontaneous use of the instruments.
Let the child experiment with the new ways of manipulating musical instruments. Demonstrate or help her perform the more difficult actions. Gradually she should be able to perform without assistance.
NOTE: Although the child will try a variety of actions (such as hitting, shaking, dropping, and throwing) with the different instruments, her actions should become more deliberate and selective.
Demonstrate pushing a doorbell button and encourage the child to imitate.
Expression - 12-15 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will talk in nonsense sentences and speechlike voice patterns.
Sing to the child and read her nursery rhymes, encouraging her to imitate you. If the child begins to interact vocally, respond to her vocalizations as you would during a normal conversation.
Reception - 12-15 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will point to an object named or wanted.
During singing games the child should be encouraged to point to the objects which are named in the songs or which she wants. Reward the child in an appropriate way. For example, if she points to a specific instrument, reward her by giving her the instrument.
*Hearing Impaired: When the child points or gestures, encourage her to get the instrument she needs by gently pushing her in the appropriate direction and holding objects up for her to accept or reject.
*Motorically Involved: If the child is unable to reach or point, encourage her to eye point to the object named.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to name the item she wants. Ask her if she wants a familiar object such as a bell.
Reception - 12-15 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will respond to her name by turning toward the speaker or pointing to herself.
Sing songs which include the child’s name and encourage her to respond by either looking at you or pointing to herself. Reward the child when she responds.
NOTE: A mirror and puppet may be helpful in motivating the child.
*Hearing Impaired: Make a loud noise (i.e., cymbal crash or clapping hands) to attract the child’s attention. Say and sign the child’s name when she looks at you if this is consistent with the recommended communication system.
*Motorically Involved: The child may be unable to move her head, but can move her eyes toward your direction.
*Visually Impaired: The child may turn toward the speaker if she receives a tactile reward (kiss, hug). Her hands can be manipulated across her body when talking about her. It is important that a blind child develops a sense of wholeness and that she thinks of her body as consisting of many parts which are separate and distinct from her environment.
Expression - 12-15 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will shake head from side to side to indicate no.
Sing songs which use the word no functionally and shake your head from side to side as you sing the word no. Encourage the child to imitate.
NOTE: Learning to say no is an important step toward achieving independence.
*Hearing Impaired: Use facial expression and finger shaking to show the child you are warning him. Shake your head when you reject something she has offered.
*Motorically Involved: The child may be unable to move her head, but she may be able to learn to lower or close eyes.
*Visually Impaired: When saying no, touch the child’s hand firmly or remove her from a dangerous situation. Encourage her to imitate no.
Reception - 16-19 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will show, point to, or retrieve her toys upon request.
When the child is holding a drum, ask the child, “Where is your drum?” If she looks, points to it or raises it, praise her. If she does not, get the toy and say, “Here it is! Here is your drum!”
Ask the child to show you one musical instrument from a choice of 2 or 3. Reward her for her correct answers.
*Motorically Involved: If the child cannot move on her own, place her where she can reach and/or simply looks at the objects. Her looking or eye pointing may indicate that she understands what you have asked her to show you.
Reception - 16-19 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will show or point to named body parts.
Sing songs which include the names of different parts of the body. Point to them on both yourself and the child. Encourage her to imitate and reward her appropriately.
*Visually Impaired: Move the child’s hand across the various body parts, both on yourself and on her, while naming them. Encourage her to imitate and reward her when she does.
Reception - 16-19 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will look at or point to common objects or familiar people upon hearing their names.
Place several musical instruments in front of the child and make sure they are placed several inches apart. Tell the child to look at all the instruments and then ask her to show you a specific instrument. The child can indicate understanding by looking at, pointing to, or touching the instrument.
Ask the child to hand you a specific instrument.
Sing songs in which the child is encouraged to look at different familiar people.
*Hearing Impaired: Continually talk to the child and name the instruments and the people for her. Reward any attempts to verbalize.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to turn towards sounds after hearing them. Ask, “Where’s Grandma?” after she has said hello to the child or “Where’s the bell?” after you have played it.
Expression - 16-19 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will name objects and people.
Sing songs in which the child is required to answer questions by naming objects and people.
*Hearing Impaired: Continually talk to the child and name instruments and people for her. Reward attempts to verbalize.
Reception - 16-19 mos.
Short-term Goal: Child will follow a simple command.
Encourage the child to follow while playing an instrument by telling her to play it either loudly, softly, slowly, or quickly.
Encourage the child to give you a specific musical instrument by holding out your hand and asking for that specific instrument.
Sing a song in which the child is encouraged to follow verbal requests such as waving good-bye, standing up, throwing a kiss, and playing peek-a-boo.
*Hearing Impaired: Use gestures appropriate to the communication system chosen.
*Motorically Involved: The cerebral palsied child may be unable to move her body, but she may use her eyes to point to objects named. Move her fingers slightly to indicate good-bye or shake her head to remove a cloth during peek-a-boo.
Expression - 16-19 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will name pictures.
Use large colored pictures of several musical instruments. Name each picture for the child several times.
Ask the child to name the instruments in the pictures. Identify them for her when necessary.
To make the task harder, use black and white pictures, sketches, or drawings and repeat the activities.
NOTE: The child may make her own scrapbook of the instruments using pictures cut from magazines and pasted on construction paper.
Expression - 16-19 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will communicate her needs by using single words.
When the child points to an instrument she wants to play, encourage her to identify it by name. If she can not, name it for her and ask her to repeat the work. If she says the first sound of one of the sounds in the word, smile and say the complete word and hive her the toy or food.
When the child fusses or tugs at you, ask her what she wants. If she is unable to say anything, make a guess and say the word for her. Then ask her to repeat the word. Reward her by immediately giving her what she requested. If that is not possible, say, “No, but you can have ______ instead.”
Reception - 16-19 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will select a specific object that is verbally identified..
Place 2 or 3 musical instruments before the child. Ask her to give you one of them. If she looks, points, or touches the object, react in a positive manner. If not, guide her hand to the instrument, saying, “Here is the _______.” Repeat for each instrument. Increase the difficulty by changing to now instruments and be increasing the number of selections.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to feel and listen to each instrument before making her selection.
Reception - 16-19 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will perform requested actions.
Sing “This is the Way We Wash Our Clothes”. Ask the child to imitate yo as you do different actions and name them for her (wash our hands, iron our clothes, sweep the floor, etc.). Request that she perform the actions on verbal cue.
Any singing game may be used with accompanying actions.
*Motorically Involved: The child may require assistance to perform the actions.
*Visually Impaired: Use actions words that are applicable to the child’s experience, such as touch, hold, feel, give, listen, band, shake wave, etc.
Expression - 20-23 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will combine 2 words.
When the child says a noun, expand her utterance by adding adjectives or verbs or change her statement to a question. Make up simple songs in which the child can use her words.
When the child says a verb, expand her utterance by adding a noun. Make up simple songs in which the child can use her words.
Expression - 20-23 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will increase her vocabulary on a weekly basis.
Sing songe describing your work as the child watches you during housekeeping activities. For example, sing “This Is the Way We Wash Our Clothes.” Encourage the child to verbally identify each task.
Ask the child what you are doing. Provide a response for her if she does not answer correctly. Ask her to repeat your response.
*Visually Impaired: Constantly describe what the child is doing, the noises, and the smells of her environment as well as the objects with which she comes in contact.
Imitation - 20-23 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will imitate familiar words while listening to nursery rhymes and simple songs.
Read a nursery rhyme or sing a simple song to the child, showing her the pictures and stressing common words each time you read it. Ask the child to point to the named pictures. Encourage her to imitate the words.
Repeat nursery rhymes and sing simple songs to the child on a daily basis. Involve her in the action when possible. Encourage her to imitate some of the words.
When the child has heard a rhyme or song many times, leave off expected words at the end of a sentence or phrase and encourage her to say them. For example, “Humpty Dumpty sat on a ______,” or “Goldilocks laid down and fell fast ______.”
NOTE: Many children are motivated to imitate words they hear on simple records (available in 45 and 33 1/3 r.p.m.).
*Hearing Impaired: Child can imitate signs or actions in the stories and ghymes if consistent with the alternative communication system.
*Visually Impaired: Unusual sounds such as animal sounds or cartoon voices will sometimes motivate the child more than familiar sounds.
Expression - 20-23 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will use action word to describe activity in pictures.
Show the child simple pictures of different activities, describing the actions for her. Encourage her to imitate your descriptions by using action words.
Slowly turn through a book or magazine and ask the child what is happening. Encourage her to use action words to answer your question.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to name actions he can hear, such as a moving car, a bouncing ball, a ringing bell, and running water.
Expression - 24-27 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will use her first name.
Sing songs in which the child is asked her name and replies by singing it. If she does not respond correctly, serve as a model by singing her part and them encouraging her to sing with you. After this encourage her to imitate you by singing alone.
Expression - 24-27 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will use 3-word sentences.
Sing songs which use 3-word sentences and encourage the child to sing along and to imitate you by singing alone. For example, sing:
I like candy. I like candy. Yes I do. Yes I do. MMM-good. MMM-good. I like candy. I like candy. (to tune of Are You Sleeping?)
Expression - 24-27 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will use the word no appropriately.
Occasionally say no to the child when he offers a musical toy to you. Shake your head as you say no. This will help her understand another meaning of no in addition to its use to indicate that he has done something bad.
When you can tell that the child doesn’t want a particular musical toy, encourage her to say no.
*Hearing Impaired: The child may shake his head or use gestures and facial expression to indicate no.
Expression - 24-27 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will use simple pronouns.
Sing songs in which the child identifies body parts on herself (my hands, my face, my eyes) as well as you (your hands, your face, your eyes).
Identify the instrument which the child is playing by singing “This is yours.” Identify the instrument which you are playing by singing “This is mine.” Encourage the child to identify the instrument in the same way.
Refer to yourself as “I”.
NOTE: Use the words I, me, you, mine, yours.
*Visually Impaired: Encourage the child to feel your face, arms, hands, etc. as well as her own face, arm, hands. Encourage the child to label them with appropriate pronouns.
Reception - 28-31 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will perform requested actions involving 2 prepositions.
Hide one of the child’s favorite instruments in an obvious place. Describe where the instrument is (i.e., under the bed). Ask the child to hide the instrument under the bed.
Play the game Simon Says with the actions to singing games and with directions on how to play an instrument (i.e., loudly, softly, fast, slow, up high, down low).
NOTE: Suggested words include in, on, under, out, up, and down.
*Motorically Involved: If the child is immobile, he can indicate by eye pointing. Sing a song about looking for something out the window, under the table, and in the chair. Ask him to look in the approptiate places.
*Visually Impaired: Use objects which give additional tactile cues, such as a blanket for under, a carpet sample for on, and a woven basket for in.
Expression - 28-31 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will answer questions concerning body parts.
When the child can point to and say a number of body parts, sing songs that tell the child what his body parts do. For example, your eyes are for seeing; use your ears to listen; your legs are for walking.
Sing songs in which the child is asked questions concerning body functioning, such as “With what do you see?”, “With what do you hear?”, and “With what do you eat?” Encourage the child to respond by singing the appropriate body part.
*Hearing Impaired, Motorically Involved, and Visually Impaired:
This seems to be an appropriate time for beginning to verbalize the child’s handicap for him. Be positive, however, by stressing the abilities he does have.
Expression - 32-35 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will say his complete name.
Sing songs in which the complete names of brothers, sisters, friends, and relatives are used as well as the child’s complete name.
Sing songs in which the child responds to the question “What’s your name?” or “Who are you?” by singing her complete name. Sing her name for her if she doesn’t respond appropriately. Encourage her to sing along with you and them imitate.
Expression - 32-35 mos.
Sort-term goal: Child will use a question word plus a noun and verb to ask a question (with correct voice pattern).
Sing simple songs that ask questions, using pitches which follow the natural inflection of the speaking voice in asking the question. The songs should encourage the child to ask for something she needs or wants.
NOTE: Suggested questions words include do, does, where, why, how, and can.
When the child uses only one or two words to ask a question, encourage her to expand her use of question words.
Reception - 32-35 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will follow a two-step command.
Demonstrate two activities for the child and describe what you are doing (i.e., I am sitting down and playing the drum.) Encourage appropriate actions.
Ask the child to do two tings that are related (i.e., sitting down and playing drums). Reward her for appropriate behavior.
Ask the child to perform two unrelated tasks such as to play the bells and put the autoharp in its case.
*Motorically Involved: A child who is not mobile may be able to follow other commands such as: Blink your eyes and raise your arm. Wave good-bye and stick our your tongue.
Expression - 32-35 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will add “s” to nouns to form plurals.
Make a simple scrapbook with pictures of 1 instrument on one page and of several of the same instrument on the next page. Turn through the book with the child and name the instruments. For example, say, “Here’s a drum. Here are lots of drums.”
Turn through the scrapbook and ask the child, “Where is the drum?” “Where are the drums?”
Use a scrapbook of animals and sing “Old MacDonald” using the singular and plural forms of the animals appropriately to match the pictures. For example, sing “on his farm he had a dog” or “on his farm he had some dogs”.
Let the child lead in singing the song “Old MacDonald”. Correct her if she sings the plural form for the singular or the singular for the plural.
NOTE: The child will add “s” to make all plurals until much older (deers, fishes, gooses, hippopotamusses).
*Hearing Impaired: There are alternative communication systems which incorporate more sophisticated linguistic rules such as plurals. This goal should be used only if consistent with the chosen system.
*Visually Impaired: Use textured objects rather than pictures.
Expression - 32-35 mos.
Short-term goal: Child will begin counting.
Sing songs and say nursery rhymes which use rote counting (For example, sing “This Old Man”, “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”, and “Ten Little Birds”. Encourage the child to imitate.
Sing songs in which the child counts by pointing to various body parts which occur in pairs (i.e., eyes, ears, hands, arms legs, and feet).
Sing a variety of songs which provide practice in counting verbally and holding up the correct number of fingers to indicate a specific number.
Ask the child to count our 2 rhythm sticks to play or to play the drum 2 times.
Count the beats of the music aloud. Begin counting in groups of 2 and 3 and increase to groups of 4 and 6.
NOTE: Most children will begin counting by eliminating numbers or saying the numbers out of sequence. Correct the child only by counting correctly, not by rebuking her.
*Hearing Impaired: Always hold up fingers to indicate numbers if consistent with the chosen communication system.
*Visually Impaired: Manipulate the child’s fingers for him while counting.