Sounding Board
Make a list of ten to twenty sounds that animals or everyday objects make. In your list, each sound should be paired with the source that makes the sound.
For example, your list might start like: 1. chirping (sound) bird (source) 2. honking (sound) car (source).
You will be teaching your little one(s) all of the vocabulary words on your list, including both source and sound words. Make sure that some of the words on your list are familiar/known to your child(ren) and some are unfamiliar/new. Some good unfamiliar sound/source words combos include “rustling leaves,” “ticking clock,” and “squeaking chair.”
When you teach them the words, having new words in the mix will allow them to stretch the limits of their vocabulary, while having familiar words will help them feel a sense of accomplishment which can reinforce their interest in the activity and make things more enjoyable.
Try to shuffle the order of unknown and known words, instead of lumping all unknowns together and all knowns together, so that there isn’t too much ease in a row or too much challenge in a row.
Make one of the sounds yourself. For a dash of added fun, you can also ask your child(ren) to make the sound after you. Alternatively, you can choose to play a video from the internet with the relevant sounds.
Ask your child: “Where does this sound come from?” (i.e. “What is the source?”) and “What is this name of this sound?” If they aren’t sure about the source name, the sound name, or both, use this opportunity to teach them these words.
Repeat this process for all of the words on your list.