B a r b a r a s h e r I l L u s t r a t I o n s b y r a L p h

D
I R E C T I O N S
Fill two of the film canisters with one of the items, such as salt. Continue
to fill pairs of canisters with different materials. Your child can help with
the preparation and get some experience with pouring as well as have the
fun of doing a project together.
Place one of each pair of filled canisters on the table in front of each
of you.
To begin the game, first have him shake one of his containers; then you
shake each of yours until you find the one that makes the same sound.
Next, you shake one of yours, and he shakes each one of his until he
finds the right sound.
Remember to put the identified canisters back in with the others after
each turn so that neither of you can use the process of elimination.
V
A R I A T I O N S
You can make this game as hard or as easy as appropriate for your child.
Start by playing with the containers that are distinctly different, such as
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Attention Games
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salt, pennies, and beans, and keep adding more similar ones as he gets bet-
ter and better at distinguishing the differences in sound. For example, to
make the game harder, fill some containers with sugar or sand, which
sound a lot like salt. Containers with pennies and dimes sound more simi-
lar than pennies and nickels.
All done playing? Make music! Use the containers as shakers and keep
the beat to any song that comes into your head. Sing it loud and together,
and shake away!
W
H A T
’
S
B
E I N G
L
E A R N E D
Auditory discrimination is the name of the skill being learned, but there’s
more to this game than that. Children’s ability to listen and focus on what
they hear is strengthened. This ability takes a concentrated shift of attention
and is important in a wide range of activities, whether it’s distinguishing
between bird songs or really paying attention to what someone else is saying.
Word Matching
As your little one discovers the world of words, here is a simple game you
can make together that she can play for long periods alone. You can keep
adding to her deck of cards, enlarging her own personal treasury of words.