Safety

  • Check laminated cards for peeling edges and sharp corners; loose laminate film is a choking hazard.

Presentation

  1. 1

    Bring the box to the table with the child and sit beside them.

  2. 2

    Lay one card of each pair in a column down the left side of the mat, naming each: "Apple. Banana. Pear."

  3. 3

    Take a card from the remaining pile, name it, and look slowly down the column.

  4. 4

    Place it to the right of its match: "Apple and apple. The same."

  5. 5

    Hand the child the next card and name it.

  6. 6

    Wait while the child looks down the column. This is the point of interest: the child places the card beside its match.

  7. 7

    When all pairs are matched, name each pair together. Stack the cards and return them to the box.

Extensions, easiest to hardest

  1. Start with 3 pairs and add up to 6
  2. Sets for other groups of familiar things: clothing, vehicles, foods
  3. Sets where the pictures are more alike, such as several kinds of fruit
  4. Period 2 with one card of each pair: "Show me the pear."

Control of error

The cards: each card has exactly one identical partner, and two different cards placed side by side look different.

Ready to move on when the child…

  • Matches 5–6 pairs without help
  • Points to a named picture
  • Names some pictures without being asked
  • Lays out and puts away the cards on their own

Try “pink tower”, “tummy”, “diaper”, “grace and courtesy”, or “October”.