Using category names and explaining the differences between things in the same category/finding the odd one out

Why is this important?
As language skills develop, children learn to be able to identify and explain
increasingly more subtle differences between things.

What to do

• Gather together some pictures/objects from a variety of categories (e.g. clothes, food, toys, furniture, transport, animals).
• Choose three pictures/objects from the same category (e.g. three animals). Two of the animals must have something in common and one must be different (e.g. horse, cow, fish).
• Put out these three pictures. Ask which group all the pictures belong to. If this is difficult, offer a choice ‘Are these clothes or animals?’
• Ask which two pictures go together best (e.g. horse and cow).
• Ask why: there could be several reasons (e.g. four legs, farm animals, live in fields).
• Ask what’s different about the other animal (e.g. fish).