Generating ideas about the function of objects (semantic links)

Why is this important?
Children need to learn that objects often have more than one function (e.g. ball – throw it, catch it, play football) and that lots of objects perform the same actions (e.g. what flies – butterfly, helicopter, bird, aeroplane).

What to do

• Gather together pictures of objects and put them face down on the table. The child chooses a picture (e.g. chair):

Adult: ‘What do we do with a chair?’
Child: ‘Sit on it.’

• Give the child praise and then talk about other objects and their uses.