Section 7.3

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF 'LONG' AND 'SHORT'

MAIN ACTIVITY

        1. Visit the local park and collect a variety of different sticks that are of different length.
        2. Put out two sticks next to each other and ask the child: ‘Give me the long stick.’
        3. The child then gives you the stick and then repeat the activity with the different sticks that you have collected, ensuring that you also use the terminology ‘short.’
        4. Ask the child: ‘Give me many _____________ (you would then ask for the items that you would like, for examples ‘Give me many spoons’).’ 
        5. You can also use toys for this activity.

HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS ACTIVITY MORE CHALLENGING?

        1. Remain at the park and ask the child to play in the park’s playground but they have to follow your instructions. For example: ‘Play on the long slide.’
        2. Collect leaves of different sizes from different trees and ask the child to give you long/short leaves. Then put the leaves in size order: ‘This leaf is short, this leaf is long and this leaf is even longer.’  This will then link to Section 7.7.

HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS ACTIVITY EASIER?

        1. If the child is finding this concept difficult to understand, start by drawing things that are long first. Once you have drawn long items, ask the child to draw items that are shorter.
        2. Stretch the word ‘long’ when talking.