can we have a thread to pool game/language stretching exercises - dd1 is doing really well, but I need to stop the Groundhog Day that is my life, so looking for inspiration please

[silverfrog]

well, as the title says, I am after new/different ways to do the same old stuff with dd1.

I am seriously running on empty wrt inspiration, and am so sick of the stuff we are doing/playing that I cannot inject any enthusiasm at all, and not surprisingly dd1 is bored too (am really trying to work on attitude, as I know it is fundamental, but honestly, am having a "I've been doing this for 5 years now, and cannot face another 5" kind of month - dd1's birthday on Saturday, so that is probably adding to my tetchiness, tbh)

So, dd1 loves books - any story will do, but she does really love picture dictionary types. She labels really well, but I am fed up of the same "show/find me a ...." things - what else could I do when going through these with her?

I have recently introduced simple games - picture lotto etc. she does turn-taking nicely (with me, her and dd2 playing). I haven't really done the concept of winning as yet (would be totally lost on her I think) - we all tend to work on the same card and turn over tokens one at a time - label then match up on the card.

We were playing with this at lunchtime today and we (dd1 and I) used all 4 cards, and took turns to match up the pictures. I was very impressed with her discrimination, as it's 4 diff cards with the same animals on in 6 diff colours. she easily identified (has known colours and animals for ages though) and happily scanned all 24 images to find the right one.

so - further ways to stretch her there?

she still loves her flashcards (back to the love of labelling, really) and we work on building up sentences with those, but again we're stuck in a rut of describing/labelling.

her language has really come on well - we went to collect dh from the station tonight, as it is raining heavily, and as he opened her door to give her a kiss hello she said "oh, hello - your nose is wet!" and giggled. top marks for observation and appropriateness

I think what I am trying to get at is - what should we try working on next? she ahs had some shocking behaviour recently, but that has calmed a little, and I get the feeling she is as bored as I am...

any ideas gratefully recieved!

what about computer sites like Poisson Rouge? Or I have found a Shrek pairs game on line (google Shrek concentration) which apparently helps greatly with "working memory" - ie remembering where each card is to find the pairs. does she know her letters and numbers? If so, you coudl get her typing them as I think keyboard skills could be key to our kids maybe one day getting jobs etc?? Sorry if these ideas are inappropriate but just rushing to crying kid!

The animal matching game you use is DS1's favourite too though like you we are not playing the game just matching finding and sorting. I too realised that we were getting stuck at the stage where he would be able to find an 'aquamarine stegasaurus' but not do much else. I've tried asking more indirect questions that don't have a visual right in front of him.

'What is x eating?"
'What is y holding in her hand?'
'What do we buy in Sainsburys?'
"What colour is grass?'

I don't have a game for this but you can use the old A-Z books but just ask more indirect questions that rely more on language than just looking at the object ?

Do understand about getting in a rut and I remember those colour games so well. Sometimes the games suggested are quite obvious but you just don't think about them due to the rut.

How are her pen skills? We used to do lots of paper and felt tip memory games. You get different colour pens say four to start if she knows her colours, building up to more when she gets the hang of it. Then start by saying put a green dot on paper, put red line on paper. Then it might be a green square. Build it up to be a green square in top and red circle at bottom, or a red man with a hat in the centre and green dog with spots at right hand side.

With the memory games if they can do 2 memory steps stay with that then move to 3. If they keep getting three wrong go back to 2. Dont move on too quickly it can take months to move say from three to four. I am still doing this with my DD who is nine it's great for her memory and listening skills.

Another very easy to do one is numbers. Ask her to write or say back numbers, or pick them up if you have them written down again depending on her skills. Then go to saying them back backwards. So start with one or two ie
7 - 4
6 - 4 - 3
7 - 4 - 3 - 9

Change it to animals or foods use stuff in your kitchen and her toys if she needs the visualization. Tin of beans, apple, cornflakes get her to put them in a row. Then it cold be tin of beans to teddy, apple to doll, cornflakes to rabbit.

Most of these games came from SALT we had six or seven different types that we would do for about five minutes each. Just very short bursts.

Do you have the sheets of facial expression. They are good once she knows which one they are just to incorporate into these games as well. ie give teddy anxious face and doll scared face. Then ask who is anxious and who is scared.

What is good about these games is trying to move on from say three to four instructions. Four to five as you actually can see the progress. DD 2 who is three years younger and has always loves playing these games and although NT its interesting to see how bad her memory is as well.

Not sure if these will help - I have a few more if you find these useful.

have a look at this thread too Silverfrog

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=special_needs&threadid=786059-first-board-game-any one-got-a-good-one#16053181

I guess all board games are easier if you can start them at the weekend with DH. (I start mine with DS1 so DS2 can see what we do twice).

For "winning" we have a medal that gets presented to each player as and when they "finish" (eg get all the cards on their board etc).

thanks everyone.

daisysue2 - you have hit the nail on the head there - I am totally inn a rut, and cannot think laterally to come up with (essentially the same but) different ways of doing what we are already doing.

It has occurred to em that dd1 can easily do all the stuff we are doing, so it must be time to move her on, but I am just stumped as to how/when/where to move on to.

Burnout, I think!

SOSCE - I have seen poissonrouge before, but dd1 isn't in to computers at all (thankfully - how would I MN otherwise ). It is a skill she needs one day, but I would rather work on the interpersonal stuff - I could all too easily see her playing ont he computer and dd2 claiming my attention to do something else... Having said that, they are both addicted to games on my iTouch (ready loaded in preperation for holiday flight to OZ )

daisysue - those are great ideas. I have lost sight of how many steps dd1 can do, so will work on that - it at least gives a new angle to touch nose/ankle/curtains etc.

dd1 can identify numbers/letters but is still at early stages - not really a secure skill, so memory work on that would be tto far, I think. although she can recognise some whole words - always running before she can walk!

lingle, thanks - I read that thread yesterday and ordered some of the games. tbh, we've been waiting until dd2 can join in the games too (she's 2.5 now) as otherwise she is such a pest! dd1 has all the skills necessary for a lot of those games, and adding in the social side is a nice diversion. we are sticking to "yay well done" when a card is completed for now - dd2 is waaaay to competitive already