UNDERSTANDING THE KEY WORDS IN A SENTENCE

 

This tells us the number of key words that a child has to understand in a sentence to carry out an instruction. It involves the child making a choice between objects, places etc.

• 0 word level – see section on early understanding
• 1 word level
• 2 word level
• 3 word level

 

In order to be sure that there is true understanding at any of the stages, there must be a choice for the underlined words.

For example:

1 word level Where’s the car?

Equipment needed: car, brush

 

2 word level Give the ball to dolly.

Equipment needed: ball, car, teddy, dolly

 

3 word level Put the spoon in the bag.

Equipment needed: shoe, spoon, bag, box, in/on/under

 

As language develops, it is normal for a child’s understanding to be at a higher level than their spoken language e.g. a child may understand a 3 word level instruction, but may only be joining 2 words expressively e.g. ‘daddy car’