Mini-Motors for 1-3 Critical Elements

 Mini-Motors Amazon

These manipulatives, which are marketed for preschool counting and sorting, are great for targeting auditory skill development as well as expressive and receptive language skills and early concepts.  There are six different vehicles in six different colors.  This closed set allows for fun lessons that can target 1-2 critical elements during listening activities.  To target one critical element you would use either all six vehicles in the same color (ex. blue car, blue school bus, blue airplane, blue train, blue boat, blue firetruck) or the same vehicle in all six colors (ex. red boat, blue boat, green boat, yellow boat, orange boat, purple boat).  By adding all the different vehicle types as well as all the colors you can really up the ante and target two critical elements.  For an extra challenge, and to eliminate some of the "clues", you can control the set to only have one syllable colors and vehicles (ex. red boat, blue train, green car) or only multisyllabic items (ex. yellow airplane, purple school bus, orange firetruck).  If you want to continue to up the ante and target three critical elements, you can use a child-friendly printed town map or playmat rug as pictured below (ex. Drive the blue school bus to the farm.  Drive the red firetruck to the police station.).

 Playmat Rug - Amazon

As always, I will add sign language support to aid and ensure comprehension and success.  I also often use pictures to support the lesson, for children who do not yet have all of the colors, vehicles and locations in their receptive vocabulary.