Community Walk: What Do You Notice?
Here's What To Do
While you’re walking in your community or doing errands, encourage your child to compare the things they see to notice how they are similar or different.
For example, talk about how trees or flowers are similar or different; or compare cabbage and broccoli in the supermarket’s produce aisle.
Compare things like colors, shapes, texture, size or location. Mix it up to keep it interesting!
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Connect with your child and say, “Let’s play a compare game!”
Engage:
- As you walk, and point out different things, ask:“How are these ____ the same?” “How are they different?”
- What shall we compare next?
Encourage:
- Ask questions to help your child notice similarities and differences. “How are the broccoli and the cabbage the same? Do we eat both of them?”
- If your child is having trouble, offer some ways that things are the same or different, and then let them try again.
Reflect:
- “What was one thing you noticed when you were comparing the ___?”
Not quite ready?
As you’re looking at the objects together, point out things you notice about how they are similar and different. “Look at those flowers! They are both red, but this flower’s petals are much bigger.”
Ready for more?
Your child can think of more complex attributes, such as their type, category, or function. For example, they can notice whether broccoli and cabbage are both vegetables, or whether they’re both next to or beside other vegetables.
As your child masters this skill...
They will shift their attention on a few qualities of objects, tasks and people.