2.5y–4.2y10 minDevelopmental playFamily timeSelf-care
Robot Talk Helper: Blend to Find It
A quick everyday routine where you model oral blending (robot talk) to help your child fetch items and follow directions, then extend into initial-sound sorting and rhyming chains.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 5–7 familiar household items (e.g., hat, cup, sock, spoon, book, toy car)
- a small bag/basket (optional but helpful)
Nice to have
- paper and a pen (to write one or two short words)
- a timer (to keep it quick and fun)
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
What it practices
- Enjoys rhyming and rhythmic activities.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows awareness of rhyme and alliteration.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Continues a rhyming string.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Hears and says the initial sound in words.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together and knows which letters represent some of them.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Model oral blending of sounds to make words in everyday contexts, e.g. ‘Can you get your h-a-t hat?’”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)