About this activity
Sixteen items running in both directions at once: which one does not belong — apple, banana, carrot, grape; what do you use to cut paper; a hammer, a saw and a screwdriver are all what; which one belongs with plate, fork, cup; what is a stapler used for. Category and function are the two organising principles of a semantic network, and testing them together shows which one a student is actually using.
How to use it in a session
Ask why after every answer. The answer to which one does not belong is worth almost nothing on its own — carrot is a vegetable among fruits is the whole point, and a student who says carrot with no reason may have guessed. Alternate the two question types deliberately rather than grouping them, because a student who has learned the pattern of one will coast through a block of it. Twelve minutes covers the set with explanations.
What to listen for
Listen for which strategy the student reaches for. Some children categorise by what a thing is and cannot say what it does; others describe function fluently and cannot name a category. Both are usable and the missing one is the target. Watch for over-inclusive categories — a student who says a hammer, a saw and a screwdriver are all things is technically right and has not found the level of specificity the question wanted.
Carrying it home
Putting away shopping is a category task, and setting the table is a function task. Asking which shelf something belongs on, or what a thing is for, takes no extra time and uses the same reasoning this board is building.
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- First through third, and older students working on word retrieval, since semantic organisation is what retrieval depends on.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all sixteen items play with no account.
- Why does this help word finding?
- Because a word is easier to retrieve when it sits in a well-organised network. A student who knows a spoon is cutlery, is used for eating, and belongs with plate and fork has several routes to the word instead of one.