About this activity
Ten bare sentences shown with an elaborated version: the dog ran becomes the big, fluffy dog ran; she ate lunch becomes she ate a warm, cheesy lunch; the bird sang becomes the tiny, blue bird sang; she found a rock becomes she found a smooth, shiny rock. Two adjectives each, which is a concrete target a young child can count.
How to use it in a session
Cover the elaborated version and let the child supply their own adjectives first. Any two that fit are correct — the target is elaboration, not the specific words on the card — and a child who says the brown, fast dog has done the task. Then compare with the version on the board, which usually produces a discussion about which is more interesting. Eight minutes covers the ten.
What to listen for
Listen for which attributes get used. Colour and size arrive first and easily; texture, temperature and sound are much rarer, and a child who produces warm or smooth has reached beyond the obvious. Watch for adjectives that do not fit the noun, which is a vocabulary issue rather than a structural one and needs different work.
Carrying it home
Bare sentences are easy to elaborate together. Saying the dog ran and asking what kind of dog is a five-second exchange that fits into any story or walk.
Questions
- What ages is this for?
- Kindergarten through third grade, as early narrative elaboration.
- Do I need an account?
- No, all ten sentences play free.
- Why two adjectives rather than one?
- Because one is often accidental and two require deliberate elaboration. It is also a countable target, which makes it easy for a child to know when they have done it.