Things That Go Together: Find the Match
Six go-together pairs, from sock and shoe to bucket and shovel: see one item and tap the one that goes with it.
How to run it
Name the prompt item and ask what goes with it before the student taps. After each match, ask why: a sock goes with a shoe because you wear them on your feet. If they tap the wrong one, name both items and ask how they are used. Keep the why questions short. Five minutes covers all six pairs with a reason for each.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
- HintGive a clue about the word's category, what it does, or where you find it.Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two answers, the right one not always second.Log as cued
- ModelGive the answer in a sentence; the student says it back and uses it once more.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use fewer items and start with the ones the student already knows, such as 'sock' and 'toothbrush'.
Ask for the word in a sentence of the student's own, or a second example from the same group.
Matching IEP goal
Given vocabulary cards, Student will name, sort or define target words in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Six pairs of things that go together: sock and shoe, toothbrush and toothpaste, pencil and paper, pillow and blanket, lock and key, bucket and shovel. The student sees one item and taps the one that belongs with it. Associations like these are how words get organized in memory, and explaining why two things go together is a step toward describing and defining words.
What to listen for
Listen to the reasons more than the taps. A student who matches pencil and paper but says because they are yellow is matching on something other than use. Notice whether reasons name a function, a place or a time. Lock and key and bucket and shovel are the pairs most often left for last, which can mean less familiar vocabulary.
Carrying it home
While tidying up, hold up one item and ask the child to find what goes with it: the toothbrush and the toothpaste, the pillow and the blanket. Ask them to say why each time. Swap roles and let them quiz you. Everyday objects in their real places make the associations stick.
What's in this activity
- sock shoe
- toothbrush toothpaste
- pencil paper
- pillow blanket
- lock key
- bucket shovel
Questions
- Who is this for?
- PreK through first grade students building vocabulary through associations, and older students who need practice explaining how two words are related.
- Is it free?
- Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
- How is this different from a memory game?
- Nothing is hidden. The student sees the item and chooses its partner, so the task is knowing the relationship rather than remembering card positions.