Step 1: Choose different household objects (items of food or even toys), preferably objects with which your child is less familiar. If your child is one to two years old, choose three objects; if your child is two to three years old, choose five objects; if your child is four to five years old, choose seven objects; and for all children over five years of age, choose between ten and twenty objects. For example, for a toddler, you can choose an orange, a book and a toy car.
Step 2: Place the objects on a table in front of your child. Say the name of each object out loud, slowly and clearly, while pointing to the object and pausing briefly in between each object. Spend no more than two seconds identifying each object and moving on to the next object.
Step 3: Once you have identified each object, quickly clear them off the table.
Step 4: Place all but one object back on the counter/table in the same positions they were in on the table when you first introduced each object to the child. Then ask your child if they can name the missing object.
This activity can be adjusted for age and difficulty level. As your child becomes more comfortable, you can add more objects and hide three or four objects instead of just one.
