Week 1: Go

• Playing with cars.
• Showing pictures of places we go (e.g. park, store, school, home, etc.)
• Reading books that focus on the word go (e.g. Go Dog Go by Dr. Seuss, Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley).
• Create a visual scene with pictures showing things that “go.”
• Engage in conversational speech and ask questions such as “Where do you want to go?” and encourage the learner to use the word on their device.

Week 2: On/Off

• Play with Mr. Potato Head — Put his hat on and take his shoes off.
• Light up toys or switches that can turn on/off.
• Play Freeze Dance — Turn the music on and off.
• Using the word during daily activities such as getting dressing, washing hands, brushing teeth or watching TV.

Week 3: Eat

• Cooking/making a favorite snack.
• Playing with play food.
• Reading stories such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
• Integrate the word into mealtimes.
• Go grocery shopping and talk about things you eat.
• Asking/answering questions (e.g. What do you like to eat? Are you hungry? What should we eat?).

Week 4: Want

• Requesting favorite toys or food.
• Choice making.
• Go on a scavenger hunt and talk about the items we “want” to find.
• Throughout daily routines, talk about what you “want” to do or who “wants” to do certain activities.
• Coloring or Play-Doh. Have them request things they want while playing.

Week 1: I/Me

• Start creating phrases that incorporate “I want” during daily routines.
• Play a “Who Has What?” game. Learners can respond with “me!” and then expand to “I have it.”
• Play an action game where learners say “I can jump,” “I can clap,” or “I can twirl.”
• During turn-taking games, ask who wants a turn and encourage responses using “I” or “me.”

Week 2: More

• Request more during music activities.
• Ask for more while coloring.
• Use during snack time.
• Practice while using play dough.
• Request more during pretend kitchen play.
• Use during videos, swinging, and outdoor activities.

Week 3: Help

• Request help while playing on the playground.
• Use during academic tasks.
• Ask for help while getting dressed.
• Request help during snacks and meals.
• Ask for help when completing puzzles or sorting activities.
• Use during gross motor activities such as riding a bike, climbing, or swinging.

Week 4: Stop

• Play with toys that move or make sounds and model the word when they stop.
• Practice on the swing and request “stop.”
• Go on a walk and stop to find scavenger hunt items.
• Stop videos or music and have the learner request “more” or “go” to continue.
• Use “stop” and “all done” to help learners advocate for themselves during activities.

Week 1: Open/Close

• Open and close toy containers, books, doors, and windows.
• Sing Wheels on the Bus using open and close hand motions.
• Play with toys that have lids, doors, or compartments.
• Request items to open and close during arts and crafts.

Week 2: Like

• Talk about favorite foods and toys.
• Ask if the learner likes different activities.
• Read a favorite book and discuss what characters or items they like.
• Use “I like” during play and conversation.

Week 3: Make

• Make a favorite snack together.
• Play with bubbles and talk about what you can make.
• Create play dough shapes and creations.
• Use pretend food and discuss what you will make to eat.

Week 4: Mine/My

• Play matching games.
• Use toy cars and take turns identifying whose turn it is.
• Practice ownership during snack time.
• Use bubbles, board games, and crafts to reinforce “mine” and “my.”
• Work on these words during turn-taking activities throughout the day.

Week 1: Over/Under

• Create an obstacle course and give directions using “over” and “under” (e.g., go under the table, over the pillow).
• Hide objects around the room and give clues using location words.
• Take turns giving directions to each other.
• Label objects that are over or under other objects throughout the day.

Week 2: Big/Small

• Use play dough to make big and small creations.
• Build big and small towers with blocks.
• Compare toys, books, foods, or household items by size.
• Practice stretching your body to be big and curling into a ball to be small.
• Take turns choosing whether everyone should be “big” or “small.”

Week 3: Yes/No

• Play a thumbs up/thumbs down game while answering questions.
• Use memory matching cards and determine if two pictures are the same.
• Answer yes/no questions during story time.
• Complete puzzles and determine whether pieces fit.
• Use yes and no during daily choices and routines.

Week 4: Hello/Goodbye

• Sing greeting songs that include “hello” and “goodbye.”
• Practice greetings during arrival and dismissal.
• Take a walk around school or the clinic and greet peers and adults.
• Use hello and goodbye during transitions between activities.
• Model greetings during play and social interactions.

Week 1: Play

• Use musical instruments and encourage the learner to “play” music.
• Play sports or physical games using the word “play.”
• Create pretend play scenarios such as a kitchen or doctor’s office.
• Use educational games on a tablet or computer.
• Discuss what everyone wants to play during free time.

Week 2: Up/Down

• Blow bubbles and watch them go up and down.
• Build block towers up and knock them down.
• Raise and lower your arms while labeling up and down.
• Turn volume up and down while listening to music.
• Play movement games such as Simon Says or Hokey Pokey.

Week 3: Now

• Use “now” to signal when an activity begins.
• Practice opening and closing toys “now.”
• Use arts and crafts materials and discuss what you are doing now.
• Talk about what is happening now during games and routines.
• Model phrases such as “eat now,” “play now,” and “go now.”

Week 4: Look/See

• Go on a nature walk and look at things outside.
• Play “I Spy” games using look and see.
• Read books with detailed pictures and discuss what you see.
• Create a scavenger hunt and look for hidden objects.
• Take turns directing others to look at interesting items.

Week 1: Water/Swim

• Match pictures of summer activities with the words water and swim.
• Play at a water table or splash in a small pool.
• Read books about swimming and summer.
• Use toy animals or dolls that can swim.
• Talk about places where people swim.

Week 2: Drink

• Play beach ball toss and identify the core word.
• Create a pretend lemonade stand.
• Talk about favorite summer drinks.
• Practice requesting a drink during snack time.
• Label different beverages throughout the day.

Week 3: Hot/Cold

• Read summer-themed stories and label hot and cold items.
• Compare warm and cold objects safely.
• Sort pictures into hot and cold categories.
• Talk about hot weather and cold treats.
• Use water, ice, and sunshine examples to reinforce the concepts.

Week 4: Fun

• Role-play favorite summer activities.
• Spend time outdoors and discuss what is fun.
• Choose fun games and activities together.
• Talk about fun places to visit during summer.
• Model phrases such as “fun outside” and “that is fun.”

Week 1: Good/Bad

• Taste test foods and decide if they are good or bad.
• Talk about the weather and describe it as good or bad.
• Look at safety pictures and decide if actions are good or bad.
• Discuss favorite and non-favorite activities.
• Describe story characters and choices.

Week 2: It

• Play guessing games using household objects or toys.
• Describe what a toy is doing using the word “it.”
• Read books and identify objects as “it.”
• Create art projects and refer to materials using “it.”
• Label objects in the environment using simple sentences.

Week 3: Think

• Play mystery bag guessing games.
• Listen to sounds and guess what they are.
• Try taste tests and guess flavors.
• Look for hidden pictures in books.
• Use phrases such as “I think…” throughout activities.

Week 4: Again

• Request to play favorite games again.
• Sing repetitive songs and ask for them again.
• Open and close toys again.
• Repeat favorite actions during movement activities.
• Ask for arts and crafts materials again when needed.

Week 1: Turn

• Practice turn-taking during board games.
• Talk about whose turn it is throughout the day.
• Use toys that turn on and off.
• Turn puzzle pieces or gears while playing.
• Practice saying “my turn” and “your turn.”

Week 2: Love

• Create a collage of things you love.
• Use AAC to label favorite people, foods, and activities.
• Play love-themed bingo games.
• Read books about family and friendship.
• Discuss things everyone loves.

Week 3: You

• Play “Who Do You See?” using pictures.
• Create stories using the word “you.”
• Play peek-a-boo and say “I see you.”
• Practice social interactions using “you.”
• Ask questions that encourage responses using “you.”

Week 4: Say

• Play “I Say” or Simon Says.
• Practice following verbal directions.
• Use AAC to repeat simple phrases.
• Play “What Does the Animal Say?”
• Take turns giving instructions to others.

Week 1: Why/Because

• Ask and answer simple why questions.
• Discuss daily choices and preferences.
• Create silly cause-and-effect scenarios.
• Talk about classroom decisions.
• Model responses using “because.”

Week 2: Fast/Slow

• Run and walk at different speeds.
• Jump fast and slow.
• Listen to music and describe it as fast or slow.
• Watch videos at different speeds.
• Race toy cars and compare speeds.

Week 3: Need

• Request needed items during snack time.
• Use “I need help” during challenging tasks.
• Practice asking for supplies during crafts.
• Identify what is needed for daily routines.
• Use the word throughout academic and play activities.

Week 4: Near/Far/Through

• Complete a treasure hunt with location clues.
• Throw bean bags near and far targets.
• Go through tunnels or obstacle courses.
• Describe where objects are located.
• Practice giving and following directions.

Week 1: Happy/Sad

• Complete a daily feelings check-in.
• Practice making happy and sad faces.
• Read books and identify character emotions.
• Talk about things that make you happy or sad.
• Use AAC to label emotions throughout the day.

Week 2: What/Where

• Ask and answer “what” questions around the room.
• Play touch-and-guess games with hidden items.
• Play hide-and-seek and ask “where?”
• Read books and ask questions about pictures.
• Practice requesting information using what and where.

Week 3: Morning/Afternoon/Night

• Sort activities by time of day.
• Practice greetings based on the time of day.
• Label morning, afternoon, and night routines.
• Look at clocks and discuss time concepts.
• Discuss activities that happen during each part of the day.

Week 4: Can/Can’t

• Talk about classroom or home rules.
• Identify actions you can and can’t do.
• Look at pictures and discuss allowed activities.
• Volunteer for simple jobs by saying “I can.”
• Practice making choices using can and can’t.

Week 1: This/That

• Play two-choice games using preferred items.
• Ask the learner to identify this versus that.
• Complete scavenger hunts using location cues.
• Point to nearby and distant objects.
• Take turns giving directions with this and that.

Week 2: Do/Don’t

• Use songs with action directions.
• Play a modified Simon Says game.
• Discuss safe and unsafe choices.
• Sort pictures into do and don’t categories.
• Practice following multi-step directions.

Week 3: Here/There

• Play hide-and-seek with favorite toys.
• Toss a ball back and forth and label where it is.
• Choose whether to sit here or there.
• Describe the location of objects.
• Use here and there during daily routines.

Week 4: Give/Take

• Practice sharing toys.
• Play pretend store activities.
• Pass objects around a circle.
• Follow directions such as “give me” and “take it.”
• Use the words during snack and play activities.

Week 1: Different/Same

• Play matching games and puzzles.
• Sort objects by whether they are the same or different.
• Compare colors, shapes, and sizes.
• Read books and find matching pictures.
• Use the words during everyday observations.

Week 2: Put

• Practice cleaning up toys.
• Put objects into containers.
• Follow directions about where to put items.
• Play silly games putting things in unusual places.
• Take turns giving directions using the word put.

Week 3: To

• Talk about where you are going throughout the day.
• Travel to different locations around the building.
• Practice transition phrases such as “to speech” or “to home.”
• Use maps or pictures to discuss destinations.
• Give directions using the word to.

Week 4: All/Some

• Offer some or all of a preferred snack.
• Play with toys that have multiple pieces.
• Sort objects into all and some groups.
• Discuss whether all or some items are being used.
• Model the words throughout meals, play, and clean-up activities.