Semantics Exercises

Semantics

Synonyms

Have your child think of other words that are similar in meaning to the ones below. You can use these examples if you like, or expand on these, or make a list of some of your own words that are more age appropriate for your child.

Loud.... e.g. noisy, din, thunder
Small.... e.g. little, tiny
Big.... e.g. large, tall, enormous
Angry.... e.g. cross, mad, furious
Thin.... e.g. skinny, narrow
Wet.... e.g. damp, soaked
Fast.... e.g. quick, rush, hurry
Cold....e.g. freezing, chilly, nippy
Dark....e.g. black, dim, dull,
Fat....e.g. big, chubby, plump
Fell....e.g. dropped, tumbled, tripped
Shiny....e.g. sparkle, glisten, bright
Smell....e.g. stink, sniff, odour
Chew....e.g. chomp, crunch, bite
Coat....e.g. jacket, blazer
Cup....e.g. mug, beaker
Road....e.g. street, avenue, motorway
Cut....e.g. slice, slit, trim,slash
Insect....e.g. bug, creepy-crawly
Sad....e.g. unhappy, miserable
Carpet....e.g. rug, mat
Spade....e.g. shovel, dustpan
Windy....e.g. breezy, blustery
Rock....e.g. stone, pebble
Chores....e.g. jobs, work, errands
Sick....e.g. ill, poorly, unwell
Friend....e.g. pal, mate, buddy
Beautiful....e.g. pretty, bonny, lovely
Like....e.g. enjoy, love
Tired....e.g. sleepy, weary, worn

Descriptions

Have your child describe what you would do with the following things, or in the following places or specific situations. Try to include function, or location, shape, colour and specific reasons in your own versions.

What could you do with a brush?
What could you do with a camera?
What could you do with a torch?
What could you do with a pencil?
What could you do with a potato?
What does a lawnmower do?
What does a postman do?
What does medicine do?
What do you do in the bath?
What would you do with a ladder?
What shape is an orange?
What shape is a box?
What colour is a fox?
Where would you find a train?
Where would you go to find a doctor?
What would you see at the seaside?
What would a policeman carry?
What would you use a telescope for?
What is a house made of?
Why might you need an ambulance?
What does a clock do?
What does a cat feel like?
What does a dog do?
What would you find in a school?
What could you do with a computer?
What colour is a frog?
What would you use a ruler for?
What would you use a knife for?
What does a vet do?
What does a Mummy do?

Location

Have your child try to tell you where they would expect to find the following items. Discuss the items and their locations, their appearance, their textures, shape and colour. You can make up your own questions and make them as easy or as difficult as you think your child can manage.

Where would you find a kangaroo?
Where would you find a watch?
Where would you find an igloo?
Where would you find a crab?
Where would you find a rainbow?
Where would you find a vicar?
Where would you find a bracelet?
Where would you find freckles?
Where would you find a coconut?
Where would you find a daffodil?
Where would you find a cathedral?
Where would you find an octopus?
Where would you find a pebble?
Where would you find a mechanic?
Where would you find a belt?
Where would you find your throat?
Where would you find an ice-cube?
Where would you find a tap?
Where would you find a blanket?
Where would you find a chimney?
Where would you find an airplane?
Where would you find an acorn?
Where would you find a tyre?
Where would you find a swan?
Where would you find a whale?
Where would you find a grocer?
Where would you find a ring?
Where would you find crockery?
Where would you find a sieve?
Where would you find an escalator?

Odd One Out

Have your child try to tell you which object is the odd one out. Discuss the items and decide their common features. What makes them a group and what makes the remaining object the odd one out. You can make them as easy or as difficult as you think your child can manage.This will help your child think about the characteristics of things, see similarities and differences rather than seeing a collection of words, as a result it will encourage them to think about the bigger picture of a topic

Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Feet
Answer = Feet, the others are on your face
Car, Truck, Airplane, Lorry
Answer =Airplane, the others cant fly
Apple, Banana, Potato, Pear
Answer =Potato, the others are fruits
House, Chair, Table, Sofa
Answer =House, the others are furniture items
Shower, Bath, Television, Sink
Answer = Television, the others are found in the bathroom
Pen, Pencil, Ruler, Crayon
Answer = Ruler, you can draw with all the others
Pig, Sheep, Zebra, Cow
Answer =Monkey, the rest are farm animals
Keys, Trumpet, Guitar, Flute
Answer = Keys, the rest are musical instruments
Finger, Palm, Knuckle, Toe
Answer = Toe, the others are on your hand
Tea, Coffee, Milk, Sausage
Answer = Sausage, you can drink the others
Tree, Football, Flower, Grass,
Answer = Football, the others grow
Football, Chess, Rugby, Tennis
Answer =Chess, the others are played with a ball
Cup, Shoe, Hat, Coat
Answer =Cup, because you can wear all the others
Lamp, torch, clock, candle
Answer = Clock, the others provide light
Penny, pound, dollar, newspaper
Answer = Newspaper, the others are money
Doorbell, lock, letterbox, table
Answer = Table, the others are part of a door

Sentence Completion

Encourage your child to try and tell you what word would fit into the gaps. You can make up your own sentences and use verbs, nouns, adjectives, pronouns, locational etc as the missing words. You can make them very easy, or more difficult depending on your child's ability

I saw my_______ in the mirror
The _________ was shining in the sky
The_________ quacked loudly
A zebra has black and white_________
A chicken lays__________
I went to_________ in my bed
I _________ my hair with shampoo
I___________ my teeth with toothpaste
A camel lives in the ____________
I use a__________ to eat my soup
A _________ lives in a web
I_______ when I am tickled
The postman put his__________ in his sack
The car_________ down
The man's __________fell out of his wallet
The thunder and __________ made me scared
The little girl went to__________ in an ambulance
The _________ blew the washing off the washing line
The Window Cleaner__________ the windows
The teacher wrote on the________ with chalk
I used a _________ to knock a nail into the wood
I was out of ________ after running for the bus
The _______ is the girls brother
The ______ looked pretty in her new dress
The referee blew his________ to stop the football game
My _________ is married to my mother
My sister cannot tie the _____ on her shoes
The _________ pulled into the trainstation
When I ride my________ I must wear my cycling helmet
The clown pulled a _______ face and made me laugh

I Spy

This is a traditional game usually played using the alphabet, ie "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with A". Have your child try to guess the object, but use words that might describe it instead. ie something that is cold and white.

Something shiny
Something furry
Something made of wood
Something made of metal
Something made of plastic
Something you can draw with
Something you can paint with
Something you can climb up
Something hot
Something you can find in the bathroom
Something you wear on your head
Something you use in the rain
Something that stings you
Something that has spots
Something that you can play a tune on
Something that grows in the garden
Something made of paper
Something that tastes sour
Something that tastes sweet
Something that smells nice
Something that chirps
Something that you use to measure
Something that use to weigh things
Something that you use to take a photograph
Something that lives in a burrow
Something that you see in the sky
Something that is smooth
Something that is hard
Something that you can see through
Something you see at the seaside
Something that a policeman might carry

Concepts

Have your child try to answer questions based on various concepts, ideas and notions. Try to include words such as later, tomorrow, before and after, more and less, bigger and smaller, behind and infront and so on. You can make these as easy or as difficult as you think your child can manage. You can create situations and use visuals to help with understanding, ie. Is the ball above my head?... whilst holding the ball above your head. If your child is confused, use simpler concepts to start with and then build up to more difficult questions as he/she makes progress.

How many seconds are in a minute?
When would you see more stars: in the day time or at night?
Tell me 4 numbers that are less than 20?
Tell me 4 numbers that are more than 15?
Would a cup or a bucket hold more water?
Would a mountain be bigger than a house?
Would a mouse be smaller than cow?
What would cost more money: a car or a pram?
Would a coin sink or float?
Would an item costing 10p be more than a item costing 50p?
Will tomorrow be here before bedtime?
Could you fit more sweets into an eggcup or a bucket?
Which would be heavier: an elephant or a kitten?
Which would be taller: a house or a tent?
Is your face on the front of your body or behind?
Do you have more eyes than ears?
Will an icecube melt in warm water?
Is a train longer than a car?
Is a week longer than a month?
What has more days: a month or a year?

Multi Meaning Words

Have your child try to make up some sentences with words that have multiple meanings. eg. I will cross the road, mum was cross.

Watch
Park
Sink
Shower
Stamp
Train
Iron
Turn
Rock
Lie
Palm
Stick
Spot
Drew
Bat
Light
Mean
Bank
Watch
Trick
Nail
Ring
Show
Can
Kind

Function

Have your child describe what they would do with the following objects. You can use a collection of objects associated with a particular theme , ie things found in the bathroom, kitchen, garden and so on.

Pen
Ruler
Scales
Money
Rocket
Soap
Vase
Torch
Brush
Key
Hammer
Spade
Whistle
Tomato
Telescope
Microscope
Toothbrush
Shoelaces
Watch
Needle
Stamp
Camera
Tin opener
Duster
Comb

Sequences

Encourage your child to try and tell you which of these actions happens first and last in the sequences that follow. You can make up your own versions using everyday sequences such as getting dressed.

Which of these happens FIRST

Open the door, put the key in the lock, turn the key
Put toothpaste on the toothbrush, brush your teeth, pick up your toothbrush
Feel thirsty, drink the juice, pour some juice
Open the cat food, feed the cat, put some food in the bowl
Butter the toast, eat the toast, put the bread in the toaster
Wet your hair with water, dry you hair with a towel, wash your hair with shampoo
Wrap the birthday present, buy a birthday present, give the birthday present to a friend
Tie your shoelaces, put on your shoes, put on your socks
Plant the seed, the flower grows, water the seed
Morningtime, midnight, teatime

Which of these happens LAST

Put on a plaster, fall over, cut your knee
Yesterday, today, tomorrow
Put the letter in an envelope, write a letter, post the letter
Put warm clothes on, make a snowball, throw the snowball
Turn on the tap, dry you hands with a towel, wash your hands with soap
Get in a rocket, fly to the moon, put on a spacesuit
Put your swimming costume on, get in the swimming pool, get undressed
Open the medicine bottle, measure the medicine, swallow the medicine
Pour some cornflakes, eat the cornflakes, get a bowl
Thread a needle, sew the trousers, tear your trousers

Unique

Encourage your child to talk about the following objects and help them to tell you something distinct/unique about that object eg. an elephant has a trunk. Your child may give you answers that are slightly different from the ones below, but as long as your child is looking for more distinctive features, that is what counts. See if you can think of some versions of your own.

Cemetary....graves
Camel...hump
Dragon...breathes fire
Kangaroo.....pouch
Igloo....made of ice
Starfish...shaped like a star
Rose...thorns
Zebra........stripes
Chemist.... sells medicine
Rocket...goes into space
New Years Day...start of a new year
Golf....played with clubs
Gun....bullets
Spider....web
Snowman....carrot for a nose

Specifics and Safety

Encourage your child to talk about the following situations and discuss how they would feel about a specific situation, what they would do in certain circumstances, how they would react. You can encourage your child to think about hypothetical situations and help them to choose the right way to deal with things, feel the right emotions, and make the right decisions.You might be able to think of other important situations that are mssing from this list.

What should your child say & do when approached by a stranger?
What your child should do when crossing the road?
What should your child do if asked for directions by an adult?
What should your child do & say when being bullied?
Which strangers is it OK to approach when lost?
What should your child shout in a dangerous situation?
What should your child do if there is a fire?
What should your child do if an adult or child will not wake up?
What should your child do if asked to keep a secret by an adult?
What should your child do if touched inappropriately?
When should your child say NO!
What dangers exist in the kitchen?
What should your child do if approached by someone with a weapon?
What should your child do if chased or confronted by a barking dog?
What should your child do if asked to get into someones car.?
What should your child do if a friend asks them to play in their house?
What should your child do if asked to steal something by another child.?
What should your child do if asked to damage something by another child?
What should your child do if they see someone getting hurt?
What is important to remember about electrical items?
What should your child remember about climbing on things?
What should your child remember about water and playing near water?
What is important to remember about medicines and bottles of liquids?
What would be a good thing to do with a broken toy?
What is dangerous about glass/glass objects?

Group Vocabulary

Encourage your child to think of as many objects belonging to the following groups. The groups you use in your own versions can be rhyming words ie. cat, fat, hat, mat or words containing a certain word eg. postman, post box, postcard, gate post or items belonging to a group eg. apple, pear, banana, are all fruits and so on.

Words that rhyme with:-

Top
Lake
Hug
Mist
Hill

That contain the following:-

Tea
Door
Ball
Eye
Light

That are part of these groups:-

Vegetables
Body parts
Animals
Professions
Countries

Antonyms

Encourage your child to think of the word that is opposite in meaning to the following words.You can make your versions as easy or as hard as you think your child can manage.

Laugh
Happy
Fixed
Walk
Old
Pushed
Dead
Dry
Open
Cloudy
Windy
Ugly
Smooth
Solid
Soft
Fast
Remember
Polite
Early
Front
Thin
Short
Narrow
Heavy
High
Up
Neat
Clean
Floor
Shout

Semantic Linking

Use images from magazines and clipart with a central picture with related and unrelated pictures radiating out from the central image.
Encourage your child to describe what the links might be.
eg. Flower (central image) and Tree..they both grow. Flower and Perfume..they both smell nice..etc

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