Strategy
I’m Thinking Of…
Use a guessing game to further children's expressive and descriptive language.
This activity has been revised and was originally created by Charlotte Cushman and published in the Perkins Activity and Resource Guide (1st edition, 1992). The second edition is available for purchase.
This activity is designed to improve listening skills and the ability to recognize attributes. It can help students to describe objects, people and events that they encounter in their daily routines. Lessons include English Language Arts, Concept Development, and Independent Living Skills.
None required
Describe a familiar object, person, or event and have students guess, based upon your description, what you are thinking of. Describe size, shape, texture, length, smell, taste, color, sound, category name, function, or location. The activity can be made as simple or as complex as desired, depending upon the level of the students.
Try some of the following examples. Remember to begin by saying, “I’m thinking of…”
- Something metal that you use to scoop with. (spoon)
- The person who checks your teeth. (dentist)
- A musical instrument which you blow into that is usually made of metal. (horn)
- A four-legged animal that lives on a farm and gives us milk. (cow)
- A place where you do your laundry that has washing machines and dryers. (Laundromat)
- Something made of terry cloth that you usually find in the bathroom that is smaller than a towel. You use it to wash your face. (washcloth)
- A warm month in the summertime when we celebrate Independence Day. (July)
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A kind of transportation that is bigger than a car. You pay money to ride in it, and lots of people go on it together. It has four wheels, it’s made of metal, and it drives on the road. It makes frequent stops in the city or goes from station to station outside the city. (bus)
- Have students take turns thinking of something for others to guess.
- Try adding one attribute at a time until students guess, rather than giving all of the information at once. First tell the function, then the material, then the size.
