Strategy
Mix and Match
Use this activity for practice of finding similarities among objects and exact matches!
This activity has been revised and was originally created by Vickie Brennan, Flo Ryu, and Dennis Lolli and published in the Perkins Activity and Resource Guide (1st edition, 1992). The second edition is available for purchase.
For students with some useable vision, the ability to match items such as socks or to group together items such as spoons can be practiced. This hands-on activity helps students develop identification of two like objects or pictures based on color, shape and size according to the following sequence:
- Object to object
- Object to picture
- Picture to picture
When presented with three items (object/picture), the student should be able to point to the two that are similar. When presented with an object and a matching and non-matching photo, the student should place the object on the matching photo. And when presented with three photos and/or pictures (two the same, one different), the student should select the two items that are the same. Lessons include Concept Development and Independent Living.
- Objects; matching and non-matching photos
- Use items that are familiar, then progress to unfamiliar items.
- Present three objects (two the same, one different) and encourage the student to point to the two objects which are the same. If the student is having difficulty, instruct them to locate the object which is different.
- Present an object with a matching and a non-matching photo, and encourage the student to place the object on the matching photo.
- Present three photos or pictures (two the same, one different), and direct the student to point to or pick up the two items which are alike.
- Increase the number of objects, photos or pictures from which to choose.
- Following the presentation of photos, progress to pictures, line drawings and silhouettes.
- Have the student color in pictures to match objects.
- With the student, take photos of familiar people. Have the student match the photos to the person.
Hint: This has practical applications when sorting and folding laundry, and matching socks.
