Barrier Games
(also known as Screen Games)
A simple technique to develop speech and
language skills in young children
Essex Area SENCO Workshop
http://www.essexlocaloffer.org.uk/content/area-senco-workshops
Barrier Games
• Help children to:
– develop their listening skills
– follow a series of spoken instructions
– develop their expressive language
– consolidate learned vocabulary
• Help adults to:
– model correct language models
– monitor the child’s understanding
A barrier game is …
… a simple format whereby a child must:
• give detailed instructions to complete a simple
task
(developing spoken language)
• follow instructions given
(developing listening and understanding)
A barrier game is …
… achieved by removing
shared visual information
so that the speaker is
forced to consider the most
relevant and informative
language.
This is created by using a
screen (barrier).
For example:
Draw a
chimney on the
roof
What resources do I need?
• 2 matching boards displaying:
– ‘scenery’ (eg park, seaside, home)
• 2 matching sets of:
– objects (eg animals, vehicles, coloured
bricks)
– pictures
• a table-top screen (or floor-based)
How to play
• A screen is placed
between the 2 boards
(players may sit opposite
or side by side)
• The adult begins by giving
a series of instructions to
the child (‘the green car is
at McDonalds’)
• The child follows the
instructions by placing
objects on his board
Play continues ...
• The adult performs the activity on her own
board (unseen by the child)
• The screen is removed
• The adult and child compare their boards
• The adult reinforces the appropriate language
(eg ‘the green car is at McDonalds’)
Getting started
• Demonstrate without the screen
first
• Check the child knows the
vocabulary
• Teach child the rules of play
• Model language, including how to
ask questions
• Demonstrate how to remove
barrier and check
Types of screen games
•
•
•
•
•
Threading
Construction
Scenes
Dressing up
Colour or draw a picture
Use toys or objects to gain maximum interest
Examples:
Barrier Games in practice in early years settings
Listening skills
• The child has to listen to instructions
• The task can be made more or less challenging
by increasing or decreasing the amount of
information-carrying words
• The child is encouraged to listen if the topic is
linked to his interests
Expressive skills
• The child is given the opportunity to listen to
good role modelling of language
• When the child is confident, the roles are
reversed - the child formulates the instructions
thereby having to sequence and structure his
own sentences
Social skills
• The child is aware of another person and
having to take turns to speak
• The activity presents opportunities to take
turns and share information
• When confident, the child can teach the game
to another child
• Once familiar with the game, 2 children can
play together
Barrier games for pairs of children
The most common type of screen game …
One player either side of a screen
– this is most effective with children of
similar language level
Including more children can be more supportive
‘Buddy’ barrier games
2 players both sides of a screen:
• Enables weaker and more able language
users to work together to provide support and
peer modelling
– buddies can take turns at giving/ receiving
instructions, or
– more able language user can give
instructions (speak) whilst weaker language
user receives (listens)
Barrier games for groups
Whole or small group screen games provide
peer modelling and support
• Can be played as
– one-to-many: one player who is not seen
giving directions to whole group
– group versus group: two groups separated
by room divider and, in turn, a member of
each groups gives/receives instructions