Understanding instructions involving three word phrases
This leaflet includes activities and suggestions for working a child’s ability to
understand three word phrases.
What are three-word phrases?
 Three-word phrases means understanding three words in a sentence that
carries MEANING. For example, “ find me your coat shoes and hat”, show me
your hands, toes and ears.
 Children need to understand 3 key words before they can use them.
 For all activities and situations, it is important to tell your child what things are
called and do it often! E.g. ‘this is a cup, it’s a big cup, here’s your cup’.
 Use everyday words that mean something to your child e.g. shoes, socks, drink,
biscuit and say them lots of times!
 Don’t ask your child to repeat the words after you. If he does say the word,
accept what he says, how he says it and give lots of praise for the attempt (the
pronunciation is not important at this moment!)
Moving an object
 You will need: a variety of toys e.g. teddy, dolly favourite soft toys
etc and other objects such as table, chair, box, bag.
 Encourage your child to "hide the toys" listening to and following your
clear instructions e.g.: "Hide teddy in the box"
"Put rabbit under the chair"
"Put dolly under the table"
 Make sure there is always a choice and return the toys to their original
position after each instruction.
Action on an object
 Use a variety of favourite soft toys / play people /
animals.
 Ask your child to make the toys carry out simple actions e.g.:
"Make teddy jump on the bed"
"Make Rabbit sit on the floor"
"Make dolly sleep in the box"
Possession
 Use a couple of soft toys (or two familiar people e.g. Daddy and granny).
 Give each a cup, a plate and a box.
 Using a selection of small familiar objects ask your child to:
" Put the spoon in dolly’s (or Daddy's) cup"
" Put the ball in Teddy's (or Granny's) box"
Updated August 2012
Colours
 If your child knows some simple colours use a variety of different coloured
objects e.g. red, blue and yellow cars and bricks.
 Ask him / her to "hide the cars and bricks" and places to
hide them such as table, chair and box.
" Hide the blue car on the chair"
" Hide the blue brick on the table"
"Hide the yellow car in the box"
Using A Setting
 You need a choice of characters e.g. boy/girl, cow/horse/pig and a choice of
p1aces to go, e.g. rooms in a house (doll's house or large drawing), places on a
farm (barn, pond, field).
Say:
 "Make the boy sleep in the bath," "Make the girl sit on the bed"
Or:
 "Make the pig stand in the pond", "Make the horse jump in the barn", etc.
 Another option would be to ask for two characters from a choice to be
placed somewhere, e.g.
"Put the horse and cow in the barn".
"Put the mum and girl in the living room".
 Alternatively, take big and little girls and boys (e.g. play Mobil or drawing and
cut out), or big and little animals:
Say:
"Put the big girl in the kitchen". “Put the little boy in the
bathroom"
Or:
"Put the big horse in the field”, "put the little
cow in the barn
Updated August 2012