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I spy is a great way for parents and educators to teach younger children about letters and the names of different objects. To start, settle down somewhere that you can place objects in front of the child. In order for this game to work, the child needs to have already begun learning the names of different objects, because the game is used to reinforce that knowledge. Pick a household object, such as a toy, utensil, or stuffed animal whose name the child has learned. Place the object down in front of the child on the mat, floor, or tray.  In this version of the game, the object isn't to get the child to guess what object you’ve chosen, but rather to encourage the child to come up with the name of the object you’ve put down. This game also works for older children who are in the process of learning a new language, and the game can be used as a learning exercise for foreign words. Just like if you were playing with older children, say the rhyme to give the hint. For this version of the game, focus on letters, and specifically the first letter of the object. As the child progresses and gets better with names and spelling, you can try going by the last letter of the object too. For instance:  “I spy with my little eye, something that starts with the letter S” for a spoon “I spy something and it ends with the letter G” for a toy dog This game only works with familiar objects because the child already has to have learned what the objects are in order to be able to name them. If the child needs some more help, begin sounding out the name of the object one letter at a time. For the word “spoon,” for example, sound out just sp first, then "spoo", until the child is able to come up with the word. As the child advances, you can progress to placing two or three objects down. Choose one particular object that you want the child to identify and name, and then say the rhyme and give the beginning letter. Make sure all the objects start with a different letter.  Another advanced version is to lay down five or six objects, two or three of which start with the same chosen letter, and have the child identify and name all the objects that start with that letter. As the child’s perception improves, you can stop placing objects down and start using objects in the immediate environment.
Get the child settled on a play mat or high chair. Select an object the child is familiar with. Give the hint. Let the child guess the name of the object. Advance to using two or more objects.