Concentration
A toddler watches and helps a caregiver focus on characteristics of two objects to determine whether they are the same or different.
Be Prepared: Select four pairs of toys (eight total), such as two rubber ducks, two toy cups of the same color, two blocks of the same size and color, and two baby dolls of the same size. Place all of the toys in the basket except for two different items, such as one rubber duck and one baby doll.
[Invite one toddler to join you in finding two things in a basket that are the same.]
We have a basket of toys. You can look at them!
What do you see in the basket?
[Offer the basket of toys and provide time for the toddler to explore the toys. Name and briefly describe each toy the toddler picks up or touches. Return all toys to the basket, placed in random order.
Display two identical items, such as blocks.]
Some of the toys in our basket are the same. Please look at these two blocks. They have the same shape and the same color. They are the same.
[Display two items that are different, such as a baby doll and a block.]
These two toys are not the same. This is a baby doll and this is a block. They are different. They look different and we play with them in different ways.
I want to find toys in our basket that are the same.
[Display for the toddler a toy, such as a rubber duck.]
This is a rubber duck. Our rubber duck is yellow. I am going to look in the basket and try to find another yellow duck. I want two toys that are the same.
[Look through the toys in the basket and pick up one toy at a time to compare to the rubber duck. Hold the two toys next to each other for ease of comparing. Describe your comparison of the two toys to determine whether they are the same. Example: “This is a red cup. This is not the same as the yellow duck. It is red. The duck is yellow. The two toys have different shapes. And we play with them in different ways. The cup and the rubber duck are not the same. They are different toys.”
After comparing several toys to the rubber duck, one at a time, pick up the other rubber duck from the basket. Hold the two toys next to each other in front of the toddler.]
This is a yellow rubber duck. This is another yellow rubber duck! The ducks look the same. We can play with the two toys in the same way.
Now let’s try to find two more toys that are the same.
[Display a toy, such as a baby doll.]
This is a baby doll. We can play with the baby doll by pretending to rock it to sleep. I am going to look in the basket and try to find another baby doll.
[Once again, look through the toys in the basket and pick up several different toys, one at a time, to hold next to the baby doll. Begin the comparison with an item that is different from the baby doll. Example: “This is a brown block. We can build with this block.]
[Repeat and expand on the toddler’s response. Emphasize how the two toys are different.]
[Hold up next to each other two toys that are the same. Ask the toddler whether the two toys are the same or different. Describe (or ask the toddler to describe) how the two toys are the same.]
This is a baby doll. This is also a baby doll! The baby dolls look the same. Both dolls have the same color of hair and they are wearing nighttime clothes.
Today you watched and helped me find two toys that are the same. We looked at some toys that were different. We also found two toys that are the same. We paid close attention to what each toy looks like.
Concentration
A toddler finds a toy in a basket that is the same as the toy a caregiver selects.
Be Prepared: Select four pairs of toys (eight total), such as two rubber ducks, two toy cups of the same color, two blocks of the same size and color, and two baby dolls of the same size. Select different pairs of toys if the toddler participating in this activity previously participated in the Option 1 activity. Place all of the toys in the basket.
Invite a toddler to join you in finding two toys in a basket that are the same. Introduce the basket of toys and show the toddler two toys from the basket that are the same. Explain how they are the same. Example: “Here are two cups. They are both red and they have the same shape. They look the same.”
Next, show the toddler two different toys and ask whether the two toys are the same or different.
Support the toddler’s search for a toy that is the same as another toy by holding up a toy and inviting the toddler to find another toy in the basket that is the same. Give to the toddler the toy you selected so he/she can hold and look at the toy closely. If appropriate, offer verbal assistance in finding another toy that is the same by describing the toddler’s comparison. Example: “Daniel, you are looking at a baby doll and a rubber duck. Do they look the same? How are the two toys different?”
Conclude the activity by describing the toddler’s effort to find two toys that are the same. Example: “You looked at all the toys to find one that is the same as the rubber duck. You looked closely at each toy in the basket.”
Concentration
A toddler independently finds items in a basket that are the same.
Be Prepared: Select 4–5 pairs of toys (8–10 total), such as two rubber ducks, two toy cups of the same color, two blocks of the same size and color, and two baby dolls of the same size. Select different pairs of toys if the toddler participating in this activity previously participated in the Option 1 or Option 2 activity. Place all of the toys in the basket.
Invite a toddler to find toys in a basket that are the same. Offer four or five pairs depending on your understanding of the toddler’s skill in looking closely at items and determining whether they are the same or different.
Present the basket of toys and invite the toddler to pick one toy, place it on the floor (or table) next to the basket, and then look closely at all other toys in the basket to find a toy that is the same as the toy the toddler first picked.
You may wish to offer some structure for the search by suggesting the toddler pull one toy at a time from the basket, compare it to the toy he/she initially selected, and say whether the toy is the same or different. See the Extra Support tip if a toddler finds it too challenging to identify a toy that is the same.
Conclude the activity by describing the toddler’s concentration actions. Example: “You looked closely at the toys in the basket and you found toys that are the same!”
The self-regulation skill of concentration is a central part of the cognitive task of comparing two or more items to determine whether they are the same or different. The same-or-different determination is essential for sorting and matching items. First and foremost, however, a child needs to look closely at the characteristics of something. The task of concentrating is the primary focus of this activity plan. Options 1 and 2 are less challenging than Option 3 because they confine the comparison to two items and, in Option 1, the toddler is learning how the caregiver goes about finding two items that are the same. Option 3 is appropriately pursued when a toddler has demonstrated some skill in looking closely at two items as part of a comparison. Looking at 8–10 toys to find two that are the same could be overwhelming without prior experience in comparing item characteristics.
Each toddler should experience success in looking at the toys. In some cases, this may mean offering fewer items for a toddler to look at and offering more practice at a later point.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: four different toys from the activity plan’s three options, such as a rubber duck, toy cup, block, baby doll, basket
Place the four toys on a low table. Invite several toddlers to look closely at each toy and try to remember what the toy looks like. Encourage the toddlers to go on a “scavenger hunt” to find a toy in the room that is the same as one of the four toys. Suggest a toddler take the toy with him/her if it seems too challenging for the toddler to leave the toy on the table and remember what the toy looks like.
Materials Needed: four pairs of toys, such as two rubber ducks, two kitchen items, two blocks of the same size and color, and two small baby dolls of the same size. Separate the toys into two groups, each with one of the two identical toys.
Invite older children to place the toys from one group in different places in your setting that are easily viewed by toddlers. Hold up one toy from the other group and encourage toddlers to “hunt” for the same toy in your setting. Toddlers and older children may enjoy switching roles of “hiding” the toys.
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