Invite children to listen to a short sequence and make the sounds back in the same order. Use the illustrated cards in Music and Sound provision, small groups or a quiet shared game. Begin with a single familiar sound and choose longer sequences when the child wants to try.

Introduce the six pictures

Explore each action and instrument together using the picture key on page 2. Agree what each picture means before playing. Here, a sound means one action or sound event, not a phoneme or a syllable. A bell ring or shaker movement may contain several tiny noises but counts as one turn in the sequence.

Play one short sequence

1. Get ready together. Offer a choice of sounds and wait until the child is ready. They do not need to sit still or make eye contact.

2. Make the sounds from left to right, once for each picture. Use a steady, unhurried pace with a clear space between actions. Let a bell fade before the next sound. Repeated pictures mean separate actions: clap, pause, clap.

3. Finish the whole sequence, pause, then invite the child to copy. Say “Your turn” after playing, rather than naming the sounds while you make them. Replay whenever helpful.

4. Swap roles. The child can choose a card or arrange loose pictures for you to copy. Enjoy their ideas and return to a shorter sequence whenever needed.

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