Splash, Count, Park

Overview

In this one-to-one multisensory English and mathematics experience, the student explores a toy-car wash and uses supported communication to describe actions, properties and sensory experiences. The student counts up to 10 and parks each clean car in the matching numbered car park, building on early oral language, one-to-one counting and participation in familiar routines.

Learning intentions

• WALT communicate about objects and actions using words, gestures, signs, pointing or a communication system.
• WALT explore and use sensory words including wet, dry, warm, clean and dirty.
• WALT count toy cars from 1 to 10 with one-to-one matching.
• WALT match each clean car to the correct numbered car park.

Success criteria

• I can show or communicate a word such as car, more, finished, wet or clean.
• I can help wash and dry the cars.
• I can count cars one at a time to 10, with support.
• I can park a clean car beside the matching number.

Curriculum links

• English — oral language and communication: listening and responding, using words, gestures, signs, pointing or AAC to communicate meaning.
• English — writing and composition: sensory details describe how things look, sound, smell, taste or feel and help others imagine an experience.
• Mathematics and Statistics — number: counting a set using one-to-one correspondence and recognising numerals to 10.
• Key competencies: managing self, relating to others, participating and contributing, and using language, symbols and texts.

Lesson structure (27 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Welcome and preview. Teacher shows the student the cars, water tub, cloth and numbered car parks, modelling “car wash” and a simple visual sequence: wash → dry → count → park. Student explores the materials visually and chooses a car or indicates readiness using a gesture, eye gaze, sign or AAC.

2. 3–7 min · Explore the sensory materials. Teacher offers small amounts of warm water and cool, dry cloths, modelling and repeating “water”, “warm”, “wet”, “dry”, “dirty” and “clean”; avoid requiring the student to touch and follow their sensory preferences. Student touches, pours, squeezes or watches as comfortable, then communicates a choice or response by pointing, reaching, vocalising, signing or using AAC.

3. 7–16 min · Wash and describe the cars. Teacher presents one dirty car at a time, using short repeated language: “Dirty car. Wash.” Pause expectantly after each key word and accept any purposeful response. Help the student dip, sponge or pour water over the car, then model “wet car” and “clean car”; offer “more?” and “finished?” after each turn. Student washes up to 10 cars, indicating more or finished and selecting or imitating key vocabulary where possible.

4. 16–20 min · Dry and count. Teacher supports the student to place each washed car on a towel, modelling “dry” and counting slowly while touching each car once: “1, 2, 3…” Stop at the number reached if the student is tired, then continue with assistance. Student dries, pushes or hands over each car and joins the count through pointing, moving a car, vocalising, signing or activating a number on AAC.

5. 20–25 min · Park and match. Teacher lays out numbered spaces 1–10 in a clear line. For each car, count together, show the next numeral and say, for example, “Car number 4. Park 4.” Provide a choice of two nearby spaces if needed, then gradually reduce support. Student places each clean car in the matching numbered car park and celebrates completion with specific feedback: “You parked 4. Clean car!”

6. 25–27 min · Review and finish. Teacher revisits the visual sequence and asks simple choice questions: “Wet or dry?”, “Dirty or clean?”, “More or finished?” Model the final message, “Car wash finished,” and count the parked cars together. Student communicates one preferred word, sign, gesture or AAC response and helps put away one item.

Resources

• 10 toy cars of varied shapes and sizes
• Shallow water tub or tray
• Small amount of comfortably warm water
• Sponges, cloths and a towel
• Numbered car-park spaces 1–10, made from paper or masking tape
• Visual sequence cards: wash, dry, count, park, finished
• Core-word communication board or the student’s usual AAC system
• Non-slip mat and apron or protective clothing
• Hand towel and floor-cleaning cloth

Assessment

• Observe whether the student initiates or responds to communication using any mode, including eye gaze, gesture, reaching, vocalisation, sign or AAC. Record the words or meanings communicated.
• Note the level of prompting needed to identify or respond to wet/dry, dirty/clean, more/finished and car.
• Check counting and matching: whether the student touches or moves one car per count and parks cars in the matching numbered spaces. Use a brief record such as independent, prompted or not yet demonstrated.

Differentiation

• Use the student’s strongest communication mode first. Pair every spoken word with an object, gesture, sign, photograph or symbol, and allow at least five seconds for a response.
• Reduce sensory demands by offering tools instead of hands, using a shallow tray, controlling water temperature and quantity, and stopping immediately if the student shows distress or overload.
• Begin with two cars and two numbered spaces if 10 is too demanding; build towards 10 through repeated short turns. Use hand-under-hand support only when appropriate and agreed with the student’s support team.
• Extend communication naturally by modelling two-word combinations such as “more water”, “clean car”, “big car” and “car park”, without requiring speech or imitation. Include big/small comparisons while sorting or parking the cars.