In this resource, children learn to match pairs of associated elements. They learn to make a logical connection between items through fun and engaging activities.
Why learn to pair things that go together?
Learning to match sets of objects that go together is an important skill to master for young children and children with Autism and other learning disabilities :
- it helps them learn how to classify items and identify relationships between them. It also helps them learn to organize information, store it, then recall it when needed.
- it helps children practice visual discrimination which is the ability to tell similarities and differences between objects.
- it helps children think critically and practice problem-solving skills
- it sets the foundation for early geometry and early literacy learning.
How to teach your child to match association pairs of items that go together?
We put together two activities to teach your child to match associated objects:
1. Matching flashcards for Things that go together
These flashcards are designed specifically for early learners and students with special needs, offering 40 pairs of items that naturally belong together (e.g., toothpaste with toothbrush, baby with diaper), for a total of 80 flashcards. This resource is ideal for children who benefit from visual supports, making it an excellent tool for fostering language development, cognitive associations, and object classification. By engaging in this activity, students with autism, speech delays, or developmental disabilities can improve their ability to identify relationships between items, boosting receptive and expressive language skills.
How to Use These Matching Flashcards:
- Present the Choices: Place two cards on the table in front of the child (for example, milk and bike).
- Prompt the Child: Provide the child with a third card that correctly matches one of the cards already placed on the table (e.g., a helmet), and ask them to place it next to the correct match.
- Reinforce or Correct: Provide immediate positive reinforcement when the child makes the correct choice or gently correct them if they make an incorrect match.
This activity supports students in strengthening their association skills, developing problem-solving abilities, and enhancing fine motor skills. It’s a versatile resource suitable for individualized learning or small group activities in special education classrooms, ABA therapy, or speech-language therapy.
Download the free pdf file here
2. Task cards for Things that go together
This activity is easier than the previous one to set up and practice things that go together. You don’t need to look for cards and match them before starting to work with your child. Everything is set up for you, even the questions you have to ask your child are right in front of you.
You can use the task cards in the download section to teach your child/children to match associated items. These flashcards were designed with:
- one question on the top, for example, “what goes with milk”.
- and many pictures at the bottom to choose from, for example, pictures of a dress, a cow, and an umbrella.
The task cards were also designed with 2 levels of difficulty in order to progressively challenge the child:
- 24 task cards asking the child has to identify 1 related item from 2 or 3 pictures.
- 24 task cards asking the child has to identify 1 or 2 related items from 8 pictures.
In order to teach your child to match things that go together:
- Start by printing the file and laminating the flashcards for durability.
- Put a flashcard in front of your child and ask the question on the top
- Your child should point toward or name the right answer.
- Correct or reinforce the answer accordingly.
Download the free pdf file here
Task cards for things that go together – 48 task cards of associated items to match.pdf
3. Examples of things that go together
Here is a list of the questions used in this resource to learn matching things that go together:
- What goes with a screwdriver? screw
- What goes with a lamp? light bulb
- What goes with a table? chair
- What goes with an iron? ironing board
- What goes with paint? paintbrush
- What goes with windows? curtains or stores
- What goes with scissors? paper
- What goes with a flashlight? batteries
- What goes with a spider? spiderweb
- What goes with flowers? vase
- What goes with a camera? photographs
- What goes with a racket? tennis ball
- What goes with an astronaut? rocket
- What goes with a drum? drum sticks
- What goes with a toilet? toilet paper
- What goes with the sky? sun
- What goes with the juice? straw
- What goes with a bike? helmet
- What goes with a phone? charger
- What goes with gloves? scarf
- What goes with a notebook? pen
- What goes with a computer? mouse, keyboard
- What goes with a hammer? nail
- What goes with books? bookshelf, bookcase
- What goes with a whiteboard? marker, whiteboard eraser
- What goes with nails? nail polish, nail filer, nail clipper
- What goes with shoes? socks, feet
- What goes with a knife? fork, bread
- What goes with milk? cow, cheese
- What goes with a sink? tap, soap
- What goes with a plant? watering can, spade, dirt, pot
- What goes with a dog? leash, collar, kennel, dog food
- What goes with a pencil? sharpener, pencil case, eraser
- What goes with toothpaste? toothbrush, teeth
- What goes with hair? headband, hairbrush, hairdryer, hair clips, hair clippers, shampoo
- What goes with a car? wheels, steering wheel, car seat
- What goes with a bed? pillow, duvet, sheets
- What goes with a blender? juice, soup
- What goes with the baby? milk bottle, diaper, crib, stroller, rattle, pacifier
- What goes with a bird? nest, worm, egg
- What goes with a door? key, doorbell, door handle
- What goes with a stove? pan, pot, fire, lighter
- What goes with fire? firetruck, firefighter
- What goes with rain? umbrella, raincoat, boots
- What goes with a TV? remote control, TV stand
- What goes with a swim cap? goggles, life jacket, swim ring
- What goes with a log? saw, ax
- What goes with a needle? thread
- What goes with an ATM? credit card, cash, bank
Looking for more?
For more information and free resources on MATCHING, click on the link below: