Staircase CAT4 Vocabulary Game
📥 Download the printable version of this activity here.
Looking for a creative way to prepare your child for the CAT4 test?
This original vocabulary activity is designed for 7-year-olds preparing for the CAT4 verbal reasoning section. It uses physical movement, repetition, and simple objects around the house (like stairs and toys) to teach important position words like top, bottom, middle, above, and step.
It’s fun, easy to follow, and a great way to support your child’s English language development and test confidence at home.
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) assesses a child’s reasoning abilities in various areas, including verbal reasoning. This activity focuses on enhancing vocabulary skills relevant to the CAT4 verbal reasoning section
Target age: 7-year-olds | year 2
Goal: Introduce and reinforce key vocabulary used in CAT4-style verbal reasoning (spatial concepts, sequencing, question words).
What You’ll Need:
- 3 small toys (toy 1, toy 2, toy 3)
- A staircase with at least 6 steps
- A balloon or soft object to hang above the stairs (string/tape)
Important Step!
You might need to answer your own questions at first. Have your child repeat what you say. Speak slowly and clearly. After a while, your child will start to answer the questions without assistance. This should be done as a fun game. Do not tell your child they said something wrong. Instead, say “Good job!” followed by the correct wording.
Step-by-Step Activity
Step 1: Introduction to Stairs and Positions
- Place the toys:
- Toy 1 → bottom right of the staircase
- Toy 2 → middle step, right side
- Toy 3 → top step, right side
- Hang the balloon above the top of the stairs
- Introduce the vocabulary:
- “These are stairs. This is a step.”
- “I’m pointing at toy 3. It is on top of the stairs. We are at the bottom.”
- Walk up together: “Let’s go up the stairs.”
- Now at the top: “I’m pointing at toy 1. It is at the bottom of the stairs. We are at the top.”
- Ask: “Where is toy 2?” → “Toy 2 is in the middle of the stairs.”
- Repeat until understanding is clear.
Step 2: Question Practice + Movement Patterns
- Ask Questions:
- “We are at the bottom. Which toy is at the top?”
- “Which toy is in the middle?”
- “Which toy is at the bottom?”
- “Can you point at the toy in the middle of the stairs?”
- Movement Sequences:
- “Let’s go upstairs in a zigzag pattern.” (Demonstrate)
- “Let’s go downstairs in a zigzag pattern.”
- “Let’s go up in a sequence of 4 steps: 1… 2… 3… 4. 1… 2… 3… 4.”
- “Let’s go down in a sequence of 6 steps.”
- Introduce ‘above’:
- Ask: “Where is the balloon?”
→ Child answers: “The balloon is above the stairs.”
- Ask: “Where is the balloon?”
Language Repetition & Focus
Encourage repetition of these key structures:
- Which toy is at the ___?
- We are at the ___.
- Let’s go ___ the stairs.
- The ___ is above the stairs.
- Which toy am I pointing at?
Key Vocabulary Covered:
- Nouns: stairs, step, toy, balloon, pattern, sequence
- Prepositions/Adverbs: top, bottom, middle, above, up, down
- Question words: which, where
- Verbs: point, go, walk, repeat
- Concepts: zigzag, sequence, number patterns
© Start Smart English. All rights reserved.
This activity was created by Rebecca McLaughlin, founder of Start Smart English, as an original method for teaching CAT4 vocabulary. It may be shared for non-commercial educational use with proper credit. Please do not copy, modify, or republish without permission.
🔗 If you share this activity, please credit:
Start Smart English – Original activity by Rebecca McLaughlin for CAT4 vocabulary practice
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