Maya is 18 months old. Every day, her preschool teacher plays Simon Says. When her teacher says 'Simon says touch your nose,' Maya touches the correlating body part. The game best supports which of the following skills?

• A. Receptive language
• B. Personification
• C. Articulation
• D. Fluency

Answer: (A)

Understanding and following spoken language is receptive language. In this game, Maya hears the instruction “Simon says touch your nose” and must translate that spoken directive into a physical action. Her ability to listen, interpret the words, and act accordingly shows she is processing language heard and using it appropriately. That focus on comprehension of spoken instructions differentiates it from expressive skills. The other options don’t fit because personification involves attributing human traits to objects, articulation is about producing speech sounds clearly, and fluency concerns the smoothness of speech. Here, the task is about understanding and following directions, a clear example of receptive language in action.