Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Counting the number of spoken words Packet of counters Board with six square boxes - in a horizontal grid Lists of short phrases and sentences e.g. from 'Sound Linkage' (P. Hatcher, available from www.amazon.co.uk ) p.21 help me (2) she shouted (2) I can't get down (4) | 1. Place the counters and board on the table. 2. Ask the child to tell you a word (any word at all) then together add more examples of single words 3. Tell the child that you will now say two or more words in a row, which they will have to repeat and count the number of words. 4. Ask child to repeat what you say. They push a counter into a box as they say each word. Model this as much as necessary - and give as much help as needed to begin with. | This can be done 1-1, in a pair or very small group. Progression: Give the correct number of counters for each phrase or sentence to start with - then try giving more counters than necessary (harder). Speak slowly to begin with then progress towards normal speaking speed. The child could begin to use fingers to count rather than the counters. This activity also helps children to improve their auditory memory as they have to remember and repeat the phrases. |
Point to separate words in reading, noticing the spaces between the words A suitable text Optional - 'Magic finger' puppet or a small stick or ruler | Before this activity: If working 1 to 1 or with a small group, a link can be made with the activity ("counting the number of spoken words") above. As the adult reads the text aloud, the child can move a counter over each word on the page as it is spoken. This activity could be done while using a big book with the whole class and the 'target' child is asked to help the teacher by using a stick or ruler to point at each word as it is read aloud. Instead of using their finger the child could use a finger puppet, ruler or stick to help focus their attention on pointing. Older children could have a small sticker placed on their index finger nail. | |
Write words as separate units Flat ice-lolly sticks - painted ice-lolly sticks (can be bought in supermarkets) - using a stick ensures that the spaces between the words are even. Or: If a child has smaller writing try using a smaller tool than an ice-lolly stick to place between words. | Also links to: "EW L1b write simple sentences" on www.commtap.org - (the daily sentence /cut up sentences). The cut up sentences could be done before this activity where the words as separate units are on separate pieces of card. The ice-lolly stick could be placed in between each card to emphasise the space. Keep the sentences short - and don't worry about the spelling - the teaching point is about the spaces between the words as the words are separate units. Follow-up activity - using ICT: Type the child's sentences into Word without spaces between the words. Ask the child to read their work and press the space bar in between the words to make the spaces. Print out the best copy. |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Photos from home or from school life | 1. Look at the picture. Talk about what is happening. Ask some easy to answer questions. 2. Stick the picture in a book to take home and say 'Tell me what to write and you can show Mum'. | You are aiming for more than a one-word answer. Prompt the child to say more by modelling a 2 or 3 word phrase and then asking the question again. Wait and give the child time to respond. Praise all efforts. |
Pictures cut from a catalogue or paper | ||
Child's own drawings |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Writing a list to go shopping and pretending to use money Stories that involve going shopping, e.g. The Shopping Basket by John Burningham. Real food/plastic food/pictures of food. A clear label for each piece of food. Notebooks and pencils. Pretend toy till and money if easily available but not essential (optional). Hats/dressing up clothes and bags for shopping (optional). | 1. Read stories about children who are going shopping. 2. Explain that when we put the hats/dressing up clothes on we will be pretending to be getting ready to go shopping/be the shop keeper. 3. Model what you want the child/children to do. Put a hat or other dressing up clothes on. Ask the child/children to help you to choose 2 of the foods you are going to buy from the shop. 4. Tell the children you are going to write a shopping list to help you to remember. As you write the objects down, say the name of the item then exaggerate the sounds within the words e.g. r-i-ce, ch-ee-se. 5. Show the children your list and read it back to them. 6. Choose a child to be the shopkeeper. Go to the shop and 'buy' your 2 things. Pretend you have forgotten what to buy so you need to read your list to remind you. 7. Take off your hat/dressing up clothes. The child/children dress up and write down at least 2 of the things they want to buy from the shop in their notebook. They can copy from the labels. 8. Child/children go to the 'shop' and 'read' what they want from their notebook to the shopkeeper and then 'buy' it using plastic or pretend money. | This could be at the beginning of the session or you could make sure that you have read stories on the days preceding the session so the children are familiar with the idea of shopping lists. The activity is designed for pupils who may have missed early play/writing experiences and may work better in a group. You will need to be comfortable with the room you are working in. It could be a classroom or a group room, depending on the circumstances. Don't worry if the words you are writing are too 'difficult' for them to write at this stage. The important thing is for the children to have a go. This activity links reading and writing activities for the children. You can use toy or pretend money and just 'exchange' the coins for the shopping or you could involve some basic maths (each item costing 1p or 2p) depending on the ability of the pupil or group. Encourage the child/children to say the word and write down any sounds they hear in it. Don't worry about correcting their spelling at this stage. Make the activity fun. Next time you do this activity you can ask them to choose something that is not labelled and have a go at writing it. See 'Writing simple sentences using key words' (below). |
Write simple sentences using the key words 'I' and 'like' 2 white cards with the words 'I' and 'like' written on them and 1 piece of card with 'I like' written on it. Whiteboard or individual books made with 2 sheets of A4 paper folded in half. Pencils Scissors/glue Pictures of food that can be cut up e.g. from magazines. It would help the child if you had made a little book in advance to show. | This activity could be used in a 1-1 or in a small group setting. Encourage them to take care as they will be reading these books to others when they are finished. Emphasise using finger spaces between words if necessary. Some children may have underdeveloped motor skills and may need adapted scissors or assistance in cutting. Use prewritten labels for words and encourage the children to say the whole word and listen for the sounds in it when writing. This project could take one or several sessions to complete depending on the needs of the group. It could be followed up with another book, e.g. about animals or games. See also Clicker for sentence construction activities. |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Greetings Cards Examples of real greetings cards (birthday cards, fathers' day cards, etc), which have had a hand written message added. Photocopied A4 paper or a piece of card containing a printed greeting, (e.g. 'Happy Birthday') for each pupil, and for yourself to use as a model. Pencils, Pens, felt tip pens, crayons. Pictures to stick on the front of the card (optional). Glue/glue stick (optional). | 1. Talk with the child about why people send each other cards. Explain you are going to write a message in a card and send it to xyz. 2. Show the pupil a real card and identify the front of the card, where the picture usually is. Read any printed words on the front of the card to the pupil. Point at each word as you read it. 3. Show the pupil which direction the card opens. Then show the pupil the printed greeting inside the card. Point at and read the greeting to the pupil. 4. Finally, show the pupil the handwritten message written in the card. Talk about the difference between the printed greeting and the handwritten message. 5. Point at and read the handwritten message to the pupil. Explain that we write the word 'To' and the other person's name above the printed greeting. Explain that we write the word 'from' and our own name under the printed greeting. 6. Tell the children you are going to draw a picture / stick a picture on the front of your card and write a message inside it. 7. Demonstrate drawing a picture on the front of the card. 8. Open your card. Point at and read the printed greeting inside the card with the pupil. 9. Model writing the first part of the message (To xyz) above the printed greeting. Emphasise the initial sound of each word as you slowly write it. 10. Model writing the second part of the message, (from and your name) underneath the printed greeting. 11. When you have finished writing your message, encourage the child to read it back with you as you point at the words. 12. Give the child their own piece of paper/card and 'read' the printed greeting inside with them. 13. Tell the child s/he is going to make their own card. Decide with the child who they are going to send the card to. 14. Ask the child to show you where they are going to draw the picture. 15. Ask the child to show you where they are going to write 'To xyz' inside the card. 16. Ask the child to show you where they are going to write 'From' and their own name inside the card. 17. Ask the child to draw a picture / stick a picture on the front of their own card and write their message inside the card. If necessary you could make another card yourself alongside the pupil to remind them where to write the message. | This activity could be done with an individual pupil or with a small group of up to 6 pupils in total. Many different types of cards could be made as appropriate e.g.
Key vocabulary to focus on may include the words: To Mum, Dad (optional) Love (optional) from (optional) Child's name This may be an opportunity to introduce the idea of using capital letters in writing. If your pupil is not ready for this yet, you could just use lower case letters, except for names. If the pupil has directionality difficulties, you could play a game where you deliberately open the card up incorrectly and encourage the pupil to correct you. You may want to put the card in an envelope and model writing the person's name on the front of it. Although the child may need to copy the words 'To' and 'from' from your card, make sure that they don't copy your name in 'from xyz' section and that they write their own name. |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Practical sequences Camera to make the picture sequences (or alternatively you can draw them or use a commercial resource). Resources as appropriate to carry out a simple sequence Examples of sequences (with suggested steps to make pictures for): Putting on a jumper (get jumper, put head through, put arms through); Drinking a drink (jug and cup, pour water into the cup, drink it) Peeling and eating a piece of fruit (fruit, peel fruit, eat it) Going to the door and lining up Sitting down and eating dinner Drawing a picture (pencil and paper, child drawing, finished picture) Bubbles (unscrew lid, remove wand, blow bubbles) Looking at a book (get it, open it, look at it) | 1. Carry out the activity without the pictures; 2. Do it again, showing the relevant picture for each part of the activity as you do it; 3. Get the child to do the sequence, tell them what to do by showing them a picture for each part of the sequence; 4. Get them to show you what to do by giving you a picture for each part of the sequence. Try to do exactly as the picture you are given indicates, for example if they give you a picture of someone blowing bubbles without having given you the step for opening the bubbles container, try to blow the bubbles anyway (and act being disappointed when you don't get any bubbles). | At this level children may often be able to learn particular sequences of pictures without understanding that they relate to a sequence of actions, these activities are designed to address this issue. Seeing how the sequence goes wrong if the wrong picture is chosen (in step 4) will encourage the child to work out which should have been the right picture without you needing to give any further feedback. |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Describing a picture from a book Photocopies of main pictures from a favoured book Writing pens | 1. Choose a favoured book and photocopy the most important pages (about 4). Fold the photocopy to hide the text and photocopy again so that you have a picture with a blank space for writing. 2. Share the book with the child. Show the child the photocopies and discuss the pictures. 3. Write down a short phrase that the child has used to describe the picture in the blank space over the picture. 4. Make a dotted copy of the short phrase and help the child to over write this 5. You may need to use special pen grips to support he child writing. 6. The child can colour the picture after the writing as a reward. 7. You can make a short book like this and the child can make a cover page with a title and his own name. | Keep the writing activity as fun as possible by using only short phrases and having reward breaks. Keep writing activities relevant by matching them to appealing pictures or photos. |
Writing to describe child's own photos Photos and pens | ||
Writing to describe picture cards |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Produce meaningful print Photos of the child doing everyday activities Drawings by you or the child of daily activities e.g. playtimes plants grown, food eaten. Pictures of favoured toys or toys the child owns Pencil grips | Stick the photo or the cut out picture onto a clean page. Draw a border round the picture and fill with zigzag marks as 'decoration'. The child may need to follow the dots to do this. Colour over the zigzags to make a picture frame for the 'book' Label the photo or picture e.g. 'Child's name jumping.' 'Child's name toy car'. You write the 'jumping' or 'toy car' and leave a space for the child to write his name. You may need to provide dots for the child to overwrite his/her name. Use a painting or drawing the child has done. Write most the child's name for them.........can the child finish the name off? The child may respond to being able to choose a 'special pen' to write his/her name Make Christmas cards or birthday cards or thank you cards. As before, do most of the writing inside yourself leaving the child to finish off some/all of his/her name. Reward all attempts. | Short work sessions Using a really short pen can help a child to hold the pen correctly or use a pen grip. This work can be collected into a 'book' to take home or read to others. |
Computer | ||
Child's drawings or paintings etc Letters of the child's name written large and cut out individually. |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Making a book of special things Catalogue pictures of toys or favourite food Glue | Cut pictures from catalogues that you know interest the child, stick one picture onto a page and spend some time looking and talking about the picture e.g. say 'What's that?' Use the child's words to write a label under the picture. Make up a small book of favourite things which can be shared with a teacher or a parent. Can the child take this to an adult and show them with comments on the pictures? | Try not to worry about getting messy or the final results of this 'art work' not being perfect! The object is to get the child to name the picture with one or two words. Try to make the child feel proud of their work so that they are more likely to talk about it spontaneously - even if it is only using one word. Follow the child interests to get an enthusiastic response! |
Photos of everyday school life Photos of everyday school life Glue | ||
Home made pictures Home made pictures Glue | ||
Make a collage Stickers any glitter/cotton wool etc | ||
Paintings Paints Glue |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Developing pencil control Graffiti Wall Large piece of paper Crayon or chalk | Stick a large piece of paper onto an open wall. Allow the child (or works well as a group activity as children will imitate each other) to go up to the wall and freely scribble onto the paper. | A vertical surface to draw on will build the child's arm and shoulder strength. |
Rubbing Wax crayon Coins Letter stencils | ||
Hand tracing Paper short piece of crayon or chalk | ||
Colouring with a short crayon Simple pictures to colour in Short pieces of chalk or crayon | It is important that a short piece of chalk or crayon is used because it requires the child to use the fingertips correctly. |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Arranging letters of name in order Pencils and paper Magnetic letters or letter shapes. | Help the child copy round the letters of their name. Play a game matching the letter shapes to the drawn letter shapes of the child's name. Reward and praise all attempts. Can the child arrange the letters of their name without copying a written template? Set out most of the letters of the child's name so that to start with they have only to complete the last 2 letters - then the last 3 letters etc. | Make these activities as snappy and rewarding as possible by using lots of praise and maybe giving a small reward e.g. sticker for good attempts. |
Colouring-in hand drawn letters of the child's name Overwriting the name | ||
Writing the child's name on the computer in large letters | ||
Overwriting the child's name using a dotted template |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Writing on a computer screen Computer Symbol for computer Mouse Attractive programme like 'dazzle' for paint effects. You can make a symbol card using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint. | 1. Show the child a symbol of the computer and lead the child to the computer holding the symbol for the child to see. 2. Model clicking on the mouse to make a change to the computer screen. 3. Comment on the change. E.g., 'Look... its gone red.' 4. Gradually give the child less and less help to click with the mouse. 5. Print out some of the screens that the child has made by using the mouse. 6. Comment on the print outs using one or two words e.g. 'Look......... green'. 7. Help the child take this print out to another adult for comment and praise. 8. Make a scrapbook of the printouts. Write the child's name under the print out. | Gradually fade out any help and allow the child to complete more and more of the task till they are doing all the task themselves. Give lots of praise or offer a reward bag for a task completed. |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Play four in a row Materials Sheet of paper, filled in as a 'board' A dice Different coloured pens Preparing the board Create a landscape page with 6 columns and 7 rows. On the first row number each column from 1-6. Select the short vowels (e.g. a, e, i, o, u, y) or vowel digraphs (e.g. ay, ai, ee, ea, oi, oy) that the children need to reinforce. Next to each number write a different vowel or vowel digraph that the children need to reinforce. | 1. Establish the sound of each vowel (or vowel digraph) with the players. 2. Give each player a different coloured pen. 3. The first player rolls the dice and chooses any of the empty boxes in the column that corresponds to the number on the dice. 4. They write a word containing whichever short vowel or vowel digraph is at the head of that column. For example, if they throw a 3 and the 3 column is 'ee' they could write the word see. They write it in their own colour, underline the vowel or vowel digraph and read the word out loud. 5. No one else can now use that box. 6. Each player has one throw per turn. 7. If one of the columns becomes full and the player throws that number they are allowed one more throw. If it's still the same number they cannot write a word during that go. 8. The winner is the first person to get 4 words in a row either horizontally, vertically or diagonally. 9. If there is a time issue it can be 2 or 3 in a row. | Children need to learn the phonic spelling patterns to enable them to read and write fluently. At the beginning of the game it is important to establish what happens when they can't think of a word or they get it wrong. Do you give them a word? Do they forfeit their turn? Sensitivity is required depending on the pupils' needs. The aim is to have fun whist learning! |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Using a race track game to learn high frequency spellings Set of 20+ cards with target high frequency words Race track or loop Dice Counters | 1. Read through the words with the player(s). 2. Place the cards face down. 3. Players take it in turns to pick up the card, use S.O.S. to spell the word, throw the dice and move around the board. 4. Winner is the first person to finish. 5. Repeat the game after reading through all the words again. 6. A spelling 'test' could be introduced when the child thinks he is ready to try this. | New words need to be added gradually. There could be several copies of each word or selected word. S.O.S. = simultaneous oral spelling = saying the word and then saying each letter of the word while writing it. The card can be turned over while they are trying to spell the word. A variation could be asking the child to write the word on a whiteboard. |
Using mnemonics to teach spelling A short list of words the child is finding particularly difficult to remember - 'tricky words' Whiteboard and pen | Mnemonics are memory triggers to help learn words. They are especially useful for irregular words such as 'said' and 'because' e.g. said = said ant itching, don't. Include the word to remember as the first word in the mnemonic and use short vowel sounds as far as possible. because= because eagles can add up so easily |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Visualisation A4 paper Thick marker pen Paper and pencil or pen for pupil to use. | 1. Ask the pupil to visualise (see inside their head) something familiar: e.g. their TV and what's on top of it, beside it, etc; or their kitchen. 2. Write words in large unjoined lower case letters in thick felt tip on A4 paper - maybe important bits in a different colour or larger. 3. Hold the word up in front of the pupil. 4. Discuss visual features (e.g. two o's looking out of the middle of the word school). 5. Pupil shuts eyes and tries to 'see' the word. 6. Ask 'What colour are the letters?' 'Change the colour' 'What's the first letter?' What's the last letter?' 'Put the letters inside a picture' etc. 7. If the pupil gets something wrong, ask him/her to have another good look. 8. The pupil writes the word down, and checks it is correct. 9. It may help visual recall if the pupil looks up towards his/her top left when trying to remember the word. | Phonics is especially important in spelling, but it is not enough. Pupils need to remember the spelling of specific words. Phonics will make some bits of any word easy to learn. When using the methods described here, focus especially on the bits which are difficult to remember. Research has shown that if pupils establish their own best method, it helps them remember words better. Some people find it easier to visualise with their eyes open. If your pupil prefers to do it this way, allow it. If they can say the letters in reverse order, this is a good sign they are visualising the word. |
Tracing Paper - A4 size or larger Thick felt tip Pencil and extra paper to write on | Use the style of joined handwriting the pupil uses or is being taught. When he/she is quite confident with tracing, you may want to ask the pupil to trace with eyes closed, and focus on the movement. It is important the pupil checks at every stage - otherwise he/she may be learning a misspelling. | |
Spelling pronunciation Pencil and paper, or whiteboard and dry-wipe pen | This is useful for irregular words, especially those containing 'silent' letters or vowel sounds that are not very clear. It assumes the pupil has enough phonics to allow them to spell the word the way you have pronounced it. For instance, if you emphasise the "or" sound in motor, this will only help if they know that this sound is spelled with the letters o and r. Examples of other spelling pronunciations are fry-end for friend, skissors for scissors, |
Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
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Formation of a letter / linking to it's sound (1) Some or all of the following: Feely letters / magnetic letters & bag (or water tray) - use lower case letters Play dough (or similar) (LDA Rol 'n write alphabet letters and marble, if available - see www.ldalearning.com) Small sand tray with dry sand or salt Finger paints?! (Messy but fun!) Rough surface (e.g. carpet) Smooth surfaces Paints Big white board & pens Small white board & pens Selection of coloured pens / pencils | 1. Child closes eyes - selects feely letter or magnetic letter from a bag (or water tray). 2. Child guesses letter by feeling the shape. (Make sure they holding it the right way round.). 3. Child opens eyes & watches while adult models using forefinger to trace over the shape of the letter saying the sound - child copies. 4. Child makes the shape of the letter using play dough and / or in similar material. 5. Child rolls the marble on the Rol 'n' Write letter (if available) watching the direction the marble rolls, then goes over the letter with forefinger, saying the sound. 6. Child traces the shape of the letter with forefinger (while saying the sound) on different surfaces - rough carpet, smooth table, soft cushion, etc. 7. Child copies the shape of the letter (while saying the sound) using different writing tools - painting, wax crayons, big white board / pens in different colours etc (as available). 8. Go onto the next activity 'Formation of a letter / linking to it's sound (2)', or end with adult tracing a letter shape on child's back / child guesses it. | This activity is best done one to one - especially for children struggling to remember grapheme phoneme correspondences (gpc's). Child should already be able to recognise (read) the letters by sound or name. As a general rule - work on two or three letters at a time but move at child's pace. Child will need the necessary motor skills in order to do this work - although these activities could also link to a child's Occupational Therapy work. Additional activities: Could also - make the lower case letter shapes in collage, in pegs on a peg board, in Lego or in cooking with a letter shaped pastry cutter. Or outside - in soil, in wet sand, 'water' paint on the ground etc / try to link to child's interests. Links with other TAP activities: This activity links to TAP Activity ER P8 recognise half the letters of the alphabet - but can be used for digraphs and trigraphs as well. It also links to "PA Phon listen for beginning and ends of words") on www.commtap.org. |
Formation of a letter / linking to it's sound (2) (Based on the principle of 'Multisensory Links' from the Dyslexia Institute) Small white board & Pens A4 sheet of paper divided into quarters Pencil Coloured pencils or felt tipped pens | This activity follows on from the previous activity. Remember to Teach: *Correct grip of writing tool *Use of hand rather than whole arm movements *Correct sitting *Correct position of paper. If the child knows the letter names as well, instead of just saying the sound when writing the shape of the letter, encourage the child to say for example: "SSSS" (letter sound) "is Es" (letter name). For letters that are frequently confused or reversed e.g. b / d - it will help to have a picture clue to show from step 1, and focus on the starting point of the letter - so for letter b have a picture of a bat and ball and focus on the top of the handle of the bat as the starting point (unless the school encourages full cursive writing in which case all letters start from the baseline - check the school policy). Further activities Link to ICT - useful letter formation demonstration and activities: Words and Pictures Magic Pencil Handwriting at https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize. |
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