Topic “Activities”  

Paper / pencil or pen (and grip if needed)

Scissors

Story book or picture (optional)

(Optional, if available: Clicker grid with the words from the child's sentence in random order. The programme Clicker is available from: www.cricksoft.com.)

1. Child / adult generate a meaningful sentence orally that is made up of words which are easy to sound out or are high frequency.

This could be just 3-4 words to begin with.

This could be based on the child's 'news' or a sentence from a book or a sentence based on a picture.

2. Child / adult rehearse the sentence together orally - especially checking that it makes sense.

3. Adult scribes - and writes the words as the child repeats each word slowly. Child watches the adult writing (adult adds capital letter / full stop).

4. Child reads the sentence. Adult ensures child can read all the words.

5. Child writes the sentence without looking at the adult's version. (Adult helps with spellings as appropriate and gives prompts if a word is missing - depending on the needs of the child.)

6. Adult cuts up their (adult's) copy of the sentence into separate words and mixes the words up.

7. Child attempts to re-assemble the sentence.

8. Child reads the re-assembled sentence and checks it makes sense and compares it to the sentence they wrote before. Child makes corrections if any are needed.

9. Child writes a final 'best' copy in a book.

No resources needed other than pupil's hands.

1. Make sure the pupil can recite the first 4 letters of the alphabet in the correct order, without hesitating: a b c d.

2. Make sure they know that the alphabet is written from left to right. If not, practise this with moveable letters.

3. Show them how to make a b shape with their left hand. The tips of the thumb and forefinger touch to form the rounded part of the b. The other fingers go straight up to form the upright part.

4. Show them how to make a d shape in the same way with the right hand.

5. They then recite the first four letters of the alphabet. When they say b, they hold up their left hand in the shape of a b. When they get to d, they hold up their right hand in the shape of a d.

Pencil, paper and rubber, or whiteboard and dry-wipe pen

1. Ask pupil to write a capital B.

2. Slowly rub out the top curve of the B.

3. Show them how this finishes up as a lower case b.

4. Ask them to do this for themselves 2 or 3 times.

5. Ask them to shut their eyes and see the top of the B fading out inside their head.

Handwriting programme, pencil and paper

Pencil, paper and rubber, or whiteboard and dry-wipe pen

Paper and pencil, or other drawing/colouring equipment.

Pencil, paper and rubber, or whiteboard and dry-wipe pen

- Ring binder and paper or some blank exercise books

- Topic pictures

- Word web template - click here for word web resources

1. Choose a topic - this can either be curriculum related (at school) or around an activity you will be doing e.g. a trip to the seaside (at home).

2. Explain that you are going to think about all the words you need to talk about that topic. Aim for 5-6 words.

3. Think about what sort of things you will see and do. You could write these down - let your child think of as many as they can.

4. Together look for pictures to stick in the book for each word.

5. Write down the word for each picture and fill in a word web template.

6. Put the word webs together to make a book that you can use to discuss your topic.

- Bingo cards - each with a list of your topic related words on it - you may wish to put a picture/symbol alongside each picture.

- A set of definitions of the words (descriptions of what the words mean).

- Alphabet game template

- Blank sheet of paper

- Pens

- Cards with different topics on them (optional)

- What is that word questions cards - click here

Who what where prompt cards (each prompt card should have the word e.g. "who" along with a picture or picture symbol for that word)

Counters or other treasure

A range of objects including animals (optional)

You can make the prompt cards using the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint.

1. Hide the counters as treasure. Put them around the room, or under / behind the different objects.

2. Explain to the child that they can find out where to look for the treasure by asking questions.

3. Revise the questions they might need to ask, and remind them of the prompt cards.

4. As they ask questions, give them the information to find the treasure.

5. See how much treasure they can find in a set time!

Question prompt cards

2 sets of pictures - use at least 2 categories, e.g. animals and food

Masking tape / head band

A book with interesting pictures

Question prompt cards

Digital camera

Playmobil figures or other action figures and simple props.

Question words.

Selection of pictures of people carrying out different actions.

Cue card with the word "is" written on it.

Pen and paper (optional)

1. Explain that you are going to practice sentences remembering to use all the little words;

2. Explain that one of the words that the child needs to remember is the word "is";

3. Show the child the cue card and explain that it says "is";

4. Show the child one of the pictures and give a simple description e.g. "the boy is running";

5. Show the child another picture and encourage them to describe it;

6. Use the cue card to prompt them if they forget to use the word "is";

7. You could write the child's descriptions down, and use this to reflect back whether they had remembered the word "is".

Small notebook or exercise book, or a book you have made

Pens, pencils etc.

"is" cue card as previous activity

Pictures of a fridge, washing machine, cupboard, suitcase

Pictures of food, clothes.

Take it in turns to instruct each other to put e.g. 'socks in the washing machine', 'put the pasta in the cupboard'

A clothesline - either a picture or a real line and pegs

Pictures of clothes

A TV guide

Outline of a pizza base

Pictures of pizza toppings. Or - draw a base and draw the toppings onto it.

1. Take it in turns to instruct each other to put clothes on the line, e.g. 'Put the jumper on the clothesline.'

2. Go through the TV guide and find favourite shows. Say what you are watching on TV'. e.g. 'I'm watching cartoons on TV

3. Put toppings on the pizza base e.g. 'I'm putting chicken on my pizza'.

Action pictures

Place pictures

Pictures of furniture and objects

Pictures of people

Outline of a bus / train / classroom

Pictures of different vehicles

An interesting object to use as 'treasure'

everyday objects, shopping bag, table

One pupil sits at the 'shop'. Another is asked to go and buy an object.

pictures of everyday objects, post box

Take a picture of an object, say or sign what it is, and post it

pictures with paper clips attached, magnetic fishing rods, 'pond' e.g. a flat box

Eight picture cards, small piece of paper with a fish drawn on it

Picture cards or objects

Use one of the pre-made flowcharts or use the blank flowchart to make your own one.

You can find these charts on www.commtap.org:

Template for creating your own question flowchart: Blank 3 question challenge

Pre-made flowcharts: The Animal Challenge, The Food Challenge

Labels to write the answers on

Write one answer per sticky label. Stick one of the labels to the back of the child / children.

Using the questions on the flowchart, they must work out what the word on their back is.

Object cards (optional)

Prompt sheet with a series of boxes in order, e.g.

1. Ask the child to tell you about something they have done, e.g. making a snowman.

2. Encourage them to tell you what they did first, next, next, at the end, using the prompt sheet.

A timeline drawn on paper or a string

Bag

Objects to do with a familiar routine, e.g. getting up

Use an event retell sheet with columns for 'who', 'what', 'when', 'where'.

Simple everyday stories, for example:

'Going to the shops to buy new red shoes, nearly not finding red shoes, happiness at finding them at last'

'going out to play in the rain and jumping in puddles. Mum is cross'

'playing football with Dad and Dad kicks the ball into a tree'

'going on the bus on the bus and loosing teddy. Finding him next day at the bus station'.

Tell a story to the child using miniature people, some eg's in next column.

Get the child to retell the story to you. This works well in a small group or in a one to one situation.

Use a retell sheet to help the child answer 'wh' questions about the story. The child can write the answers and/or draw a picture. The child can read the story back to an adult.

Barrier games designed to elicit 4 word phrases e.g. Black Sheet programme

Sheet with boxes labelled "...will...", "...is..." and "...has...":

Simple sequencing pictures showing an action that is about to happen, the same action happening and the action when it is complete, for example Black Sheep Press's 3-step sequencing pack. Alternatively, you could make your own (e.g. take photos of the child, or draw them) or you could print them out from a picture resource such as "Flash-Pro" if you have it, or use other commercially produced sequencing pictures such as LDA or Colorcards.

Glue or Blu-tac

Pen or pencil

1. Put the sheet with the boxes labelled "....will....", "....is...." and "....has...." in front of the child and help the child to read the words.

2. Mix up the pictures from one of the sequences.

3. Help the child put them in the correct order, putting them in the correct boxes on the sheet.

4. Ask him/her to describe the sequence, using the words "will", "is" and "has" in his/her description (e.g. "the boy will eat the apple, the boy is eating the apple, the boy has eaten the apple"). You may need to give the child some support to use the right form of the verb at this stage.

5. Help him/her to stick them in the correct places on the sheet (use Blu-tac if you want to be able to re-use the pictures).

6. Help the child to write a description (using the words "will", "is" and "has") under the pictures.

Sequencing pictures as above.

Sequencing pictures as above.

Card with a large '?' on it (some sets of cards come with this card included).

A picture of an everyday event, or social setting e.g. crossing the road, or going to the cinema.

A story to go with the picture (no more than 5 or 6 sentences).

Or

See the resource sheets in 'Language for Thinking' (LfT) by Parsons and Branagan (Published by Speechmark). If using this publication, use Module 1 and the level B questions. This programme has questions for a range of ability levels.

1. Choose a scenario picture.

2. Show the children the picture and read the story to them.

3. Focus on the questions where the child must use what they can see in the picture and also some wider context to answer the questions ("LfT level B questions"). E.g. 'What will happen next?' 'How did he...?' 'What is a ....?' 'How are these the same?'

Basic kitchen equipment - dependent on what you make.

Whiteboard or paper

Pen

Camera (optional)

1. Choose something very simple which the children are familiar with, e.g. making toast.

2. Explain to the children that you are going to make toast, and that they are the 'teacher'. They need to tell you exactly what to do, in steps.

3. Ask them what the steps are, and write or draw them on the paper or whiteboard. Do not correct their answers.

4. Carry out the steps exactly as they have told you. Allow them to identify any errors and to correct them.

5. Record the accurate stages at the end of the activity.

6. Photos of the stages of the activity can be used as a sequencing task as well.

Photos taken in the activity above

Paper

Scissors

Glue

Paper

Pen

Shop!

Some money

Paper

Pen

Whiteboard

Copies of pages of text the child can read easily

Red pen

Green pen

(1) Talk about how 'the' and 'a' are used differently - 'the' is used when we are talking about a thing and we know which one we are talking about. 'A' is used when we are talking about a thing and we could be talking about any example of that thing.

(2) Tell the child to read the text you give them. Explain that each time they come to the word "a", they should put a red circle round it. Each time they come to the word "the", they should put a green circle round it. Each time, ask them to explain why you use that word, and how changing it would change the meaning of the sentence (e.g. how "the children went inside the house" is different from "the children went inside a house").

Toy animals of various sizes, colours and kinds

Cards showing each letter of the alphabet

Pictures of single objects starting with a vowel

Pictures of single objects starting with a consonant

Pictures of single objects starting with a vowel that the child can stick into a book

Scissors

Glue

Book

Pen

An old catalogue such as the Argos catalogue.

Big and little food pictures (cut out), 2 baskets and 2 trolleys, each with a picture of a girl or boy.

1. Place the baskets and trolleys with some matching food pictures where the child can see them.

2. Ask the child to put the big or little items of food in the girl or boy's basket or trolley

e.g. put big apple in girl's basket / put little banana in boy's trolley / put big biscuit in girl's trolley.

Encourage the child to put the food into the appropriate basket or trolley.

Toys/pictures of table, cupboard, chair and bed.

Pictures of dog and cat actions (cut out).

Big and little toy animals

Doll and teddy

2 barns and fields

A ball.

Two goals, one red and one green.

Two baskets, one red and one green.

4 pieces of classroom equipment e.g. pencil, pen, ruler, rubber.

2 boxes of different colours