Topic “Level 3”  

A simple activity, e.g. paper folding

A framework to support the recall of the steps to do the activity (e.g. worksheet divided into boxes)

Pen

Prompt sheet for sequencing language (first, next, then, last, after, before, finally, etc)

1. Explain that you are going to do _____ (your activity), and then write down what you did so that someone else would know how to do it.

2. Show the children the framework, so they can be thinking about the steps in the activity.

3. Do the activity.

4. Have the children record what they did, in a sequence of steps. They could draw or write. Have the prompt sheet where they can see it, to remind them of key sequencing words.

A framework to support the recall of events (e.g. worksheet divided into boxes)

Pen

Prompt sheet for sequencing language (first, next, then, last, after, before, finally, etc)

A story that is short enough for the children to work with the whole story (i.e. a few paragraphs).

A framework to support the recall of events (e.g. worksheet divided into boxes)

Pen

Prompt sheet for sequencing language (first, next, then, last, after, before, finally, etc.)

Paper, coloured pens, a barrier so that children can't see what each other is doing

.

1. Each child has an identical picture, for example a picture of a house with a car outside and a couple of people. The children cannot see their partner's drawing.
2. They take it in turns to tell the other child to colour something in, for example 'colour the windows red', 'colour the wheels brown' and so on. (The child needs to understand two key words for each of these instructions).
3. After each instruction, compare the drawings to see if the description was understood.

Variations:

Children tell each other what to draw - for example 'draw a big red car', 'draw a monster on top of the roof'.

You can use two sets of identical miniatures, and use instructions like 'put the man on the block and put the bike next to him'.

'Where's Wally?' pictures, or something similar (a particular person or object hidden in a large detailed picture)

Photocopies of each picture you are going to use

Pictures of a situation with an absurdity in it, e.g. wearing a raincoat at the beach. (Colour Cards by LDA publish a set of these).

Paper

Coloured pens

Simple obstacle course

Blindfold

- synonym picture cards and words - click here to print

- You could also make up some of your own picture/word cards - click here for word list.

1.Cut out the picture cards and word cards. Explain to your child that you are going to talk  about "synonyms".

2. Explain that the word 'synonym' means two different words that have the same meaning.

3. Give an example of a common synonym e.g. 'woman' and 'lady'. Show the picture card and the two written words.

4. See if you can match all the words to the correct pictures.

- Thesaurus

- Find it! template - click here to print

Digital camera or camera phone to take a video clip

3 characters e.g. plastic worms

First Next Last 'podium' drawn on a sheet of paper (optional) or medals (optional)

First, next, last prompt sheet

1. Set up a race course, and talk about beginning and end.

2. Have the child help you make the worms race, and film this.

3. Watch the film clip back and have the child describe the race and who came first, next, last.

4. Put the worms on the podium in the right places, or award each worm the right medal if you have them.

Digital camera or camera phone to take a video clip

Pictures of actions the child can do (optional)

First next last prompt sheet

A wind up toy (e.g. "Simon the Sheep")

Pictures of things it might see or do on its walk

A prompt card of first next last / beginning middle end

A sandwich assembly play kit (e.g. from the Early Learning Centre).

Or you could use real bread and fillings (make the sandwiches small so you can have a few goes)

Pictures of the key parts (bread, cheese, tomato, lettuce, butter etc)

First next last prompt sheet

Sequencing cards (3 part sequences work best)

2 envelopes

Prompt cards for past and future tense

Blu tac (optional)

1. Put all the first cards of every sequence into one envelope, and put the past tense prompt card on the front.

2. Put all the last cards of every sequence in the other envelope and put the future tense prompt card on the front.

3. Lay out all the middle cards from every sequence in different places - on the table, on the walls, on the floor - whatever is appropriate in your setting.

4. Explain to the children that one child will describe a card from one of the envelopes. The other children must work out which of the cards round the room is the next / previous card - they must 'spot the story'.

5. Have one child choose a card from one envelope. If it is a card that is first in a sequence, they must describe it using a past tense. The prompt card can be used to help them. If it is a final card in a sequence, the future tense must be used. (This is because the card the other children are finding is the middle card.)

6. See who can 'spot the story' first!

Paper

Pen or pencil

Cards with possible story characters on them (optional)

Further activities on www.commtap.org:

Use future tense when making plans and telling stories

Sheet with boxes labelled "...will...", "...am..." and "...have / did...":

Pen or pencil

1. Use this at news time, or explain to the child that you are all going to take turns to talk about what you are going to do, or have done.

2. Put the sheet with the boxes labelled "....will...., "....am...." and "....have/did...." in front of the child and help the child to read the words.

3. The child can choose to talk about e.g. last weekend, or next weekend, or something in school. Talk about if it has happened already or is going to happen and which box it would fit under.

4. The child can report their news; help them to use the accurate tense.

Diary - either published or a blank workbook.

Pen or pencil

Sheet with boxes labelled "...will...", "...am..." and "...have / did...":

A short story, with the ending missing (either cut off, or photocopy the story but blank out the ending)

Paper

Pen or pencil

A set of sequencing cards (either a published set, or you can make your own by photocopying a sequence of pictures of any event).

Paper

Pen or pencil

Cards with possible story characters on them (optional)

Sequencing cards (focus on social situations)

Card with large question-mark on it.

1. Explain to the children that you are going to see the beginning of a story or something that happened, and that they need to think about what the ending could be.

2. Show them the first 2 or 3 cards in the sequence (this depends on how many cards are in the sequence).

3. Show the question mark at the end and discuss what might happen next.

4. Help the children to think about different scenarios: you could write these down or draw them.

5. Finally look at the final cards in the sequence to see what the author decided on.

Large picture showing a situation: for example a developing argument; a child standing alone whilst other children are playing in a playground. Sets of prompt pictures showing possible outcomes from the situation - for example: child seeks to join in play and is accepted/is rejected, child goes off on his own etc.

A4 ring-binder folder (if you have one with 4 rings this is better, but 2 rings will do.)

A5 paper / A4 cut in half

Pictures of an event, A5 size

- A selection of word webs you have already completed with the word in the middle covered.

- Post it notes

1. Choose a word web and cover the attributes of the word with post it notes as well as the word in the centre. 

2. Explain to your child/student that you will take the post it notes off one by one and they have to try and guess the word that is hiding.

3. See how quickly they are able to guess the word.

- Washing line

- Pegs

- Selection of pictures 

1. Peg a picture on the line and ask your child to look at it - you could ask you child to choose a picture from a selection.

2. The adult says "It's story time and we are going to make up a story with the pictures" The adult starts the story by using the word on the picture.

3. Encourage your child to take the next turn by choosing a new picture and thinking how they can add to the story that has already been started.

4. Keep going until all the pictures have been used, or the story comes to a natural end.

- Story dice - click here for different dice themes.

Sets of sequencing pictures;

Question mark card (optional).

1. Put the pictures in order so that you can easily show them to the child one at a time;

2. Show the child the first picture in the sequence;

3. Ask them to tell you what's happening in the picture;

4. Then ask them to imagine what might happen next. To show this visually, put a card with a large question mark on it to the right of the picture;

5. When the child has suggested a sensible thing that might happen next, show them the next card in the sequence;

6. If there are differences between what the card shows and the child's suggestion, discuss why this might be;

7. Repeat for all the cards in the sequence.

Story books

A sheet of paper or the child's writing book

A pen

A long piece of card (to write sentences on)

A large marker pen

Scissors

1. Explain that you are going to play some sentence games and need to begin by writing a sentence.

2. Start from the child's experience so that the writing will have meaning for them. For example: "Tell me what you did last night.", "Tell me about your friend."

3. If necessary, and appropriate, discuss how to add to (or enrich) the sentence with an "extra clause", or an "adverb", or "adjectives" (see the comments for an explanation).

4. Write the agreed sentence in the child's book or on paper (in preparation for writing it on the card), encouraging the pupil to remember the sentence as you write it slowly. Constantly read what you have written so far, asking s/he to repeat what it was you said.

5. Ask the child to read the sentence to you as you write it slowly on the long piece of card.

6. Ask the child to cut up the card into separate words.

7. Re-read the sentence together then muddle up the separate pieces of card.

8. Ask the child to re-make the sentence, encouraging re-reading.

9. Ask the child to close his/her eyes, take a word away, ask the child to deduce the missing word by re-reading.

Commercially produced sequencing cards e.g. Black Sheep press (see general resources), Colorcards - available from many educational suppliers.

First/last or first/next/last template.

1. Use the first/last template to model the sequence of first and last.

2. Start with 2 picture sequences of a simple event e.g. 'rain falling' 'girl puts up umbrella'.

3. Talk about the pictures. Ask the child 'What is happening in the first picture?' Discuss the consequences of the first picture (getting wet) and what the girl does (puts up the umbrella)

4. Put the two pictures into the template: one in the FIRST column and the other in the LAST column.

5. Do this with a range of 2 sequence picture stories.

6. Turn the cards face down and take turns to turn them over and put them in the right part of the FIRST/LAST template. Can the child tell the story?

7. When the child is confident using the FIRST LAST template to order 2 picture sequences move onto using 3 picture sequences and use the FIRST/NEXT/LAST template.

8. Follow the procedure for working with 2 picture sequences.

Clothes pegs

String for a washing line.

Sequence cards

Published cards of 3 step sequences (LDA or Colour Cards do some good ones).

Sequences of 3 pictures on paper (Black Sheep Press have a wide range)

Digital camera photos of the child or people he knows doing every day activities

Ready made picture sequence cards, for example 'And then' (published by Schubi), pictures taken from a storybook.

Sources of picture sequences:

From https://www.learningresources.com/:

Step 1

1. Start with three cards: the three cards can make up a whole story, or be part of a longer one;

2. Tell the story with the cards introducing each card one by one;

3. Get the child to have a go at retelling the story.

Step 2

Using the same cards, this time give the child the cards all mixed up - the child needs to put the cards back in the right order and tell the story.

Step 3

1. Using three cards which the child hasn't seen before, mix them up and give them to the child to try and work out the story;

2. When the child has put them in an order that he or she is happy with (not necessarily the right order) get him/her to tell you the story (see 'comments' column for ideas of what to do if the cards are in the wrong order)

Step 4

Continue with more cards from the same story if the whole sequence is more than three steps long.

Step 5

Try working with longer sequences.

Commercially available sequencing pictures

Photo-copied pictures from a favourite book

Photos from an outing

1. Give the child first 2 then 3 pictures to sequence appropriately. Share talking about the pictures first then see if the child can put them in order.
2. Ask the child about the first picture e.g. 'Look.... who is this' 'Look.... what's happening?' etc. Can the child answer? Give a prompt if needed.
3. Stick the pictures into a scrap book. Can the child show an adult or peer and comment on the pictures.

A photocopied piece of text without illustrations on A4 paper/card for each pupil, such as a traditional tale or a set of instructions. Each pupil should have a different text, at a level they can all read aloud quite easily.

A second copy of each piece of text for you to keep in your 'Results' envelope.

Ruler/pencil

Scissors

1 envelope for each child and 1 envelope marked 'The results'.

1. Give out one copy of the text to pupil and keep one master copy for yourself. Put the master copy in the 'Results' envelope.

2. Explain the task is to make a comprehension puzzle for another pupil and then to become a 'comprehension detective' to improve their reading for meaning skills.

3. Give pupils time to read through the page of text independently.

4. Ask pupils to read the text through again. This time they need to decide where to divide it up into a puzzle with a beginning, middle and end.

5. Pupils indicate with pencil where they would like to divide the text up. (They will draw 2 lines to make three pieces.)

6. Check with pupils where they are going to divide the text up before they start cutting it! Sensitively suggest changes if necessary.

7. Cut it up with scissors. Each pupil places the pieces of text in their own envelope.

8. Pupils swap envelopes with a partner. They read through what their partner has given them and put it back in the right order.

9. Before you give each pupil the original uncut copy, encourage them to talk about and point to the 'clues' in the text, which lead them to make their decision.

10. Open the envelope! Were they correct?