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Topic “L2a”

Activities to help develop understanding and use of the words 'left' and 'right' on own body

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Prompt poster Sheet of paper (A4 size or larger) Pens/ pencils/ crayons etc.	1. Explain that it can be difficult to tell which is your left hand and which is your right, but that there are some things we can do to help us. 2. Encourage the child to put out their hands palms downwards, with the fingers together and the thumbs extended at right angles. 3. Encourage the child to look for a capital "L" formed by the index finger and thumb. This will be on the left hand. Explain that the one on the right is backwards. 4. Help the child to draw round each hand with their thumb extended, with both hands on the same piece of paper. Help the child to write the words "left" and "right" on the correct hand shape. 5. Help the child to write a large capital L shape on the left hand following the index finger and thumb. Use a contrasting colour to do this. 6. Ask the child to draw a pen or pencil beside the hand they write with. If the child is right handed, you can remind them that "your right hand is the hand you write with; your left hand is the one that is left". This does not work for left-handed children. 7. If possible, ask the child to identify something visual to help tell their left or right hand and draw it on their poster. This could be their watch or a freckle, for example.	When it's finished, put the poster in a visible place to act as a prompt for the child. You may need several copies if the child works in different locations. Remind the child to use their strategy to tell which is left and which is right when they get stuck.
Following instructions Object with a distinctive look and feel (I use a painted wooden egg) Blindfold (optional)	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.	You can give tactile feed back if the child is struggling to tell right and left. Touch them gently, but firmly on the right arm and say, "this is right". Touch them gently, but firmly on the left arm and say, "this is left". Understanding "left" and "right" on someone else is more difficult. To make it easier, make sure the child giving the instructions is following the child to whom they are giving instructions so that "left" and "right" for both children is the same. If the child giving instructions stays still then this is a much harder task - this equates to working at Level 3 (8 to 9 year old typical development).

pupils use words left and right on objects in front of them

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Put it there One large object such as a toy bus, house etc. Several smaller objects e.g. toy animals Prompt cards saying "left" and "right"	1. Put the large object in the centre of the table in front of the child. 2. Ask the child to identify the left side and the right side. Help if necessary. 3. Put the "left" and "right" prompt cards to the left and right of the object. 4. Give the child instructions such as "put the lion to the right of the bus" 5. Swap roles so that the child has a chance to give the instructions. 6. When the child is fairly proficient at carrying out the activity with the prompt cards, try the activity with no prompts.	The child should be able to understand and refer to left and right when talking about their own body first (see "understand and use words left and right on own body"). You should sit next to the child so their left/right is the same as your left/right. Note: if you are sitting opposite the child and want them to refer to your left and right this is a more difficult task: this equates to working at Level 3 (8 to 9 year old typical development).
"Draw it" barrier activity Paper Pens Cards with pictures of two items drawn next to each other, e.g. car and cat, tree and house	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.
Matching pairs Matching pairs cards. Visual prompt for left, right, up and down like this: ↑ up ←left right→ down ↓	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.	Sit next to the child so that your left is the same as their left. Note: if you are sitting opposite the child and want them to refer to your left and right this is a more difficult task: this equates to working at Level 3 (8 to 9 year old typical development). Use an appropriate number of pairs for the age and ability of the child. If the child struggles with giving instructions using up/down, put the cards in one long horizontal line and work only on "left" and "right". Vary your starting point so the child has the opportunity to use all the direction words. You can use the words further and nearer instead of up and down, if it is more appropriate, but you must be consistent in which word you choose.

recognise vocabulary for basic number operations

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Calculation Lotto "Calculation Lotto" resource. Duplicate the resource if there are more than 2 players. Cut up the calculation cards. Some children will need some visual prompts to help them remember what the mathematical vocabulary means.	1. Each child has a Lotto base board with the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division symbols. 2. Put the calculation cards face down in a pile. 3. Each player picks a calculation card from the pile and matches it to the appropriate symbol on their base board. 4. If a player can't use a calculation card because they have used up all their spaces then they return the card to a discard pile in the middle and miss their turn. 5. Other players can choose to take a card from the top of the face-down pile or from the pile of cards discarded by other players. 6. The winner is the player to cover their board first.	Use a visual prompt initially, prompting players to find the words on the prompt and match them to the symbols. Take this prompt away when children become familiar with the words. You can make the game more challenging by asking children to give the answers to the simple calculations on the cards.

Activities to develop vocabulary through the use of synonyms

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
What are synonyms? - 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.
Find it! Thesaurus Activity - Thesaurus - Find it! template - click here to print	Login or register to see the instructions for this activity.	You could create your own dictionary of key words by collecting the sheets together and making them into a book. This could then be used as a reference for writing. Focussing on new words that are being introduced as part of a topic would be helpful. This will help increase your child's understanding of the topic and increase the vocabulary they are able to use to discuss their learning.

predict infer and analyse from pictures and text

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Everyday situation with words and a picture 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 3 and the level C questions.	1. Choose a scenario. 2. Let the child read the story. 3. Ask the child the questions verbally. 4. Focus on questions that require more working out and understanding of the context, e.g. 'What will happen if he...?' 'Why is it made of that?' 'If you were X, what would you say / do?' 'Why can't he?' (LfT level C questions).	Use some simpler questions to start with. If a child gives a short answer, prompt them to expand it.

improve reading fluency speed and intonation

Activity/strategy name and materials required	How to do the activity	Key principles for doing the activity and comments
Recording a story for a younger child Resources: A short book that a younger child would enjoy. It needs to be quite easy for the pupil doing the reading - at least 19 words out of 20 accurate the first time they read the book. A computer with microphone, or a tape recorder, etc.	1. Explain that you are going to record them reading a book for a younger child to listen to. 2. Either provide or help them choose a suitable book (see left, under resources). 3. Explain that they have got to make it sound exciting, to keep the younger child interested. (You may want to model someone reading in a boring way and someone reading in an exciting way.) 4. Tell them they will have as much practice as they need to make a really good recording. 5. Ask them to read the book to you. Give them as much help as they need. Keep a note of which words they struggle with. 6. Discuss what the book was about, how characters were feeling, etc. Make sure they understand it fully. 7. Go back and remind them how to read any difficult words. Discuss what the words mean if necessary. 8. Ask them to read the book again. This time focus on how they read it. Model fluent, interesting ways of reading some of the sentences for them. 9. They re-read the book as often as needed, until they can read it fluently. 10. They record the book. Ideally they should have control of the recording process (pausing the recording, re-recording, etc). 11. They may prefer to record a page at a time, and then practise the next page again before recording that.	Some pupils learn to read quite accurately, and may improve their comprehension, but still read very slowly and without expression. Their reading is not fluent. These activities are designed to improve their fluency. An alternative to the recording activity could be simply preparing the pupil to read aloud to a younger child, perhaps a younger sibling. Another alternative is for them to write and illustrate a story themselves, and then record it. Storybook Weaver is a good ICT resource for this (available on Amazon for example). Fairy stories are particularly good for this - especially ones with people talking: "I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!".

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