Topic “P7”  

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.

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).

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.

Wax crayon

Coins

Letter stencils

Paper

short piece of crayon or chalk

Simple pictures to colour in

Short pieces of chalk or crayon

Coloured pictures of a range of objects (in two or more colours e.g. red and green) with a big and a small version in each colour (e.g. big green fork, small green fork, big red fork, small red fork).

To make the pictures, you can: draw your own, use clip art, photocopy line drawings on to different coloured sheets of paper, or use a product such as "Flash-Pro" (see www.aba-materials.com)

1. Have a set of 4 pictures (e.g. big green fork, small green fork, big red fork, small red fork). Spread them out on the table in front of the child.

2. Ask the child to select the one you name.

3. When s/he can do this introduce another object so you have 8 pictures (e.g. big green fork, small green fork, big red fork, small red fork, big green cup, small green cup, big red cup, small red cup).

4. Swap roles so the child has a chance to give you instructions.

Different coloured sheets of paper, according to the colours you choose.

Pictures as above

Paper,

Coloured pens/pencils

(Individual work or small group work)

Small world figures or animals

IDEAS FOR SIMPLE STORIES.

(1) Use a Mum and a child figure:

'Come on 'Child's name' - its time to go to the park. Look I see the swings. I am swinging on the swings it is fun. Weeeee etc. Come on 'Child's name ' its time to go home now.

(2) Use a Mum and a child figure:

Come on 'child' name'. Lets go to the shops. We are going to buy new shoes. I like these shoes - I can run fast in these new shoes. Thanks Mum.

(3) Use two child figures:

Hello 'name of friend' lets go to the playground.

Weee I am jumping...Look I am running....I am going to catch you. Oh dear. It is dark . We must go home now.

(4) Use a Mum and a child figure:

Time for school. Hurry up 'child's name', hurry we will be late. Coat on, hat on, hold my hand . Lets walk to school. Look there is the school. Bye bye 'child's name ' Bye bye Mum.

(5) Use a Mum and a child figure:

Its dinner time 'child's name'. Come and sit down. Look here is a beef burger. Here are some chips. Yum yum this is good. I like burger and chips. Mmmm I like burger and chips too.

Use miniature figures.

Have one in each hand.

Make walking or running or jumping movements with the figures as appropriate to tell the story.

Make each figure do some very simple talking. Say the words as if the figure was really doing the talking.

Don't use 'Mum said...' Just move Mum a bit and say the words as if the toy was able to talk! Don't say, 'The dog goes woof woof' just jump the dog up and down and say woof woof.

Use the present tense.

You 'do' the story once, then ask the most able child to do the story then the next most able child etc.

Accept any attempt to retell the story. If the child needs help, tell the story a little bit for them then wait for the child to finish the story..

Give lots of praise for telling a story - in what ever way.

.

- Range of hats

- Digital camera

- Mirror

- Symbol for 'You' - click here to print

1. Allow your child to choose a hat to wear. Point to your child and say 'You are wearing a hat'. Look in the mirror, point and say 'You are wearing a hat'.

2. Point to the symbol 'You' as you use the word 'You'.

3. Put a hat into your child's hand and encourage him/her to give the hat to you. Help the child to point at you and say 'Child's name says 'You are wearing a hat''.

4. Look in the mirror and help your child point and say again 'You are wearing a hat'.

5. Include other people in the game but keep using only the word 'you' to talk about what people are wearing. Point as you use the word 'you'.

- Set of familiar pictures which are easy to draw e.g. cat, dog, book etc.

- Bag

- Different objects

1. Offer the bag of objects to the child to choose an item.

2. As the child pulls out an object, model the phrase the child needs to use e.g. 'I have got the ...'.

3. You take out an object. Say 'I have got the ...'.

4. You want the child to copy your phrase and use the word 'I'. You may need to tell the child 'Copy my words'.

5. Keep doing this activity until the child can use the standard phrase 'I have got the...'. Reward the child for success with a smile or a sticker.

- Play food

or

- Food pictures - click here to print

- Action pictures - click here to print

- Soft toys

- Play food and kitchen items

- Optional camera

1. Start by playing with the cutlery and play food. Eat some food yourself and say 'I'm eating banana/ apple/ bread' etc.

2. Let the child play with the food. As he/she eats say 'Sally's eating a banana/ an apple/ some bread' etc.

3. You take photos of the child, you, or the soft toys eating/drinking different items. 

4. Print the photo and put it in a book. Show the child the book. Can he/she respond when you ask 'What's happening?' You may need to model the answer for the child for example 'Teddy's eating an apple/ banana/ bread' etc.

- Action sentence picture cards - click here to print.

- Postbox - click here to print a template or you can make your own using a cardboard box.

- Sentence building dice - click here to print.

- Sentence building dice with colourful semantic colour coding - click here to print.

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 level A 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 questions where the child looks for the answer in the picture and just uses a little background knowledge. E.g. 'Find one that is....', 'When did...', 'What does this do?' 'What else is an X? etc.

- category dice - click here to print

or

- category cards - click here to print - if you do not have a printer you could make your own.

- normal dice (optional)

1. Print and cut out the catgeory cards and/or dice. You can make your own if you do not have access to a printer.

2. Explain to your child you are going to play a game where you think of items from different categories, e.g. 'animals' - you might say 'cat'.

3. Choose either the category dice or cards to play with.

4. Roll the dice or choose a card. The person has to name an item from that category. If the same category comes up later in the game, you need to think of a different item. You may want to keep a list of the items that have been named as a reminder.

- Pen and paper

Everyday objects, bag.

The child is asked to go and 'buy' two and then three items. He/she must name or sign each item he wants. Use pictures or symbols as a 'shopping list'.

Two boxes, one with a picture of a monkey, another with a picture of cat. Cut a posting hole where the mouths are. Play food.

Introduce the monkey and cat saying they are very hungry.

Give instructions to the children such as 'Give Monkey the apple', 'Give the cat the banana and the ice cream'. Comment on what happened, for example 'Monkey ate the apple'. Give the child a go at saying what you should do.

Tea-set, play food, doll, teddy.

At least two toy animals or dolls, for example a doll, a teddy, a rabbit.

Prompt cards for actions the animals can do if needed.

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

Dolls/ teddies, tea set, play dough in two colours, cutters.

Play people, bricks, etc. as required

Can be done 1:1 or in a small group

Suggestions for stories:

1. dad, mum, baby, bike, bricks: dad: bye bye baby, bye, bye mum, etc., gets on bike, drives into bricks, falls off;

2. helicopter rescue: helicopter comes and rescues those on an island;

3. dog eats picnic when others aren't looking;

4. fire!: children spot a fire in a building - make a story about what they do next;

5. swim across crocodile infested river.

Paper and pen/pencil for adult.

Big and small pictures of food items (for example from board maker, clipart, etc or enlarge/decrease pictures on the photocopier)

2 posting boxes, each with a picture of an animal on the front - you could use the animal's mouth for the slot; or 2 hand puppets with opening mouths

Symbols for the above adjectives

Pens, spoons, bricks and a bowl of water

You can find symbols for adjectives in the Commtap Symboliser.

1.Start by using objects. Collect a group of things which can get wet safely e.g. pens, spoons, lego bricks and put some in a bowl of water and some on the table near by.

2. Use the symbols for wet/dry and categorise the objects according to whether they are wet or dry.

3. Make a mistake sometimes and see if the child can catch you out!

4.Point out things in the child's everyday environment which are wet and dry

5.Can you give the child choices e.g 'Do you want a wet or a dry plate at dinner?'

Soft toys

Pretend food

Cups of juice

Cups and a jug of water

Pasta/beans

Blue-tak and pictures

Play-dough and pots

Drum and shakers and bells

Symbols

Picture books

You can find symbols for adjectives in the Commtap Symboliser.

Miniature figures for role play

Use not more than 6 items of things that have regular plural forms, for example, key(s), cup(s), ball(s), sock(s)

1. Put groups of each of the objects on one table, and single items of each on another table.

2. Point to each item or group of items, and name each, saying, for example, 'Here are the keys,'

3. Get the child to respond by indicating (eye/finger/head pointing or gesture) when you ask 'Where are the cups?'

4. Praise him when he does this correctly.

5. Then move on to the next item, e.g. 'Where is the Key? '

Sheet showing a mixture of single items and groups of the same items (if laminated, this can be reused)

Pen or pencil (use a whiteboard pen if your sheet is laminated)

Follow on from the previous activity where the child is indicating his understanding of which objects are plural / singular.

Not more than 6 different objects, as above

The things should be laid out as for the comprehension exercise above.

Paper, pens or pencil (for adult only)

1. Go round each person in the group including the adults asking them for two things they have already done that day;

2. For each person write their name on the sheet and a key word for each activity they have done along with a very rough picture to help the children remember what each person did;

3. Each person then takes it in turns to recall what one other person has done today - using the pictures to help them to remember.

See target sheet "sequences three or more pictures" Note - the activities shown there are at a slightly higher level than this one - so only use them if appropriate for the children you are working with.

Set of cards with simple present tense verb pictures on (e.g. "jumping", "writing").

See target sheet "sequences three or more pictures" Note, the activities there are at a slightly higher level than this one - so only use them if appropriate for the children you are working with.

Focus on actions which uses a selection of the verbs from "common irregular past tense verbs" on www.commtap.org - or verbs which the child is having difficulties with.

Ask the child to recall parts of the sequence they have been working with.

Set of cards with simple present tense verb pictures on (e.g. "cutting", "writing"): try to include some verbs that you know the child needs to work on.

See: "common irregular past tense verbs" on www.commtap.org for a list of irregular past tense verbs.

Reading book

This activity is for children who can read.

Set of cards with the present tense on one side (e.g. run) and the past tense on the other side (ran). Symbol software (such as the Commtap Symboliser) which illustrates the verb and adds an extra qualifier for the past is very useful.

See: "common irregular past tense verbs" on www.commtap.org for a list of irregular past tense verbs.

This activity is for children who can write.

Pictures (to be stuck in a book) which show actions using verbs you want to work on: for example from Flash-pro CD, clip art, Google or Yahoo images

See this list of common irregular past tense verbs on www.commtap.org.

Book

Glue

Pen/pencil