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Topic “Primary (5-11yrs)”
Primary school age (5-11 years)
Letter rainbow
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Letter rainbow.
because sentence frame
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Three part sentence frame example linking phrases with because.
have-am-will table
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Table to help choose the right words to use for past, present and future tenses.
include relevant details in story retell
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Story Retelling Short stories 'Who, Where, When, What happened, What happened next, the end', prompt cards. Pencils | Tell the story yourself first. Discuss the prompt cards with the children, and explain that it is important they remember to answer all of the questions on the cards when they are telling their stories. Have one child at a time take a turn to retell the story. Go over the cards to see if they have included all the details. | If it is a familiar story to the child you could just give them time to remember it instead of telling it yourself first. |
tell an adult what happened
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Naughty puppet "What happened?" prompt (e.g. from Black Sheep Press Narrative Pack) Large hand puppet (such as "Molly" from LDA) or large rag doll or soft toy. Classroom equipment | 1. Stick the "What happened?" prompt on the board. 2. Produce the puppet and introduce it to the children. 3. Explain that you are going to practise talking about what happened, and that Molly (or whatever you call the puppet) will help the children to do this. 4. Explain that Molly is sometimes a bit naughty. 5. At this point, the other adult makes an excuse and leaves the room. 6. While the second adult is out of the room, make Molly do something naughty (e.g. take rubbish out of the bin, hide something in the cupboard, kick someone, jump on the furniture, or play with the light switch etc.) 7. The second adult returns to the room (send a child to collect them if necessary). 8. When the second adult comes back, ask the children to explain what happened while they were out of the room. 9. Steps 5-8 can be repeated a number of times if necessary. 10. The children can write up what happened in their literacy books. | This works best as a group activity. This activity compliments the "What happened?" work from the Black Sheep Press Narrative Pack. You need two adults for this activity - or alternatively you could have two puppets. One of the puppets goes away whilst the other one does something a bit naughty. The children then have to tell the puppet who went away what happened. Having the children describe what happened to a person who didn't see is more natural than asking them to talk to someone who also saw the event. It gives them a reason to communicate. To start with, have Molly do one or two things while the adult is out of the room. As the children become more used to the activity, increase this number. This gives them more to remember. If working with a mixed ability group, the more able children can be asked to use the language of sequencing (e.g. "first", "second", "then", "next", "last" etc.) |
understand and use less for quantity
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Less food 3 soft toys Plastic tea set Plastic food |
| Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. When the child is able to use "less" and "more" on separate occasions in separate activities, you can then use both together in this activity - e.g. ask "More/less banana here?" and so on. |
| Fruit Salad Two bowls and fruit to cut into fruit salad | You could do this activity at snack time - sharing some fruit between two or more children. | |
| Using "less" with various materials See-through plastic cups Materials to put in them, for example: water beans sand pegs bricks pens Optional: symbol for 'less' - this can help to reinforce the concept for some children. If you don't already have one, you can get a symbol for "less" through the Commtap Symboliser. | You need to make the learning very visible. Allow the child to explore materials and give time to respond to questions. Give lots of opportunity for repetition. Provide a central group of items against which 'less' can be compared. Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. When the child is able to use "less" and "more" on separate occasions in separate activities, you can then use both together in this activity: use three beakers, have more in one beaker and less in another (than the central beaker). | |
| Sharing out materials Materials, for example: beans sand pegs bricks pens Symbol for 'less' 2 different coloured sheets If you don't already have one, you can get a symbol for "less" through the Commtap Symboliser. | Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. When the child is able to use "less" and "more" on separate occasions in separate activities, you can then use both together in this activity: use three sheets, have more in one sheet and less on the other (than the central sheet). | |
| Biscuit decorating Biscuits Something to sprinkle on to them | Avoid working on "less" and "more" together as there is a risk that the child may confuse them. |
consistently acts on objects
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Playing with action toys Drum Jack in a box Pop-up toys Toys which need to be squeezed or a button pushed to produce an effect | Sit in the child's sight line in a quiet room and choose an action type toy to have on your lap. Gain the child's attention by stroking their face/clapping your hands or calling their name. Use the toy. Show happiness and/or surprise as you do so. Wait to see if the child makes a move to request a repeat. Repeat the action if the child requests. If the child does not request a repeat do the action again as above. After a few repeats take the child's hand and help the child activate the toy. Gradually reduce the amount of help you give the child to activate the toy. Can the child activate the toy independently if you show the child the toy? Move on to a different toy and follow the procedure above. | Work in short bursts. Keep the experience fun and light hearted. Give the child enough time to explore the toys and enough time to try to use the toy themselves. Give lots of praise for any success. |
| Snack time Small edible treats (biscuits/fruit/crisps) Transparent container with a lid. | You want the child to be able to open the container independently and help themselves. Give lots of time to explore the objects and praise for any success. Give lots of opportunities to learn by repeating the activity. | |
| Favourite toy Small toys e.g. car/squashy ball |
recall story details and retell them
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Storyteller Stories the child is unfamiliar with. They can be extracts from reading books or made up. Photocopy of the story (optional) | 1. Explain to the child that they are going to tell a story. You are going to tell it first and then it will be their turn. 2. Tell the story. It should be about 150 - 200 words. Make sure that there is enough detail in the section you have chosen or in the story you have made up. 3. Have the child tell the story back to you, or to another child. 4. Look at the photocopy of the story together and highlight all the details the child remembered (optional). | You can have the child use a puppet when they are telling the story |
| Quiz Story, description or explanation the child is unfamiliar with. Photocopy of this (optional) | If the child is finding it very difficult, make your questions easier, so that the child finishes the activity with success. You can ask easier questions, give the child clues (e.g. multiple choice answers) or read part of the story / description / explanation again. | |
| Messages Story, description or explanation the child is unfamiliar with. Photocopy of this (optional) Pens and paper or whiteboards | If you can, try and put yourselves at different ends of the room so the second child cannot hear the message when you say it! You could make the activity more interesting by setting the scene and sending the messages in character - e.g. shopping, an adventure story or something related to a literacy or history topic. | |
| Comprehension Activities Curriculum topic activities |
Activities to encourage the use of 'first', 'next' and 'last' when describing a sequence of events.
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Sequencing cards - sets of 3 picture sequencing cards - you will need to source these. | 1. Choose a set of three cards and mix them up. 2. Ask your child to sort the pictures in the order that they happened. If your child finds this hard, put them in order together. Match them to the symbols. 3. Describe what is happening in the pictures using the words first, next and last - you can point to the symbols as you say the words. 4. Encourage your child to describe what is happening using the words first, next and last. | If the child finds it difficult to remember whether to put the pictures in order from left to right, or right to left, you can draw a large arrow (→) on the sheet. Numbering the boxes 1-3 can also help. |
| Photo sequencing |
|
Identify key information in stories with question prompts
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| Story String String Pegs Who-what-where-what prompt sheet using symbols, colour-coded:
Who (orange) What (i.e. objects - green) Where (red) What (i.e. actions - yellow)
Picture cards in separate bags or envelopes follows: Who envelope: e.g. various people, animals, monsters, spacemen, football players What (objects) envelope: e.g. football, car, rocket, computer, stick, box, bicycle Where envelope: e.g. park, mountain, house, beach What (actions) envelope: e.g. jump, sleep, fly, fall, cry, drive You could also use the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint to get picture symbols for these items. | 1. Pick a card from each envelope and peg them onto the string. 2. Make up a simple story which has everything on the string in it. 3. Have the child recap the main parts of the story to you, using the prompt sheet. 4. Take it in turns to make up the story, but have the child do the retell of it every time. | |
| Story Retell A familiar story, and key pictures of who, where, what and what happened in the story. (You might be able to photocopy this from a book). Who-what-where-what prompt sheet using symbols, colour-coded:
Who (orange) What (i.e. objects - green) Where (red) What (i.e. actions - yellow) You could use the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint to get symbols. | Example: Goldilocks - book Pictures: Who: Goldilocks, 3 bears Where: house, forest What things: porridge, chair, bed What happened: hot, walking, eating, breaking, sleeping, come back, run away You could vary this by watch short clips of film / computer programmes instead of having the book. | |
| Walk the walk A wind up toy (e.g. Simon the Sheep) Pictures of things it might see or do on its walk Who-what-where-what prompt sheet using symbols, colour-coded:
Who (orange) What (i.e. objects - green) Where (red) What (i.e. actions - yellow) You could use the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint to get symbols. | ||
| Any story or recount of an event Who-what-where-what prompt sheet using symbols, colour-coded:
Who (orange) What (i.e. objects - green) Where (red) What (i.e. actions - yellow) You could use the Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint to get symbols. |
Word Web Template 3
Example for creating a word web from a word using its meanings and what it sounds like.
Created 23 November 2010; updated 14 December 2021.
Tongue placement for t, d and k, g
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Diagram for tongue placement for t, d and k, g.
make predictions about physical actions
| Activity/strategy name and materials required | How to do the activity | Key principles for doing the activity and comments |
|---|---|---|
| What would happen if? Selection of the following equipment as appropriate: Candle and matches/ lighter; Balloon and pin; Building bricks/ Jenga game; Jug and cups, access to sink; Glass, water and instant coffee granules | Using appropriate equipment, ask the child to predict what will happen, then carry out the action to see if they were right: What will happen if you... Touch a flame to the candle's wick? Hold the candle horizontally? Blow onto the candle's flame? Blow into the balloon? Touch the balloon with the blunt end of the pin? Touch the balloon with the sharp end? Put a large brick on top of a smaller brick? Build a tower using all the bricks? Pull out a brick from lower down the tower? Start the tower on an uneven surface? Put lots of water (more than it can hold) into a cup? Have the cup upside down when you try to fill it? Put some coffee granules in the glass, then add cold water? Fill the glass with water, then sprinkle coffee granules on the top? | |
| Science activities Equipment as appropriate to the science activity. |
Tongue in and out faces
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Two faces - one with and one without the tongue sticking out.
Lilly pad
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Lilly pad image.
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