Topic “key skill”  

1. By talking with the student, find out what their current interests/concerns are. This could be for example that they're going to the dentist, they have been watching football etc.
2. Use this as a basis for the next set of activities: prepare materials that could help words or phrases about this topic appropriate/necessary.

• Paper, pens, source of pictures;
• Topic to talk about - give students a choice of topics from their interests/ concerns/ experiences for exmple - football, dentist, school/college trip

• Picture cards to represent the topics the students could talk about;
• Poster prompts from the "Topic introduction" activity

Something to record the students responses on (e.g. paper/pen) which can later be used as a prompt;

Soft ball or beanbag.

Way of recording students responses - e.g. paper/pen, whiteboard/marker;

Soft ball or beanbag.

Picture cards with emotions

Optional - choice of pictures showing possible reasons - for example a picture of a boy who has fallen over to go with a picture of a boy who is crying.

1. Look at an emotion picture card - discuss what is happening, for example, "Look... the boy is crying.";
2. Ask 'Why is he crying?' and give a model answer for example "because he is sad", "because he fell over".

One or more pictures showing scenes - for example someone running away, a hot beach.

Or...

Pictures in a book.

Two toys one desirable and one not.

• A familiar picture book;
• If required, a symbol card to represent 'what' (for example a question mark).

1. Ask "what" questions about familiar pictures in books. For example, ask 'What is this?';
2. Model the answer if the child has difficulty answering, for example "What's this?". You could also use a "what" symbol card when you ask questions - pointing to it when you use the word 'what'.

One or more of these:

• own photos from school or home;
  
• pictures of things.
  

... and if required:

"What" symbol card

• A familiar picture book;
• If required, a symbol card to represent 'who' (for example a question mark next to a picture of a face).

1. Ask 'who' questions about familiar pictures in books. For example, ask 'Who is this?';
2. Model the answer if the child has difficulty answering, for example "This is Sam". You could also use a "who" symbol card when you ask questions - pointing to it when you use the word 'who'.

One or more of these:

• own photos from home or school;
• picture cards with people on.

...and if required:

• a symbol card to represent 'who' (for example a question mark next to a picture of a face).

A situation where there are other people - for example in class, in the playground.

"Who" symbol card if required.

The materials you had in the lesson.

Picture prompts for the activities that were carried out.

Piece of card to stick the prompts onto as you do the activities in the lesson.

1. As you do the lesson, each time you do an activity, get the prompt card for the activity and put it on the card - so that the activities appear there in the same order that you did them;
2. At the end of the lesson get the students to say what activities they did;
3. Ask them which came first, then which was next, and which was next again (etc.);
4. Use the prompt cards if students are having difficulty recalling the sequence.

Breakfast food and implements, rough sketches or photos of each stage in the sequence to use as prompts.

Ideas for sequences:

Toast

1. Get the bread
2. Open the packet
3. Take out two slices
4. Put them in the toaster
5. Push down the lever
6. Wait for it to pop up
7. Take it out
8. Spread butter on them
9. (Spread jam on them)
10. Eat

Note: you can simplify the sequence - e.g. bread - toaster - spread butter. Or you could make it more complex.

Make a cup of tea

1. Fill the kettle with water
2. Switch it on
3. Wait
4. Put the teabag  the cup
5. Pour in the water
6. Wait
7. Take out the teabag and put it in the bin
8. Add milk
9. Drink

As with the toast, you can simplify this or make it more complicated!

1. Ensure that the student already knows how to do the activity - for example that they are able to make toast and spread it.
2. Get them to tell you what to do/show you what to do: initially start with a simplified sequence with 3 or 4 steps (see ideas on the left);
3. Respond to what the student indicates that you should do - but look confused if it won't work - for example if they ask you to put cold water in the tea (yuk!) to help encourage them to correct themselves: use the pictures or photos if necessary.
4. Over time, see how much of the sequence they can describe without any prompts. 

Describe and look for things and actions in story books and pictures.

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

Put cards in the box, take turns to fish for a picture, say/sign what is fished out.

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

Pictures of everyday objects, background pictures (Black Sheep Sentence Builder and Narrative Packs have some good ones)

Pictures of everyday objects from class and outside. A blank jotter book

Pictures of everyday objects from class and outside

Action toys

Action nursery rhymes

1. Use any toy which you need to post or press a key or push a part to make something happen e.g. rolling marbles down a kitchen roll holder, catching fish with a magnet and putting into a pond, press a button and the toy pops up. Set the toy up and take turns to have a go.

2. Play round and round the garden type games. Start the game and pause before the exciting end part and wait for the child to indicate he/she wants you to continue by the child looking at you or moving your hand to show he/she wants more.

Soft toys

Comfy bean bags and favourite book

Kitchen with everything appropriate for making a cup of tea. You don't need to have them out and ready though - finding the stuff can be part of the activity.

1. Sit in the kitchen at an empty table and say you want to make a cup of tea - but you don't know what to do (or have forgotten what to do);

2. See if the person suggests getting something - e.g. teabag or cup.

If the person suggests something, e.g. teabag, ask where you can find it. See if they can tell you - e.g. "cupboard" - but if not, give then some suggestions - e.g. "in the cupboard or in the fridge?" - have a look in the fridge if they suggest that.

If the person doesn't suggest anything, give a funny choice, e.g. shall I get a cup or a paint brush - if they suggest "paint brush", get one and then look really confused when you have it - see if they can correct you, or if there is not paint brush to find, look equally confused. Get a cup even if they don't prompt you to get one (as if you've suddenly remembered!)

3. As you go along, try to get the person to extend the language - but don't try to get them to repeat, also try to avoid asking leading questions (for example avoid asking "shall I stir the tea now?"). For example if you have a tea bag and a cup, and they say "cup", indicating that you put something in the cup, put something else in the cup - e.g. a pen. If they then say teabag, do something with the teabag - but don't put it in the cup. At this point they may try to put the two words together, e.g. "teabag...cup". If not, you can give them a choice. Try the following:

"teabag in the cup or pen in the cup" (you might get a response of "teabag" in which case put it somewhere - not in the cup);

or

"teabag in the cup or pen in the bag"

or

"pen in the bag or teabag in the cup" (easiest because the target phrase is last).

Whatever is required for the activity. Activities could include:

• Cleaning;
• Shopping;
• Cooking;
• Washing up;

A small choice of snack items to choose from - in small pieces - for example banana, apple, orange, crisps (the idea of having the items in small pieces is that it gives lots of opportunities to practice the request);

Something uninteresting - e.g. a piece of paper;

Pictures of the food items.

1. Introduce the food items by saying and signing the word for each item;
2. Check for which items the person is interested in having: offer some of the food items for them to take. Re-inforce the language by saying and signing (at the same time) the food items that the person takes;
3. (Initially) use a forced alternative (see right) to give them a choice. E.g. "banana or orange", say and sign each option, and indicate the item as you do so. See the comments on the right for using forced alternatives;
4. Always respond to what you think someone has communicated (see right for developing this);
5. Wait, to give the person an opportunity to make a request spontaneously, if they don't you can continue from step 3 (offering forced alternatives).

• Choice of food items in small pieces - e.g. pieces of banana, orange or crisps - which the person is interested in having;
• Something not interesting to the person - e.g. a piece of paper;
• Pictures of each item (e.g. a picture of a banana, a crisp and a piece of paper).

1. Offer a choice of food items, or a choice of a food item and the "boring" item (if the person doesn't mind which food item they get);
2. Ask them what they want giving a choice, e.g. "Would you like some banana or a crisp?" (Stress the underlined words and also sign them);
3. Respond to what you understand the person has communicated - giving them that item.

See the comments on the right as to how to respond to some typical situations.

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.

"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.

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).

Story, description or explanation the child is unfamiliar with.

Photocopy of this (optional)

Story, description or explanation the child is unfamiliar with.

Photocopy of this (optional)

Pens and paper or whiteboards

Curriculum topic activities

What's wrong pictures (e.g. LDA, Colorcards)

Pen and paper

1. Choose a picture (or let the child choose one). Both people look at it. Take it in turns to describe the picture and say how it should look. Make sure you have a new picture to describe each time.

2. Take it in turns to choose a picture, which you keep hidden from the other person. Describe the picture while the other person tries to draw it based on your description. Compare the drawing to the original picture and say how the picture should look. If the drawing does not look very much like the picture, say why this went wrong.

Large composite pictures (e.g. "passages a decouvrir").

Score sheet (2 columns - one with your name at the top, the other with the child's)

Pen