Topic “key skill”  

Marble run game;

Waiting cards.

1. Set up the track and pass the marbles round the children.
2. When everyone has had one go say 'Who's turn next?' You want the children to name the next child in the circle and to pass the marbles with as little prompting as possible.
3. Some children may need handover hand modelling to pass the marbles.
4. The target child may need to hold a waiting card to support waiting for their turn.

Box of song cards with a name/picture for each song that could be chosen.

1. Give the song card box to one child.
2. They choose a song;
3. All sing a short bit of the song.
4. Encourage them to offer the box to the next child to choose a song.

Variety of stickers - for example of cartoon characters, cars, animals etc.

Pot of bubbles liquid.

One drum or other instrument. Or, on drum or other instrument for each child.

Game

Waiting cards

Bag

Set of objects which the child understands the names of

1. Take the objects out of the bag one at a time, for each item say to the child "It's a [name of object]" for example "It's an apple". Look to the child for confirmation that it's an apple (as if you are not quite sure). Then, with certainty, say "Yes, it's an apple";

2. After a few items, start to get the occasional item wrong (use exactly the same not-quite-sure facial expression you used before). E.g. "It's a pencil" (but it's a toy car). Can the child tell you that it isn't? If not, have a look at the item again and pretend to suddenly realise you were wrong, say "(oh) No, it's not a pencil. It's a car.

3. Repeat.

Two toy animals or dolls (each with a name)

(Optional) things that the dolls can use, e.g. tea set

Marble run

Waiting cards (as required)

1. Set up the track and pass the marbles round the children. When everyone has had one go say 'Who's turn next?' You want the children to name the next child in the circle and to pass the marbles with as little prompting as possible. Some children may need handover hand modelling to pass the marbles.

2. The target child may need to hold a waiting card to support waiting for their turn.

A bag with a selection of appealing toys inside.

Computer

2 chairs

simple computer programme e.g. a painting programme

Set up the computer with your chosen programme

Sit next to the child

Show the child how to take turns by:

Saying 'My turn' ........'Your turn' etc Support this by using gesture/points

Depending on the level of difficulties the child is having, you may also need to do the following:

Use a visual timetable with your name in a (drawn) box and then the child's name in a box, then your name in a box and so on i.e. make a list of the turns with names written in boxes

For example:

As you take a turn, cross off one of the boxes with your name in it

As the child takes a turn help him/her to cross off one of his/her names in a box.

Computer game and two chairs

Egg timer

A variety of stickers or a variety of small pieces of fruit

Explain that each child will choose a sticker/piece of fruit to give to another person in the group.

Give each child an opportunity to do this

Playground

1 or 2 other children

1. When your child comes to you, talk about what the other children in the playground are doing.

2. Ask your child what looks 'fun'.

3. When your child decides say to them "Let's go and join them".

4. Take your child over and encourage them to join in with your support.

5. Next time, repeat steps 1 to 4 but after you've encouraged them to join in, stand back and let them play independently.

6. Next time, repeat steps 1 and 2 and then say "Let's go and ask to join in."

7. Take the child over and encourage them to say "Can I play" and then let them play independently.

8. Next time, repeat 1-2 and then say "you go and ask 'can I play'. I'll watch from here".

Another child

An easy errand

Pictures of animals

A good singing voice!!

Children sit in a circle and start to sing. After, "and on that farm he had a......" a child is chosen to choose a picture and sign the animal.

Group continues to sing.

Next verse a different child chooses an animal

Card with prompts for actions (optional)

Card with prompts for actions: clap/stamp etc. (optional)

Ask the children "what is a compliment? What should you do if someone gives you a compliment?"

'Teen-age' rag dolls

Cards with names of everyone in the group (including adults)

Giving and receiving compliments as part of a language group. This is a good way to boost children's self esteem.

Materials:

Compliment prompt cards, with or without visual support, as appropriate.

Compliments chart, with each child's name on the left side, with a space on the right side for the chosen compliment to be stuck.

For example:

Blu-tac to stick the compliment cards on to the chart, and the chart on to the wall.

Ball of string

Compliments prompt cards if appropriate.

Have the children stand facing each other in pairs. Tell them to walk forward until they feel they're the right distance away. Discuss how close you can be to others.

Photos of familiar people e.g. adults leading the group, class teacher/s, head teacher, all children in the group, other children from the children's class/es, etc.

photos of unfamiliar people e.g. child, baby, man, woman, police officer, shopkeeper/ market stall holder, bus driver, person at ticket booth at station etc. - from Flash-pro or internet image search

Outline drawing of the body e.g. from "pictures, please" or "language steps" for each child

red and green pens/pencils

Photos of familiar people e.g. adults leading the group, class teacher/s, head teacher, all children in the group, other children from the children's class/es, etc.

Photos of unfamiliar people e.g. police officer, shopkeeper/ market stall holder, bus driver, person at ticket booth at station etc. - from Flash-pro or internet image search.

Comment suggestion cards: comment cards can say things like:

Hello

Hi, mate

How old are you?

What's your name?

How are you?

What do you want?

Please can you be quiet

Shut up

Get out of the way!

Get lost!

Can you help me, please?

Good morning

Excuse me

Oi, you!

Are you a boy or a girl?

Alright?

1. Put the photos where the children can see them and check they can identify who every one is.

2. Have a child pick a comment card and decide which people they could say it to and which people they couldn't

3. children can suggest other comments

Photo emotions cards (e.g. LDA, Colorcards or from Flash-Pro) showing photos of Happy, Sad and Angry faces

1. Show the child the pictures and ask them to identify the emotion shown.

2. Help the child to think of alternative names for each emotion (e.g. angry = cross, annoyed, vexed, mad, cheesed off, in a bad temper etc. ...).

3. Put the pictures where the child can see them.

4. Say a sentence in a tone of voice that contradicts the message, e.g. "I'm fine, nothing's wrong with me" in a sad voice.

5. Ask the child to point to the right picture (or say its name) for the emotion you portray

6. Ask the child: "how did I say I was feeling?" and "How did I really feel?"

• Figures - finger puppets, figures cut from magazines, Playmobil (miniature world) figures etc.
• Some short story scripts.

1. Explain to the child that you are going to practise deciding if people are being good friends or not.
2. Explain that they need to watch / help to act out the story and then you will talk about it.
3. Act out one of the story scripts together.
4. Have the child say if the characters (or one specific character) are being good friends or not, and why.
5. Ask them what the characters could do differently.

• Puppets (optional)
• Story scripts or requirements for what the story should be about.

• A small notebook.
• A poster on 'how to be a good friend' - optional.
• Pen.
• Rewards - e.g. stickers or certificate.

• Small motivating stickers.

Pictures of people talking to each other, for example:

Picture books (you may need to cover any writing on the page if this distracts the child);

Commercially produced pictures (e.g. LDA - Emotions cards, "Passages a decouvrir", etc);

Photos (e.g. family snaps, or photos you have specially prepared);

Pictures from comics and magazines;

Drawings you have done.

Pieces of paper cut into the shape of a speech bubble (you can buy speech bubble-shaped post-its from stationers such as Ryman or on-line)

Blu-tac (optional)

1. Show the child the picture you have selected;

2. Encourage them to have a good look at the picture;

3. Encourage them to talk about what is happening in the picture;

4. Encourage them to think about what the people in the pictures might be saying;

5. Stick a speech bubble on the picture so that it is coming out of each person's mouth;

6. Ask what each person is saying;

7. Write this down in the speech bubble (or let the child write it themself).

Selection of pictures of people carrying out different actions.

Cue card with the word "is" written on it.

Pen and paper (optional)

1. Explain that you are going to practice sentences remembering to use all the little words;

2. Explain that one of the words that the child needs to remember is the word "is";

3. Show the child the cue card and explain that it says "is";

4. Show the child one of the pictures and give a simple description e.g. "the boy is running";

5. Show the child another picture and encourage them to describe it;

6. Use the cue card to prompt them if they forget to use the word "is";

7. You could write the child's descriptions down, and use this to reflect back whether they had remembered the word "is".

Small notebook or exercise book, or a book you have made

Pens, pencils etc.

"is" cue card as previous activity

Pictures of a fridge, washing machine, cupboard, suitcase

Pictures of food, clothes.

Take it in turns to instruct each other to put e.g. 'socks in the washing machine', 'put the pasta in the cupboard'

A clothesline - either a picture or a real line and pegs

Pictures of clothes

A TV guide

Outline of a pizza base

Pictures of pizza toppings. Or - draw a base and draw the toppings onto it.

1. Take it in turns to instruct each other to put clothes on the line, e.g. 'Put the jumper on the clothesline.'

2. Go through the TV guide and find favourite shows. Say what you are watching on TV'. e.g. 'I'm watching cartoons on TV

3. Put toppings on the pizza base e.g. 'I'm putting chicken on my pizza'.

Action pictures

Place pictures

Pictures of furniture and objects

Pictures of people

Outline of a bus / train / classroom

Pictures of different vehicles

An interesting object to use as 'treasure'