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Language and Communication Make phrases in past tense using irregular verbs 1  This resource has been viewed by a moderator.

Description:

Makes statements or phrases in the past tense, using irregular verbs ("action words").

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Early years skill:Speaking
Early years typical range:30-50m
P-scales/Curriculum skill:English Speaking
P-scales/Curriculum level:P7
TAP skill:Expressive Language
TAP level:TAP42
Pre/Nat. Curriculum Area:not specified
Pre/Nat. Curiculum Standard:not specified
Section:Early Years (0-5yrs) info; Primary (5-11yrs) info
Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
What have you done today with visual timetable

Paper, pens or pencil (for adult only), photos of events that have happened during the day (optional)

See this list of common irregular past tense verbs for some examples. (http:en.commtap.org/content/common-irregular-past-tense-verbs)

1. Make a visual timetable by writing or drawing each past day's activities on a board/sheet so that the child can see what happened. It can bring the past tense more alive if you use photos of activities that did actually happen on the previous day or earlier in the current day.

2. Ask 'What did you do here?' as you point to a picture/photo. The child may say 'Rided my bike.' You can confirm with 'Yes, you rode your bike.' Add emphasis to the correct form of the verb. You can invite the child to say rode.

It is very common for young children to acquire a few irregular past tenses for very common verbs (e.g. went). Then they seem to pick up the -ed rule and suddenly the went becomes wented. This will normally sort itself out. You will also hear goed.

However, many verbs with irregular past tense forms don't emerge and some concerted practice is needed.

Don't correct all day long - the child will often be quite sure he said it right! Until you have done the practice in the special activities, you can use the correct form yourself in confirmation e.g. the child says 'I eated all my cabbage' and you can say 'You ate all of it? That's fantastic.'

Lotto

Lotto boards with pictures of activities the children have done recently - say four or six pictures per board. One board per child.

Matching set of picture cards.

If the boards are in black and white and the picture cards are in colour, this makes the game more rewarding.

You can vary how you play this game - this is one way you can do it.

For the first game, you can be the caller, for subsequent games a child can have a go.

1. The caller takes a card. Ask the child to complete this sentence at each turn (using the verb in their picture): 'Yesterday, I ...' (For example: 'Yesterday I rode my bike.'). You could use a question, such as "What did you do yesterday?", "What did Max do yesterday?"

2. The child who's got it says they have got it, and they get the card;

3. Continue until all the boards are covered up.

The child may say 'Rided my bike.' You can confirm with 'Yes, you rode your bike.' Add emphasis to the correct form of the verb.

You can invite the child to say rode - be sensitive if you do this, and don't repeatedly ask the child to say this.

Pairs

Two matching sets of pictures of activities the children have done recently - say 20 cards in all.

1. Turn all the cards face down;

2. Each player takes it in turns to turn over two cards;

3. For each card they turn over they say what they (or another child) did in the picture;

4. If the cards are the same they keep them, otherwise they turn them back over;

5. Continue until there are no more cards left.

You might need to prompt with a question, such as "What did you do yesterday?", "What did Max do this morning?".

The child may say, for example, 'Rided my bike.' You can confirm with 'Yes, you rode your bike.' Add emphasis to the correct form of the verb.

You can invite the child to say rode - be sensitive if you do this, and don't repeatedly ask the child to say this.

Simon Says

See this list of common irregular past tense verbs for some examples. (http:en.commtap.org/content/common-irregular-past-tense-verbs)

1. Ask the child to act out a verb from your list of irregular verbs (e.g. 'Simon says run').

2. Ask the child what they have just done after each action and encourage them to remember to use the correct past tense for each word (e.g. 'I ran/ drank/ slept/ fell/ ate/ gave/ flew/ broke' etc.)

The child may say, for example, 'falled' You can confirm with 'Yes, you fell.' Add emphasis to the correct form of the verb.

You can invite the child to say fell - be sensitive if you do this, and don't repeatedly ask the child to say this.

What have you done today?

Paper, pens or pencil (for adult only)

See this list of common irregular past tense verbs for some examples. (http:en.commtap.org/content/common-irregular-past-tense-verbs)

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.

If a child does not use a correct past tense, for example "Terry do writing", just feed back the correct way of saying it in a conversational way, for example "oh, Terry wrote something?".

For this activity, when it is your turn, try to use an example with an irregular past tense verb (see below) particularly one which you know the child is having difficulty with. However do NOT force the child to think of something they have done which involves an irregular verb - accept, and conversationally correct whatever they say.

You can do step 1 with one child as well as in a group.

Retell a sequence

Props to support a sequence of actions you will perform (optional)

See this list of common irregular past tense verbs for some examples. (http:en.commtap.org/content/common-irregular-past-tense-verbs)

1. Ask the child to describe a sequence that you carry out, as you are doing it. You could use props such as food to buy from a shop, etc. For example, you drive a car and buy some milk. Include as many of your irregular verbs as possible in your story but start with only two things in the sequence and build it up. The child should provide the commentary (e.g. 'You're driving a car' etc.)

2. After the action and commentary has finished, ask the child to tell it again but to talk about what has 'just happened'.

3. Encourage the use of the correct irregular past tenses (e.g. 'First you drove the car, then you bought some milk').

To make this activity a bit easier, you could make a memory jogger with action pictures lined up.

The child may say, for example, 'you buyed milk' You can confirm with 'Yes, I bought some milk.' Add emphasis to the correct form of the verb.

You can invite the child to say bought - be sensitive if you do this, and don't repeatedly ask the child to say the word.

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