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Language and Communication use future tense when making plans and telling stories  This resource has been viewed by a moderator.

Description:

The child will use the future tense to talk about their plans or what is going to happen in an event.

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Early years skill:not specified
Early years typical range:not specified
P-scales/Curriculum skill:English Speaking
P-scales/Curriculum level:L1b
TAP skill:Expressive Language
TAP level:TAP56
Pre/Nat. Curriculum Area:not specified
Pre/Nat. Curiculum Standard:not specified
Section:Primary (5-11yrs) info; Secondary (11-16yrs) info
Activity/strategy name and materials required How to do the activity Key principles for doing the activity and comments
News time 'frame'

Sheet with boxes labelled "...will...", "...am..." and "...have / did...":

Pen or pencil

1. Use this at news time, or explain to the child that you are all going to take turns to talk about what you are going to do, or have done.

2. Put the sheet with the boxes labelled "....will...., "....am...." and "....have/did...." in front of the child and help the child to read the words.

3. The child can choose to talk about e.g. last weekend, or next weekend, or something in school. Talk about if it has happened already or is going to happen and which box it would fit under.

4. The child can report their news; help them to use the accurate tense.

In some cases it will feel more natural to use "going to" than "will" (for example, "The boy is going to eat the apple" rather than "The boy will eat the apple"), you should always use (and encourage) the form which feels the most natural.

The child could write what they have written under each heading, or draw a picture.

Diary

Diary - either published or a blank workbook.

Pen or pencil

Sheet with boxes labelled "...will...", "...am..." and "...have / did...":

1. Explain that a diary is to record what we have done, and what we are going to do.

2. Encourage each child to write at least one thing they have done and one thing they are going to do in each entry.

3. Use the 'will' 'am' 'have/ done' sheet to help the child use the right tense when writing and discussing what they are recording.

This is an ongoing activity to be used with an individual child or a group of children (each child would have their own diary).

In some cases it will feel more natural to use "going to" than "will" (for example, "The boy is going to eat the apple" rather than "The boy will eat the apple"), you should always use (and encourage) the form which feels the most natural.

Complete the manuscript

A short story, with the ending missing (either cut off, or photocopy the story but blank out the ending)

Paper

Pen or pencil

1. Explain to the children that when an author writes a story, the very first copy is called a manuscript. Sometimes if they are old, parts can go missing. You are going to play a game where parts of some stories have gone missing.

2. Explain that you will read the story and then they will take it in turns to suggest an ending. As that part of the story has not yet happened they need to talk about what is going to happen.

3. Either write down what the children suggest, or have them write it down. Comment on and praise when a child has used the future tense. They can choose the ending they like best.

This activity is best if it is not a story the child is familiar with.

You may need to use a prompt sheet to remind the children to use the future tense:

Sheet with boxes labelled "...will...", "...am..." and "...have / did...":

In some cases it will feel more natural to use "going to" than "will" (for example, "The boy is going to eat the apple" rather than "The boy will eat the apple"), you should always use (and encourage) the form which feels the most natural.

You can have the group make up two or three different endings for the same story and make a 'choose your ending' book.

Sequencing Cards

A set of sequencing cards (either a published set, or you can make your own by photocopying a sequence of pictures of any event).

1. Explain to the children you are going to give them the start of a set of pictures and they need to guess what might happen next.

2. Give the children the first pictures, leaving out the last one (or last two or three if it is a long sequence).

3. Remind the children to use the future tense when they talk about what will happen next.

4. Take guesses!

5. Reveal what did happen.

Use sequences appropriate to the age of the child. Any sequence with a twist at the end will be enjoyed by the children!

You may need to use a prompt sheet to remind the children to use the future tense:

Sheet with boxes labelled "...will...", "...am..." and "...have / did...":

In some cases it will feel more natural to use "going to" than "will" (for example, "The boy is going to eat the apple" rather than "The boy will eat the apple"), you should always use (and encourage) the form which feels the most natural

Chain story surprise

Paper

Pen or pencil

Cards with possible story characters on them (optional)

1. Explain to the children that you are going to write a surprise story as a group, and that they are going to write a bit each.

2. Have the first child start the story, but without letting anyone know what they wrote. After a sentence or two, stop them, fold over the paper to hide what they wrote and pass on to the next child.

3. The last writer ends the story.

4. Read out the story, a section at a time. Ask the children what they think will happen next, and remind them to use the future tense.

Some children will prefer to have a character given to them to write about.

You may need a prompt card with 'will / going to' written out to remind the children to use the future tense.

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