n 2 24 Age Time Alms DESCRIPTION MATERIALS. PREPARATION INcLass. Basic language activities ‘There are many activities which seem lke games to children but \hich practise basic language. Most of them can be adapted to fit in swith the tops in this book. We have divided the activites in this chapter into ‘ively and ‘calming’ activites to help you choose which ype younced fora particular stage in the lesson. Lite children need to move around & Jotand its unreasonable ro expect them to remain glued to their Sas for any length oftime. Doing a ively activity gives thera a ‘hance to move about under the teachers control and with a specific language sim in view. On the other hand, being able to sit downs and ‘concentrate on s task san important part oftheir development and ‘necessary for their later studies. Therefore teachers of this age-srOUp ‘need to balance both aspects witen planning a lesson Lively activities Roll the ball All Sminutes Language: question and answer Other: motor sills, eye-hand co-ordination ‘The ire roll the allo each other ask and answer questions. ‘A sinall ball (such asa tennis bal). Choose which question and answer you want ra practise. Spend one ‘or two minutes teaching and practising it. 1 Get the children to sit down on the floor ina circle, Roll the ball othe frst child and ask, Whar"syour mam whatever question you are practising). Supply the answer (e.g. Ane) and then ge the child to answer Indicate that you want the child to roll he ball another child [Lookcat the child who has rolled the ball and encourage herihim to say IWhiars your name? othe child who received the ballCOMMENTS 22 AGE Time ats MATERIALS. IeLass. COMMENTS ‘6 When the child has asked the question, look tthe child who received the ball and repeat the question, encouraging her/him to 7 When the second child has answered, get heer coll the ball toatthied child, and soon. ‘This might seem s bitlaborious at the beginning but once the children get the dea they enjoy ic very much, Ioler children ate able ‘othow and catch they might enjoy thsinstead of olling the ball Pass the ball au S-10minutes Language: whatever language you want to practise. For example, ‘the children could practise saying My name's... or Fm fou, colours, ‘or animals; or you could give an instruction suchas Ru round the ‘deo Touch your tes. Other: linking music and movement to language ‘The children passa ball round while music plays. When it stops, ‘they practite the target language. cassette orrecord player, some lively music, a smal bal 1 Getthe children to sion the flor ina circle and give the ball to ‘one ofthe children, 2 Start dhe music and ell hem to pass the ball fom one to the ‘ther round the ere. 5 Stop the music suddenly and say Stop! Indicate that they must ‘top passing the bal ound. 4 Say tothe child holding the ball, Afy name's Pedro (or whatever phrase you want to practise) and indicate that he ito say bis nname. When he does it correctly, clap your hands and get the bothers to elap too, 5 Star the music again and get the children to cary on passing the Dall round. 6 Stop the music suddenly and get the child who is holding the ball to say My name's 17 Carry oni this way three or four more times. you have avery large clas, only afew children will get chance to speak bur they will all have to rehearse the language mentally in case ‘hey get caught withthe ball. The excitement ofthe gare will involve them alVARIATION DESCRIPTION MATERIALS. PREPARATION INcLASS VARIATION 24 AGE TIME AIMS DESCRIPTION MATERIALS. utpictures of words the children have been learninginto box oF bag They pass this round while the music is paying. When the music stops, they take outa picture and say what iis Goand finda au 5-10 minutes Language: to follow instructions, o pructise vocabulary, 0 introduce 2 useful piece of classroom language “The wacher gives instructions and the children run othe correct picture, Pictures of vocabulary items you want to practise Cutout or draw some large pictures ofthe vocabulary you want to practise. Stick the pictures around the wall belore the children come 1 Walk to the first picture and eliic the word or tell the children whatitis, Get them to repent. 2 Do the same with the other pictures, 3 Callone child out: Andreas, come her, please (beckoning and gesturing). When the childs standing beside you, say and mime, Goto he bs, Ihe does itcorrecty say, Well done. Ihe not sure, ‘take his hand and run with him to de bes, 4 Repeat the procedure with other children Oder chdren may ikea competitive element. You could callout two children and pve them both an instruction or example ‘Andras, eo and fond a usa Mohammed, go and fod plane. The fistone to get there the winner Fetching all 5-10 minutes Language: to follow instructions, to revise voesbulary “The children listen o instructions and fetch the corect item, Some objects or pictures of vocabulary you have already introduced Inaprevious lesson,inctass Alms. DESCRIPTION MATERIALS. IcLass. AGE TIME ams: 25 26 DESCRIPTION MATERIALS. BASIC LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES 1 Show the children che objects or pictures and practise the vocabulary. 2 Spread the things and pictures on the floor. 3 Calloutone ofthe children and give the instruction: Marta, could sou fetch me a rabbi, pleas. Use bas difficulty, go with her to Dick up the rabbitand then gether to fetch it for you 4 Continue in the same way, getting different children to fetch things, 1 Place the objects or pictures in different places around the room before the children come:in, 2 Ger the children to go-and fetch you things, Pointing an 5-10 minutes ‘Language: to follow instructions, to practise vocabulary ‘The children come out and point tothe correct pictur. Pictures ofthe vocabulary you want to practise, something to stick them on tothe board with. 1 Show the children the fis picture, and teach or revise the wor ‘Then stick the piceae low down on the board at child height 2 Do the same with the other pictures, 3 When all the pictues are on the board call our ane ofthe children and say Wanda, point he ee, pleas, Lhe child has dificult. {ake her hand and point her finger tothe tree. 4 Continue inthe same way, calling differen children fr each picture 5 Drawing on the board 45,6 5-10 minutes Langus; follow instructions, to practise pars ofthe body “The children draw on the board acconding tothe reacher’s Board and chalk or board-pen.IN CLASS VARIATIONS COMMENTS 27 AGE TIME aims. DESCRIPTION INcLASS van 41 Callout one ofthe children and tell herthimn to draw ahead, 2 Calloutanother child and tell heihim to draw the body and join itt the heed. 3 Continue inthis way, calling ou different children to add the ferent Feacures until the drawing is complete ‘This could be done with ather vocabulary Children love being allowed to draw on the board using the teacher's chalk or board-pen, and you can tur this to good use in he language las, Simon says au Stauton ‘Language: listening, folowing instructions, parts ofthe body, classroom vocabulary ‘The children listen and carry out the instructions only when “Simon ells them, 1 Tell the children that you are going to give them instructions, but they must only obey ifyou begin by saying ‘Simon says’. (You can change thisto fr any current popular characters such 2s "Robocop says") 2 Say the instructions, doing the actions yourself Simon says touch or nse. Simon says touch the floor Simon says stand on one eg. “Then say Touch your noseand do not do the action, Normally anyone who does the action without ‘Simon says’ out, bar with young children itis better not to exude ther fom the ime. Te Jsenough to loak a them, smile, shake your head and say didn’r ay ‘Sion sy" you have a child who s very confident and speaks wel, ou could lethet him give some af the instructions See 3.18, ‘Robot game’, where children obey instructions only ‘when the speaker says ‘please Calming activities “These activities encourage the children to work quietly and independently at tsk. They help to develop the children’s ‘cognitive skills and visual recognition and prepare them for the kind ‘of work they will be expected to do at Primary School28 AGE AMS. DESCRIPTION TIME MATERIALS. PREPARATION INcLass. mime MATERIALS PREPARATION basic LaNGuaGE ACTIVITIES Classifying a ‘Language: to follow instructions, to practise vocabulary Other: to develop cognitive sil, visual recognition The children have to recognize whieh things belong to. parti category. Lesson 1 10-15 minutes ‘Three large pieces of paper or cardboard; magazines, catalogues, oF supermarket handouts; scissors ifyour children can use them glue. ‘On each large piece of paper draw a picture to represent topic. For ‘example: a wardrobe (for clothes), a table with plates (or food), and toy basket (for toys). ml 1 Divide the chileren into three groups and give them a name (such 4s the Clothes Group, the Food Group, and the Toy Group), 2 Give each group some magazines, catalogues, or supermarket handouts. 8 Tell them that exch group must tear (or cut) out pictures that correspond to thei topic. 44 When they have orn outa fir numberof pictures, give each sroup the lage pictare that corresponds to their topic and tell them to stick some of the pictures on toi. '5 Display thei pictures on the wall. 6 Collect the pieces that are leftover for the next lesson, Les 5-10 minutes 02 Pieces of card and pictures of objects fom the three categories: ‘enough for each group ta have some from each eategory Sticke the pictures on ro separate cardsINCLASS ME |EPARATION. INCLASS VARIATION COMMENTS. AGE me aims 29 BASIC LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES 5 1 Divide the class into groups. 2 Giveeach group cards containing pictures from all three categories, 3 Tell the children to separate the cards into Clothes, Food, and ‘Toys. Go round helping them, Lesson 3 5-10 minutes Prepare some worksheets ike Worksheet 2.8 (page 156), You will rnced one foreach child. Iisa goad idea to prepare extra tasks for children wha work quickly. 1 Draw some things onthe board, for example: asnake,aball,a tree, a kite, a house, a teddy beat. 2 Callone child outro the board and ae her/him to point ta toy. 3 When the child correctly points toa toy, give alr of praise and ‘draw acircle round the toy 4 Repeat this procedure with two more children. 5 Indicate the three toys and say, Taye 6 Draw six more things, three of which belong tothe same category Forexample: a cow, «book, an umbrella, a ca, a dog, and car, 17 Call outa child, give her/him the chalk or board-pen, and tll ‘her/him to draw a circle round all the animals. When shetbe has done that successfully (perhaps with your help) give praise and let her him clean the board 8 Hand out the worksheets and tell the children to citee al the ‘things to eat and go round to check if shey are doing it correctly 9 Hand outestra worksheets to thote who finish quickly or let them colourin the drawings. ‘With younger children itis better to use teal objects instead of pictures and do itasa whole-las activity. Ask them to bring you, for examples al the buttons they can find or all the rubbers, et 1 Afr covesingamumberof topic clasilfing activi isagood seryofcomelting yorsbuly 2. Youcar ase the won from Class Manse (15 ithe children Tue alread lame them Recognition 44556 5-10 minutes Language: Other: visual ecognition follow instructions, to practise vocabularyDESCRIPTION MATERIALS PREPARATION INcLASS BASIC LANOUAGE ACTIVITIES ‘The children select an object in a picture according tothe teacher's Coloured pencils, Draw some objects on a sheet of paper asin Worksheet 2.9 (page 157), Make one copy foreach child 1 Draw some animals on the board, for example: snake, a sheep, a bird aca. @® °S aD 2 Tellihe children Nowo daze acre mound the eat (For example) oso, slowly nd clearly, 3 Callout one ofthe chilren, give herhim the chalk or boand-pen, and tell hechim to drawa circle ound the bind 4 Then call out another child and tll her/him to draw circle round the snake. 5 Give out the worksheets and tll the children to draw a circle round the fis, 6 When they have done this, ask them to colour it in, Continue for each item in tor, ‘With older children you can say, for example, Colour the sae green, ‘When they have done that you can say Color the bind brown, and so2.10 AGE TIME Ams. DESCRIPTION PREPARATION ietass. VARIATION [BASIC LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES ° Find the odd one out 456 5-10 minutes ‘Language: to follow instructions, to practise vocabulary (Other: visual recognition, cognitive development ‘The children have to recognize which item is differen from the ouhers. Prepare worksheets on the vocabulary you want to practise, asin ‘Worksheet 2.10 (page 158) 1 Draw four things on the bourd, one of which is very obviously diferent from the others: for example, tre bananas and a dog. 2 Ask the children which things ferent. When they give you the answer, draw acrcle round the odd one out. 3 Repeat stages | and 2. few more times, 4 Hand out the worksheets and tell the children to draw a cncle round the one that i diferent. 5 When you have checked their worksheets, they can colourin the picture they have circled, With older chikiren you can do this activity using shapes. For ‘example: one circle and three triangles, This will reinforce the leaming of shapes and develop pre-reading skills2 BASIC LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES Spot the difference 456 S10 minutes Language: to follow instructions to practise vocabulary Other: visual recognition ‘The children try to find differences berween two pictures, Prepare worksheets asin Worksheet 2.11 (page 158) and make ‘opis forall the children, 1 Draw two pictures on the board, They should be broadly the ‘sme but with two or three obvious differences, oe q Pal “L &SF COMMENTS 2 Ask the children i'they can see any diferences between the two Pictures. I they find it difficule, you may need to help them, Inpicture A the gil is walking. Tn picture R she is running, In pictare A itis sunny. In picture Bit is aining 3 When allthe differences have been pointed out, hand out the worksheets and tll the children to ee if they can find the differences 4 When you have checked their work, they can colour the things ‘that are differ As with the previous activity, the dferences must be very obvious and there must only be ane oro,