English · Senior Infants

Active learning ideas

Crafting Effective Oral Presentations

Active learning helps young children grasp the structure and expressiveness of oral presentations because it transforms abstract ideas into concrete, embodied experiences. When students physically act out stories or manipulate objects, they internalize sequencing and emotional tone more deeply than through listening alone.

NCCA Curriculum SpecificationsNCCA: Junior Cycle English - Oral LanguageNCCA: Junior Cycle English - Communicating and Collaborating
15–25 minPairs → Whole Class3 activities

Activity 01

Role Play20 min · Whole Class

Role Play: The Storyteller's Chair

Students take turns sitting in a special 'Storyteller's Chair' to share a weekend news item or a retold fairy tale. Peers use 'Talk Moves' to ask clarifying questions about the characters or sequence.

How do I structure a presentation for maximum impact and clarity?

Facilitation TipDuring Role Play: The Storyteller's Chair, sit beside the speaker to model attentive listening and provide immediate, specific praise.

What to look forAfter a short practice presentation, ask students to give a thumbs up if the speaker used a clear beginning, middle, and end. Ask them to point to their ears if they could hear the speaker well.

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Activity 02

Think-Pair-Share15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Emotion Statues

Pairs are given a story prompt and must decide on an emotion for the character. One student acts as the 'statue' showing the feeling through facial expressions while the other explains the story context to a partner group.

What vocal techniques (e.g., pace, volume, tone) enhance audience engagement?

Facilitation TipFor Think-Pair-Share: Emotion Statues, limit the pair discussion to 30 seconds to keep energy high.

What to look forShow a short video clip of a confident speaker. Ask: 'What did the speaker do with their voice that made you want to listen? What did they do with their body?' Record student responses on a chart.

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Activity 03

Inquiry Circle25 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Story Bags

Small groups receive a bag with three random objects (e.g., a spoon, a ribbon, a toy car). They must work together to create a short story that includes all three items and present it to the class.

How can body language and visual aids support my message effectively?

Facilitation TipWhen using Story Bags, rotate the bag holder every two minutes to give all students a turn.

What to look forGive each student a card with a picture of a common object (e.g., a ball, a book, a crayon). Ask them to draw one gesture they could use to talk about that object and write one word describing how their voice should sound (e.g., 'excited', 'loud').

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Templates

Templates that pair with these English activities

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A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach oral presentation skills by breaking them into small, manageable parts rather than overwhelming students with long speeches. Model each component clearly, such as how to start with a greeting, use a loud and clear voice, and pause between ideas. Avoid correcting every small mistake; instead, focus on one skill per session to build confidence. Research shows that young children learn best when they see a model, practice together, and receive immediate, positive feedback.

By the end of these activities, students should confidently share a short narrative with a clear structure, using both words and expressive body language. Their presentations will show they understand the listener's role, as peers will be able to follow along and respond appropriately.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

  • During Role Play: The Storyteller's Chair, watch for children who believe a story must be long to be 'good'.

    Use a simple three-step story map on the board to show how a complete narrative can be brief but still have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Ask students to label their story parts on the map before they begin.

  • During Think-Pair-Share: Emotion Statues, watch for students who think they only need to use their words to tell a story.

    Provide emotion cards with facial expressions and body postures. Ask students to hold up the card that matches their partner's expression after each turn, then discuss how body language changes the meaning of words.

Methods used in this brief

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