English · 1st Year · Oral Language · Summer Term

Playing with Words

Let's explore how we use words to make friends, join in games, and share our feelings kindly.

TL;DR:Get ready to turn your pupils into super listeners and confident speakers with this topic on giving and following instructions.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA Primary Language Curriculum: Oral Language - Strand 1: Communicating - Element: Developing communicative relationships through language

About This Topic

This topic, 'Playing with Words', is a cornerstone of the Oral Language strand of the Irish Primary Language Curriculum for Junior and Senior Infants. It directly addresses key learning outcomes related to listening, understanding, and speaking. The focus is on developing children's ability to process and act upon simple instructions, a fundamental skill for all classroom learning and social interaction. By engaging in playful, interactive activities, pupils learn to actively listen, identify key information within a spoken message, and understand the importance of sequence.

The progression from one-step to two-step instructions is a significant cognitive leap for this age group, requiring enhanced working memory and attention. This topic provides a structured yet fun approach to building these capacities. Furthermore, by encouraging children to create and give their own instructions, we are fostering their expressive language skills, building their confidence as communicators, and helping them understand the perspective of the listener. These foundational skills are not only crucial for managing the classroom environment but also for collaborative play in the yard and for later engagement with written texts and procedures.

Key Questions

1. Identify kind words we can use when playing with friends.
2. Explain how to ask someone if you can join their game.
3. Compare how you feel when someone uses kind words versus unkind words.

Learning Objectives

• Follow a simple one-step oral instruction accurately.
• Listen to and follow a two-step oral instruction in the correct sequence.
• Give a clear and simple one-step instruction to a peer.
• Identify the key 'doing' word in a spoken instruction.
• Ask for clarification when an instruction is not understood.

Key Vocabulary

Instruction	A direction or order that tells you what to do.
Listen	To pay careful attention to what someone is saying.
First	The word we use for the first thing we need to do.
Then	The word we use for what comes next.
Order	The way things happen one after the other.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Children only remember the last part of a two-step instruction.

What to Teach Instead

Explain that instructions have parts, like a train with carriages. We need to remember the first part and then the next part. Use fingers to count the steps: 'First, get your crayon. Second, open your book.'

Common Misconception

All words in an instruction are equally important.

What to Teach Instead

Show that some words are 'doing words' (verbs) and 'thing words' (nouns). Highlight these 'bossy words' that tell us exactly what to do, like 'put' the 'book' on the 'table'.

Common Misconception

If I don't understand, I should just do nothing or guess.

What to Teach Instead

Encourage a classroom culture where it is always okay to ask for help. Teach phrases like 'Can you say that again, please?' or 'I'm not sure what to do'.

Active Learning Ideas

Morning Circle

Simon Says

Play the classic game of 'Simon Says', starting with simple one-step instructions and gradually adding two-step instructions. This game helps children listen carefully for the key phrase 'Simon says' before acting.

10 min·Whole Class

Morning Circle

Barrier Game

In pairs, children sit back-to-back with a barrier between them. One child gets a simple picture or a set of three building blocks, and they must give instructions to their partner to replicate it.

15 min·Pairs

Morning Circle

Robot Routes

One child is the 'robot' and another is the 'programmer'. The programmer gives simple instructions like 'Take two big steps forward, then turn right' to guide the robot to a specific point in the classroom.

15 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Following the steps to get ready for school in the morning: first put on your uniform, then eat your breakfast.
• Playing games in the yard like 'Red Light, Green Light' that have rules to follow.
• Helping a grown-up to bake by following a simple recipe, like 'put the flour in the bowl'.
• Tidying up toys by following instructions like 'Put the Lego in the red box and the dolls in the basket'.
• Following a parent's or carer's instructions for safety, such as 'Hold my hand when we cross the road'.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

Teacher observation during whole-class games. Use a simple checklist to note which children can successfully follow one-step and two-step instructions.

Peer Assessment

During paired activities like 'Barrier Games', listen to the instructions the children give each other. Note the clarity of their language and their partner's ability to follow.

Quick Check

After an activity, ask children to use 'thumbs up, thumbs middle, thumbs down' to show how easy or tricky they found it to follow the instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I support a child who consistently struggles with two-step instructions?

Use visual aids, such as pictures or symbols for each step. Also, have the child repeat the instruction back to you before they begin. Continue to practise one-step instructions to build their confidence and working memory.

What's the difference between an instruction and a question?

An instruction tells you to do something, like 'Close the door'. A question asks you for information, like 'Is the door closed?'. We can look for 'doing words' in instructions and question marks in writing.

How does this topic link to early literacy?

Understanding that spoken language has a sequence and key components helps children when they begin to read and write. It builds their awareness of sentence structure and the importance of word order for making sense.