English · 1st Year

Active learning ideas

Playing with Words

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

• 10–15 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Morning Circle
• 10 min · Whole Class

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.

Identify kind words we can use when playing with friends.

Facilitation Tip

Use a mix of instructions that include 'Simon says' and those that don't to keep the children actively listening.

What to look for

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

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Morning Circle
• 15 min · Pairs

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.

Explain how to ask someone if you can join their game.

Facilitation Tip

Provide a simple word bank of colours, shapes, and position words (on top, beside) to support the children giving instructions.

What to look for

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.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Morning Circle
• 15 min · Pairs

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.

Compare how you feel when someone uses kind words versus unkind words.

Facilitation Tip

Clear a safe space in the classroom and use markers on the floor as targets to make the goal clear.

What to look for

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.

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Morning Circle
• 10 min · Individual

Instruction Drawings

Give the whole class a series of simple instructions to create a drawing. For example: 'First, draw a big circle on your page. Then, draw a small triangle on top of the circle.'

Identify kind words we can use when playing with friends.

Facilitation Tip

Complete the drawing on the board as you give the instructions so children have a visual support.

What to look for

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

• Remember
• Understand
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Begin with simple, physical one-step commands and make it a game. When introducing two-step instructions, use clear linking words like 'first' and 'then'. Always model the instruction and use gestures to support children who may need extra visual cues.

By the end of these activities, your children will be able to follow two-step instructions and clearly tell their friends what to do during work and play.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

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

  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.'

• All words in an instruction are equally important.

  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'.

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

  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'.

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Methods used in this brief

• Morning Circle