Recommended Age: 5 years and onwards
Purpose: To help the child become aware of the function of the verb
Level of Parent Involvement: Low, once modelled the child may practice this exercise independently
Prerequisites
- The child knows all sandpaper letters
- The child knows all sandpaper phonograms
- The child has a good repertoire of puzzle words they have memorized
- The child has played the ‘Adjective game’ and had experience using the grammar symbols
- The child is able to read
Materials
* A farm set up with farm animals
* A tray containing slips of paper, a lead and a red pencil and a pair of scissors
* A set of cards on which are one-word commands (around 10, for example jump, clap etc) (see PDF)
* Prepared slips with commands which include an object (e.g., open the door, cut the paper) (see PDF)
Preparation
- Print and laminate the prepared slips and the set of cards
Steps
- Invite the child to the activity, invite the child to set up the farm
- Write a label for the child to read for example “the small pig”
- The child reads the label
- invite the child to get the object
- Write another label for the child for example “jump” (or another verb)
- The child reads the label, ask the child “can you get jump?” Child says no, highlight to the child that they cannot bring ‘jump’ but they can DO it (child may jump)
- The child may use the grammar symbols to symbolize words they already know
- Notice with the child the word ‘jump’ has not been symbolized
- Introduce to the child the large red circle, telling them “this is the symbol for words that tell us WHAT to do”
- The child may place the symbol above the word
- Introduce the child to the prepared slips for independent work (single verbs, child may read them, do them and symbolize them)
Variations
- The child may write their own slips
- The child may look up verbs in books, poems etc
