A. Verbal Skills
Skills practiced: Ordering, use of words, vocabulary building, creativity, fine motor skills.
#A1 Finish the story
Needed:
a. Picture from a well-known story or of a situation easily recognized by the students and that can have possible continuing actions (for instance, a person just about to fall into a puddle).
b. A board or large piece of paper to “publish” a story.
Activity: Show the picture to the students and ask them to tell what they see. Then ask them to suggest different endings to the story.
“Publish” the best story (funniest, most descriptive of surroundings, most different words used)
OR “Publish” as many stories as possible.
Save the story/stories for future reading exercises.
Optional Worksheet #A1: Put the pictures in order.
Additional free story sequencing worksheets:
http://www.greatschools.org/worksheets-activities/5316-story-sequence.gs
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/apples/sequencing.htm
Needed:
a. Picture from a well-known story or of a situation easily recognized by the students and that can have possible continuing actions (for instance, a person just about to fall into a puddle).
b. A board or large piece of paper to “publish” a story.
Activity: Show the picture to the students and ask them to tell what they see. Then ask them to suggest different endings to the story.
“Publish” the best story (funniest, most descriptive of surroundings, most different words used)
OR “Publish” as many stories as possible.
Save the story/stories for future reading exercises.
Optional Worksheet #A1: Put the pictures in order.
Additional free story sequencing worksheets:
http://www.greatschools.org/worksheets-activities/5316-story-sequence.gs
http://www.dltk-teach.com/minibooks/apples/sequencing.htm
A2 Problem-solving Story
Students will make up a story to tell or read that solves a problem.
Needed: Paper and (coloured) pencils; board, or big piece of paper to 'publish' a story.
Activity:
Explain that each student (or group of students) will make up a story about a tricky situation, a problem which must be solved (for example, someone is standing on a stone in the river and his foot slips or someone is babysitting their little sister and sees her climbing into the well).
If there are only a few students in the class, have everyone make up his or her own story, draw it, and tell it to the others in the class.
If the class is large, divide the students into small groups. Each group makes up one story and the drawings to go with it.
It might be necessary to provide the tricky situation or to “brain storm” with the students to think of several options.
Save the story/stories for future reading exercises.
Students will make up a story to tell or read that solves a problem.
Needed: Paper and (coloured) pencils; board, or big piece of paper to 'publish' a story.
Activity:
Explain that each student (or group of students) will make up a story about a tricky situation, a problem which must be solved (for example, someone is standing on a stone in the river and his foot slips or someone is babysitting their little sister and sees her climbing into the well).
If there are only a few students in the class, have everyone make up his or her own story, draw it, and tell it to the others in the class.
If the class is large, divide the students into small groups. Each group makes up one story and the drawings to go with it.
It might be necessary to provide the tricky situation or to “brain storm” with the students to think of several options.
Save the story/stories for future reading exercises.
A3 Three Things Story
Students will make up a story about three different things.
Needed: Three objects not usually used together in the same place. For example: bucket, wheel, and a seed OR a nail, a plate, and a blanket. Large piece of paper to “publish” a story.
Activity: Place the three objects clearly in front of everyone.
Everyone then makes up a story with all three objects in it.
“Publish” the best story (funniest, most descriptive of surroundings, most different words used) OR
Let students choose the best story to “publish” OR
“Publish” as many stories as possible.
Save the story/stories for future reading exercises.
Variation: Make up the story as a group. The teacher starts by picking up one object and beginning the story.
Pass the next object on to the first student, who adds to the story. This student passes another object on to the next student, who adds to the story, and so on, all around the group. Give shy students the option of saying only one word.
Students will make up a story about three different things.
Needed: Three objects not usually used together in the same place. For example: bucket, wheel, and a seed OR a nail, a plate, and a blanket. Large piece of paper to “publish” a story.
Activity: Place the three objects clearly in front of everyone.
Everyone then makes up a story with all three objects in it.
“Publish” the best story (funniest, most descriptive of surroundings, most different words used) OR
Let students choose the best story to “publish” OR
“Publish” as many stories as possible.
Save the story/stories for future reading exercises.
Variation: Make up the story as a group. The teacher starts by picking up one object and beginning the story.
Pass the next object on to the first student, who adds to the story. This student passes another object on to the next student, who adds to the story, and so on, all around the group. Give shy students the option of saying only one word.
A4 Create-a-Creature Story
Students will draw a fantasy animal, make up a story about it, then tell it seriously and dramatically to the group.
Needed: Paper and coloured pencils for each student; a way to collect the papers together into a book (stapler, or needle and string)
Activity:
1. Tell the students a story about a made-up-animal. For example, “I heard a noise outside my door. I went to look. I didn’t see anything. Just a big fuzzy pink ribbon. When I tried to pick it up, it moved! It was a tail! And the rest of the animal was as strange as the tail . . ..”
2. Have each student think up a strange animal.
3. Ask two or three students to describe an animal they think up.
4. Have everyone draw an imaginary animal on a piece of paper.
5. The teacher may write words next to the drawing like neck, tail, hair, nose, etc. Make sure the students draw something of the surroundings too, so the place can be recognized in the village or neighborhood.
6. Have students take turns telling a short story about their animal.
7. Make a booklet of the drawings. Hopefully other people will be interested in looking at it.
Students will draw a fantasy animal, make up a story about it, then tell it seriously and dramatically to the group.
Needed: Paper and coloured pencils for each student; a way to collect the papers together into a book (stapler, or needle and string)
Activity:
1. Tell the students a story about a made-up-animal. For example, “I heard a noise outside my door. I went to look. I didn’t see anything. Just a big fuzzy pink ribbon. When I tried to pick it up, it moved! It was a tail! And the rest of the animal was as strange as the tail . . ..”
2. Have each student think up a strange animal.
3. Ask two or three students to describe an animal they think up.
4. Have everyone draw an imaginary animal on a piece of paper.
5. The teacher may write words next to the drawing like neck, tail, hair, nose, etc. Make sure the students draw something of the surroundings too, so the place can be recognized in the village or neighborhood.
6. Have students take turns telling a short story about their animal.
7. Make a booklet of the drawings. Hopefully other people will be interested in looking at it.