Ask a Grade 1 class about toys and your only problem is getting them to stop. The motivation is already there before you teach a thing, and that makes toys the perfect place to slip in a bit of grammar children usually find dull: the possessives my, your, his and her. They already want to say This is my robot!, so the grammar arrives on the back of something they mean.
The Word List and the Sounds to Watch
- Core words: ball, doll, car, robot, teddy bear, kite, blocks, puzzle
- Pronunciation traps: Thai children tend to finish doll and ball with an n. Get them to touch the tongue lightly to the roof of the mouth at the end of the word so it lands on an l.
- Kite is a chance to bring culture in. Thai kites are famous worldwide, and children stand a little taller when they find out a toy from home has a place in English.
Show and Tell, Scaled Down
Pick a day and ask every child to bring in one favourite toy, or to draw one instead if bringing toys in isn't practical at your school. Each child comes to the front and says three sentences: This is my doll. Her name is Nong Milk. I love her. Three is short enough that everyone can manage it, and it opens the door to asking a classmate May I see your robot? That is a polite request they will go on using for the rest of their lives.
Worksheets for this topic: match the toy to the word, fill in the missing letters, and draw a dream toy box with every item labelled.