Paddy's PlayroomNEWSFLASH!
Sue went on the Great Victorian Bike Ride and met up with one of Paddy's friends. His name is Teddy and he was on the ride with Gareth and Gareth's Dad. They all rode 540 kms during the 8 days of the ride - that is a lot of pedalling! Of course Teddy didn't have to pedal. He sat behind Gareth on the bike. Notice that everyone is wearing a helmet - even Teddy!
 
Gareth and Teddy Dad, Gareth and Teddy
Look who else came on the ride!
WORD GAMES
Where are you going?
In this variation of the old favourite language game, children are encouraged to think about the sound structure of words. Ask a partner the following questions.
Questions Possible responses
1. Where are you going on your holiday? London
2. How long will you stay there? 2 years (London has 2 syllables)
3. How will you get there? Light aeroplane
4. What will you do there? learn the violin and look at the Queen
(2 examples both starting with 'l')
Silly Sentences
Use a number of the following words to create a silly headline or short story. You may add prefixes or endings to the words.
giraffe, ring, strange, talkl, huge, telephone, bike, office, with dentist, happy, carry.
For example: Unhappy dentist rings giraffe on huge telephone.
Creative Collective Nouns
There are some familiar ways to describe a collection of objects, people or animals - e.g. a flock of sheep, a herd of cattle or a swarm of bees.
Try to think of some interesting feature of the item which could be used to help describe a group of the following: e.g.penguins - a waddle of penguins , elephants - a lumber of elephants
raindrops
jokes
children
shoes
keys
babies
Would you rather be?
Think of the following choices. Which would you rather? Give your reasons.
Would you rather be a lonely astronaut or a hungry lion?
Would you rather be a circus clown or a fireman?
Would you rather be at the dentist or caught in a traffic jam?
Would you rather be lost in the forest or lost at the Royal Show?
Would you rather have ants in your pants or wear smelly socks?
NEWSFLASH!!
Paddy has some bad news about one of his friends. Can you help?
This is the place to come to for some light-hearted fun with language.
Paddy Goes on Holiday
Click here to access a free Paddy photograph and language activities.
A Diary For Paddy
When Paddy the bear goes home with one of the children in the class also send along Paddy's diary. The children can then write (or dictate to a parent helper) about his time away. This should be done from Paddy's perspective. Either in another book or incorporated into the diary collect "memorabilia" to remind Paddy of where he went and what he did. For example - a movie ticket, a party hat, a chocolate wrapper.
When Paddy returns to school both the diary and the memorabilia will serve as prompts for the child to then recount the happenings of the weekend when Paddy came home with them.
Paddy's memorabilia will trigger memories and help children to recall and express themselves about events not shared by the rest of the class. In other words they will help to bridge the gap between the "there and then" and the "here and now" of conversation about current and shared events.
Let's Talk
Similarly, objects can act as triggers of memories and discussion. In our book 'Time for Talking' in the Recounting and Reporting section there is an activity called Just in Case.
Into a case place about 7 objects. Include objects that will -
- stimulate stories from their 'babyhood' e.g. a bootie,
- "call out" to be noticed e.g. a dog's lead that has been broken
- encourage revision of some point in class discussion e.g. a bottle of sun cream
Other objects may be put in the case because you find them appealing or unusual. You will be surprised where the objects will take you in discussion. There is no 'right' thing to say about them. They merely serve as a trigger for the child's memory and the desire to communicate a "story" from their life experiences.
Change the objects in the case, but not all of them at the same time - perhaps replacing 3 objects each week.
Things aren't what they seem Much of the English language sounds strange if you take the meaning literally. Young children, particularly those who are learning English as a second language, take considerable time to understand the more abstract meaning of words and phrases.
By drawing or demonstrating the concrete meaning of the following sayings, as well as explaining and using in context their real meaning, you will promote children's understanding - and have fun!
Pull up your socks.
Kill two birds with the one stone.
Raining cats and dogs.
Pick your brains.
On the tip of my tongue.
Keep your ear to the ground.
It's just what the doctor ordered.
Butterflies in your stomach.
Hit the nail on the head.
Let off steam.
Jokes Telling and understanding of jokes forms an important part of children's social interactions. These jokes achieve their humour because the reader or listener appreciates the "double meaning" of a key word. Such jokes help children develop flexibility with language. Some children become fixed on a single meaning of a word and so don't "get" the joke. E.g. a shoe is only footwear worn by a person. Try the following jokes and if needed explain the joke through role-play or illustration. E.g. The horse in bed with shoes on, or by drawing a horse-shoe.
1. Why are vampires welcome in blood banks?
2. What animal goes to bed with its shoes on?
3. Why aren't turkeys ever invited to dinner parties?
4. What do you call a man with very short hair.
5. Who gets the sack every time he goes to work?
Answers:
1. Because they only make withdrawals.
2. A horse.
3. Because they use fowl language.
4. Sean
5. A postman.
Storytelling Paddy loves to read stories and make up stories of his own. Perhaps you could use this "story starter" to help create a story about Paddy.
"One day Paddy woke up in his bed and he felt sick. He wanted to go to school because his class were having a concert. He climbed out of bed slowly and went to the bathroom. What a shock! He looked in the mirror and ."
Send your responses to info@loveandreilly.com.au
Rhyme Rhyme can be an enjoyable 'added dimension' to a general topic such as cooking in Paddy's Language Pack: Photo no1.
Paddy needed the following items. Can you brainstorm rhyming words for each item.
Group 1. book, egg, jug, tin, spoon, cake
Group 2. flour, scales, milk, stir
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