Progress in Writing Year 3 to Year 6

Just recently colleagues have been sending me examples of  written work from children who are Year 3 beginner language learners, children who are moving on and are mid way through Year 4 or Year 5 (so with one and half to two and half years of target language learning) and from children who are now in their fourth year of learning a foreign language- Year 6.

The DfE MFL POS asks teachers and schools to set as one of their aims that children learning a language can :

Can write at varying length and for different purposes and audiences,using grammatical structures they  have learnt

As a practitioner it is a joy to look at these examples of target language writing.The joy is in the primary approach to target language writing and the fact that all the children are contributing to the writing.As an education consultant it is a marvelous way to reflect on what real teachers in real classrooms across a range of primary schools are achieving with their young learners.(I am preparing for a CPD session with primary language coordinators to look at how we ensure progress across four skills and so this blog post is also a way of creating a visual record of what this progress looks like. We will be sharing,discussing and  assessing such examples at the CPD .You can find out more here if you are interested in attending Ensuring Primary Progress 19 March 2015- it's part of the DFE WTSA/JLN project Language Learning for Everyone). 

Within our network we have been considering for the last two years how to assess the progress of the skills of our young language learners to try and offer secondary education something tangible as data on entry in to Year 7.We are linking our skill descriptors to the CEF (Common European Framework).You may want to consider the descriptors for Writing here as you look at the real examples I am sharing below.I think that the examples give us evidence that demonstrates progression towards and in several instances into B1 in Y6 after 4 years of language learning.(From the examples I am shown teachers are able to achieve A2 with most children by Y6)

Writing (CEF)
A1: I can write a short simple postcard for example sending holiday greetings, gill in a form with personal details.....

A2:I can write a short simple notes and messages....I can write a very simple personal letter.....

B1: I can write simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest.I can write personal letters describing experiences and impressions 

As we are also working with the DFE KS2 POS learning objectives I have mentioned the appropriate learning objective too that the children have been exploring ,whilst producing their written work.

Super heroes!
In Year 3 the children create display with personal information about themselves. The children are supported with a template that means they are adding information to a formular:

 and as the children move in to Year 4 we now have evidence that at the start of Year 4, the children can "write phrases from memory" (DFE POS LO) 

Making guessing games

In Year 3 children who have been learning a language for five months are now beginning to write phrases and independently in the target language. The children here have made a guessing game-  to see if you can find the three animals mixed in to one animal. they have been practising using the question "Qu'est-ce que c'est?" in French.They have been "linking spelling and sound" (DFE POS LO) of a challenging phrase to write down.

  

Giving opinions and agreeing adjectives

With the children who are moving on in their target language learning and have been progressing through a learning programme based on or loosely following our JLN SOW, we have evidence of children who can "understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied" (DFE POS LO).In this short piece written as display work to celebrate children's work last half term on fruits and opinions ,w e can see accurate adjectival agreement and the use of a negative first person singular present tense verb.This is a very accurate example but all the pieces I saw demonstrated children working toward a good understanding of the change in spelling of adjectives and the position of adjectives with nouns in French.

Writing  using reference materials

Primary colleagues are keen to use bilingual dictionaries and reference materials with their classes and are trying to introduce the use of these from Y3 onwards. Here is an example of how one child in Year 6 has been adding "uplevelling" in Spanish what he writes so that it is a truthful description of himself.Notice the three phrases he has found an wants to add at the top of his piece of writing.....He is trying to "broaden...vocabulary and develop ability to understand new words ....including through using a dictionary" (DFE POS LO) 

Alice in Wonderland and three levels of writing in Year 6!

I recently wrote a blog post about Alice in Wonderland and one of my colleagues tried out the writing activities in the blog with her advanced learners - a Year 6 Spanish class.She sent me lots of examples of work and I have selected three to share.They demonstrate the natural curve we might expect in these learners- one piece working at A1 , one piece a secure A2 and one child potentially on the cusp/one piece entering into B1 on the CEF. What is wonderful is that all the children are writing in the target language and being creative too! They are all engaged in "describing people,places,things and actions" (DFE POs LO)

Six Characters in Search of an Author

At University I was a member of Theatre Group and one of my most memorable productions was Six Characters in Search of an author by Pirandello.
(Six characters arrive at a theatre - each in turn melodramatic but with a story to tell , which in turn is part of a whole story......It is theatre within theatre. They are looking for a producer to tell their story.)

In its simplest from this can allow us to explore all 4 skills of language learning, to encourage accurate use of grammar and punctuation and to develop pronunciation, intonation and emotion in spoken language.

The activities below can be used with UKS2,KS3, KS4 and KS5 language learners.the task set by the teacher can challenge the language learners at the level they can operate in the target language.

(You will need an equal number of groups - so that one group can swap work with a second group and then the two groups can come back together and share their work with each other)

1. Share the idea of mystery characters with the class. Explain how these mystery characters want to tell their story and need a producer to help them put together their story.Can the class help you to write and perform the introductory utterances for the characters? 
2. Share with the class a picture stimulus. This could be with a mystery picture as above or allow the class to think of characters for themselves.With younger learners maybe we could look at characters we have been  exploring in story ,history etc (pirates.Romans, Kings and Queens, a family from a different time period etc).with older learners maybe we want to link the characters to our investigations of characters we meet in target language poetry and literature. 
3. Working in groups of six , ask each member of the group to focus on one particular character and to imagine how they might think, look and act (brave, bold, timid, angry, happy, young , old, role in the group).
4. Depending on the language level and skills of your pupils decide what types of sentences you want the pupils to create as utterances spoken by the characters - so for example with UKS2 and Y7 learners we would want them to write spoken utterances based on : name, age,preferences and personality.With more advanced learners you may want opinions and  personal past history or future hopes.
5. The pupils must write out their spoken utterances on a strip of paper or card. Each card from the group is gathered together and passed over to a second group.These two groups are now partner groups for the rest of the activities.
6. The second group of six children must now read the utterances as a team and decide which character might say the utterances. 
7. Now this second team must create a spoken dramatic performance as an introduction to the characters as if they were on set and speaking with the producer.They have to bring the utterances they have read to life.
8. The second group should then act out their introduction performances and vice versa. What do the original authors of the characters' utterances think about the characters as they have been brought to life by the second group? 
9. Finally can the original group that wrote the utterances , take back the characters and create a story board about each of the characters reflecting how the personality was brought to life by the second group? 

Adding Drama to Language Learning

Drama and Language Learning and reasons to explore language through performance

The aims of the new DFE POS for languages encourages us in both KS2 and KS3 to develop learners who can :

• Understand and respond to spoken and written languages from a variety of authentic sources
• Speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity,finding ways to communicate what...want to say
• Write at varying length for different purposes and audiences,using the variety of grammatical structures they have learnt
• Discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied

During this session at Ililc 2015 I intend to look at how we can develop communication skills in language learners from KS1,KS2 and KS3 and provide learners with a vehicle of self expression and creativity adding drama to language learning.I hope also to suggest APPS and use of IT to enhance the drama/language learning process and outcomes along the way too.

Drama and dramatic devices used in language learning promote:

• Better and more confident communication skills
• Inclusive participation
• Team work and appreciation of each others' creativity and performance
• An understanding of why intonation and pronunciation matter and how these can enhance character and covey meaning and emotion.
• Importance of the links between dialogue and actions to convey meaning
• Platforms upon which to develop independent creative writing
• Understanding of the importance of punctuation and accuracy in the choice and use of written language.
• Deeper and more creative understanding of text
• A purposeful reason to explore the skills of memorisation and  tools to support the recall of language

Early language learning

1. Voice Machines - sounds of the language and our voice machines (Audio Boom to capture those sounds!)
2. Sunflower song active learning of simple language- numbers 1-10 linked to Springtime and growing plants. (Story Creator to capture the sunflowers growing taller and taller)
3. Colour mimes and word association .Practising new language and finding ways to remember the sound and feel of new language. (Yakiyt for Kids)
4. Stretchy sound and letter string balloons  (Audio Boom balloons) 

Exploring instructions and simple language. 

1. Parts of the body and puppeteers - listening, responding.
2. Using Educreations APP to generate physical performance
3. Mirror mirror on the wall (Step Five )
4. Creative spoken language
5. Flowing mime machines with rhythm and beat accompaniment and spoken word.

Asking and answering questions,speaking in full sentences and engaging in conversation

1. Paper Puppets
2. Superstar sketches.
3. Puppet Pals APP to bring our conversations to life
4. "Fancy dress" Quiz Quiz Swap (I-FunFace APP)
5. Stage set triaramas  with cultural speaking and writing attitude .Use of I-nigma APP to create spoken speech bubbles for the characters.

Now let's get dramatic!

1. If a picture paints a 1000 words Anticipation Emotions displays (FotoBooth1 to generate our own emotions and feelings)
2. Silent Movies , back stories and a taste of great literature (Capture the performance on Camcorders and IPads)'
3. Going on an Autumn walk with poetry
4. "Six characters in search of an author performance  and  a PicCollage to create Story Boards written outcome.
5. 3D Art (Tiny Tap APP) (stage one, stage two, stage three.)

World Book Day and a celebration of languages and literacy!

World Book Day allows us a language teachers to open the window on languages and share with the children how language is a vehicle through which we can tell stories and encourage imaginative  communication.
This year we are focusing on three of the World Book Day 2015 themes: 
Elmer : Elmer Explorers
Pirates : Pirates ahoy!
Dennis the Menace : Dennis the Menace concertina characters


In previous years we have explored fairy tales,listened to and performed familiar texts such as the Hungry Caterpillar in different languages and  encouraged our local schools to invite people from the wider community in to school to read stories in other languages.

Last year,some of us explored this wonderful book :"Vive les livres",which exists in German and Spanish too!
Here is the blog post from last year:

Long Live Books !






Some other ideas to explore books and stories.........

You may want to explore other themes and stories so I thought I would pop here in the blog post links to blog posts I have written about "story telling and writing" and looking at books - both fiction and non fiction! 

We have recently been exploring "describing people in writing" and linking our UKS2 language work with Alice in Wonderland - to great effect!
Alice in Wonderland

We are exploring stretchy word carnival balloons- and this idea was inspired by Mick Inkpen's "Blue Balloon" stretchy balloon.
Great way to link a story in English with language work in another language 









We love taking KS1 on a "Bear Hunt" and here is the example of the rhyme and game  in Spanish that we adapt and use in French and German too! Everyone loves this one!
Going on a Bear Hunt rhyme and game

Here's an idea to use shadow puppets to retell in a very simple way using familiar stories- in this instance-  Goldilocks and the Three Bears .Goldilocks and the Three Bears shadow puppet show

"Toujours rien" is a book I love and a great way to talk about Springtime and growing things .Here's my blog post from last year .Springtime and growing plants

Maybe you have some target language non-fiction books on your shelves - like I do.The Noune" story above is available in lots of languages.Perhaps you could explore these in language learning.

Here are my thoughts about how we can explore non-fiction with UKS2 more advanced language learners non fiction in the target language and making language learning links

Or maybe finally you want to create your own "target language book shop window"....  writing full sentences  demonstrating understanding of basic grammar at the same time! Hope this blog post can help you..... Nouns, adjectives and verbs to create our own book covers and book shop window

Any Word X Word APP and bilingual dictionary practise

I have recently tried out Alan Peat's Any Word XWord  APPs in French,Spanish and German.It exists in other languages too.

I found that it was  really simple and easy to use and a game that could be played in pairs, tables or individually by all stages of language learner.

What I like, is the immediate freedom and challenge it gives a young primary beginner language learner.The learner has to think for his/herself and for example think of three letter target language words they may know and try to fit them in to their own puzzle.If the learner forgets the accents the game prompts you - as the word isn't accepted until correct.You can play against other children too - to add competition.There is an option to keep a record too.

As always I think we could take it further...... and make it a useful learning tool when exploring  how to use bilingual dictionaries.

Here are my ideas ......

The APP could allow us to investigate bilingual dictionaries.....

1. Game One: Working in pairs ,Partner A says the word he/she wants to write and Partner B has to find the word in the bilingual dictionary (even if the meaning is already known) .Both partners need to check spelling before Partner A is  allowed  to write it down on the APP crossword board.They then  swap roles and move on to find the next word that will fit on the crossword board.
2.  Game Two: Working with a partner- Partner A locates a word in the bilingual dictionary and writes it on a mini whiteboard.Partner B must try to apply sound -spelling knowledge to say the word and try also to remember or work out its possible meaning.The meaning needs to be checked in the dictionary before the work can be added to the puzzle.The children then swap roles.
3. Game Three:Working in pairs , Partner A locates a word in the bilingual dictionary and Partner B must find out something grammatical about this word- is it a verb (is it a reflexive verb?) /noun/ adjectives.Is it masculine/ feminine or neuter? Now Partner B can add the word to the puzzle.
4. Game Four: Two pairs working together, can both pairs complete a simple level one board and then share the board with the other pair.The second pair must look up the words in the bilingual dictionary and write them out on rough paper with grammatical information included e.g noun, masculine , feminine , neuter etc , adjective, noun.The second pair must now try to write complete sentences that contain some of the words.This could be a sequence of sentences or one sentences using several of the words.

Active conjunctions

Thanks to Vicky Bruff on Facebook for sharing with us this picture of an activity from Teaching Ideas
It is a very simple and effective way of explaining visually the use of link words in sentences.

I am currently working with the wonderful Julie Prince on ways to make grammar in primary foreign languages "active and kinaesthetic" plus how we can link the activities to learning objectives from the DFE KS2 POS. 

The picture inspired a really simple "active grammar" learning idea that could be so effective!

In this activity I am concentrating on conjunctions (connectives ) to link two sentences together to  make a more complex primary foreign language sentence.

In doing this we could explore with the children one or more of the following DFE POS KS2 learning objectives:

• speak in sentences,using familiar vocabulary,phrases and basic language structures
• read carefully and show understanding of words,phrases and simple writing 
• broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words
• understand basic grammar .....how to build sentences

What's the idea?

Well just as you probably already do,ask the children to draft write simple sentences on mini white boards that are linked to the content you are currently covering .Effective contexts for this activity may be: the market, describing a monster, clothes, the weather ........

e.g. here are some fruit examples.....

les pommes sont rouges

les bananes sont grandes et jaunes

moi j'adore les raisins

moi j'aime les oranges

First activity

1. Ask the children to write a simple sentence using language content you have been practising with them.
2. Ask the children to share their sentence with a partner and take turns to proof read each of the sentences.
3. Ask the children to write the sentence on to a strip of paper or card- large enough for other people to be able to read from a distance.
4. Stand the children in a circle with the sentences on card facing in to the circle.
5. Take it in turns for each child to read out their sentence still holding the card facing toward the other children in the circle.
6. Share with the children your conjunction cards.You can decide which are appropriate conjunctions for this activity- but I suggest that you have at least 5 options.
7. Place the conjunction cards in the middle of the circle .
8. Check with the children that they are confident about the meaning of the conjunctions and how to pronounce the words.I would play a "sounds like game" here.Can they make the word sound like the job the conjunction does in the sentence e.g contradicts/ joins together/offers another option etc....
9. Invite a child to read out his/her sentence and to select a conjunction ,pick it up from the floor and walk over to  a second child and ask him/her to read out his/her  sentence.Now ask the two children to stand in the middle of the circle and say the whole new complex sentence together. 
10. Repeat the activity with two more children and a new selected conjunction.
11. How many sentences can the children write independently when they return to their tables that include a conjunction to connect two sentences together?  

Second Activity

1. Blu-tac the conjunctions to the whiteboard or flip chart so they are visible to all the children .
2. Play the "Sounds like" game" from above.This time though ask the class to say for you a conjunction that "contradicts" or "joins together" etc- do they all select the same conjunction?
3. Divide the children in to groups of four.
4. Can they connect each of their sentences to the other sentences using some of the conjunctions they can see on the board? They can not use the same conjunction twice in a row.
5. Ask the children to write their "long" sentence containing conjunctions out on a mini whiteboard.
6. Ask the children to practise speaking their sentence together.Can they remember how to say their complex sentence without looking at the written word?Ask them to add actions to help them with this.
7. They must create a spoken performance of the class to include actions and a connecting movement  and "sounds like" performance of the conjunctions between clauses so that each of the original sentences flows via a conjunction on to the next sentence.
8. Ask each group to perform their complex sentence for the class

Reading and Writing in the Primary Foreign Language

Yesterday I delivered an afternoon of CPD based around reading and writing in primary foreign languages.
The CPD was based around DfE KS2 POS Learning Objectives:

First of all we explored how all four skills (listening,speaking,reading and writing) are interconnected and support the development of each of the other skills.
This was a light bulb moment for some of the delegates and led to group discussion about how much,when,what to introduce in different skill areas.

During the CPD we considered  these objectives from the KS2 POS specifically:

• Explore the patterns and sounds of the language and show understanding by joining in and responding.
• Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing.
• Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language.
• Broaden their vocabulary and develop the ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written materials, including using a dictionary
• Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
• Understand basic grammar……….how to apply these, for instance  to build sentences.

The highlighted key words and phrases helped us to discuss and explore the links across skills (so for example "show understanding of words"  can be explored,practised and  demonstrated across all four skills). 

Consideration One 
 We considered how the four skills can be interlinked right from an early start using some of the activities here in this blog post Stretchy sound and letter balloon .All linked to this learning objective

• Explore the patterns and sounds of the language and show understanding by joining in and responding.

And we discussed how the development of this skill is always important to the linguist no matter what level of language they may be able to operate with.We looked at how the types of activities here could be adapted for different stages of learning and new content/contexts.

Consideration Two
Our next consideration was the use of bilingual dictionaries and the teachers discussed ways they might introduce dictionaries for the first time to young learners and the suitability of certain types of dictionaries and pictionaries for different children.

• Take some time to look at alphabetical order and play some alphabet sorting games
• Pop a variety of dictionaries from different languages in a basket in the reading area perhaps including home languages of children in the class or school 
• Let the children explore the"mystery" book on their tables with no information or clues.What do they think it is? How does it seem to be organised etc?

We discussed how bilingual dictionaries can play such a key role in  language learning across all types of activities and how children need to see the resource as a valuable language learning tool which they will use and refer to often .

This led to discussion of the use of simple pictionaries with younger children, the use of junior dictionaries with KS2 children and the introduction of more detailed dictionaries with Year 6 UKS2. 

I was really impressed by the way the teachers wanted to explore how the language was presented in the junior dictionaries, the colour -coding and the way that examples supported or could potentially  confuse the young learners.
We decided that 15 bilingual dictionaries could be sufficient for a class activity (pairs for example) and that schools could have a signing in and out process on the staff room so that the dictionaries could be booked in and out. Most of the teachers felt 30 copies would suffice across KS2 (Y3/4 and Y5/6 split).

We considered  the activities here in this blog post as introductory activities or 10 minute revisit activities to familiarise the children with how to use a bilingual dictionary.

Bilingual Dictionary Wizards

And the teachers tried out the sequence of activities that they could take back in to school and link using a bilingual dictionary to the exploration of nouns

I spy nouns

Really importantly we identified that bilingual dictionaries are not just to 

• "broaden ... vocabulary and develop the ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written materials, including using a dictionary".

Bilingual dictionaries could become an integral available resource whatever the language learning taking place and we considered how we may use the dictionaries in any of the objectives being considered in the CPD session.

Consideration Three
Our next step was to explore this learning objective:

• Read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing

and to do this we looked at how the learning objective can be a driver for a series of activities that are very "primary" and "age appropriate" linking language learning across the curriculum.

We explored: the activities in this blog post .What is important to understand is that the activities are not just linked to the context and content described in the blog post but that the type of activities and stages of learning can be lifted and used in other contexts and with other content.We were able to identify the progression and deeper learning that potentially is taking place and how all four skills are interlinked and support development in of the other skills.

Consideration Four

We looked  at the learning objective below from the immediately obvious viewpoint of authentic books, rhymes and songs for young children and how they bring " authenticity and colour" in to the language learning classroom.

Appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language.

I shared a range of materials that could be used as a  resource to listen to or read for pleasure, maybe because the resource links to the content being practised or also because it allows the teacher  to explore and reinforce another curriculum focus but in a foreign language. We thought about how we could create our own mini versions of books and create written sentences about characters and link our reading in a foreign language to World Book Day for example. Here are three examples we discussed: 

Elmer explorers

Dennis the Menace

World Book Day Long Live Books

We also looked at how poetry could be a resource to support literacy and creating written images ,an example of this is here in the blog post on a French authentic poem which allows us to engage with French poem painting of a Summer's Day.
Familiar nursery rhymes can be used as a listening and reading resource to link all four skills together.Here in this blog post Dame Tartine we are able to link phonics,listening,joining in,speaking,singing, reading writing, APPs and DT!  I felt that this was really important to consider this as some colleagues were uncertain as to how in short limited language learning time all skills and progression could be catered for .Here  in Dame Tartine is just one example of how this can be planned and catered for over a series of lessons and week.

Consideration Five
And finally we were able to bring all our considerations together and look at how if we focus on developing progression in the other four considerations we can work toward Year 6 learners in their fourth formal year of learning becoming competent writers in the target language, who are able to .....

• Describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing
• Understand basic grammar……….how to apply these, for instance  to build sentences.

Perhaps by looking for real writing opportunities that link across the curriculum then the writing has a dynamic purpose ?

Here is one recent topical example that some of my colleagues are working on: 

Alice in Wonderland

Beginning with languages blog 5

Across our network we work with schools who are all at different stages of setting up and delivering primary language learning and each year we welcome new schools who want to set off on their own individual school's language learning journey.

This year these specific "Beginning with languages " blogs will try to offer "bite size chunks" of indirect help and support to schools, who are doing exactly that .... just setting off and implementing  a language learning curriculum .

Take a look back at"beginning with languages" blogs one,two ,three and four .

Your checklists so far have been:

Sept - Oct ,(first half term) Checklist

• It's all about establishing a whole school support system for all your staff
• It's about small steps and simple language learning
• It's about children and staff beginning to enjoy language learning

Mid October (end of the first half term), an additional new checklist bullet point!

• So how are you all getting on? How do you know that primary languages are being implemented in all the classes and are the teachers and children having fun in their learning? 

November (moving in to the second half term of language learning),we added a couple of new challenges to your checklist!

• How successfully have you been able to build in "revisiting" opportunities to build the children and staff's confidence with the language you introduced last half term? 
• Are you introducing,revisiting and re-using familiar games with familiar and unfamiliar language for example (e.g Bingo or Splat or maybe a game of Quiz Quiz Swap?)
• Have you encouraged all staff to practise key language using sound files and songs?
• Can all staff and children practise and learn a Christmas song or carol in the target language? (In beginning with languages blog three you can find links to You ~tube clips of a Christmas song lin French, Spanish and German

December-January (moving forward) your checklist was to: 

• Did all your staff  try out a simple listening and speaking Christmas activity based on a Christmas  song?
• Have staff considered and been able to identify the links between activities we may use in KS1 when encouraging children to read and KS2 beginners language learning (sound-spelling links and activities)?
• Are KS2 staff building opportunities  in to activities in the New Year  to help learners to  "broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words ...."- Are staff in KS2  exploring nouns with their KS2 foreign language learners? 

And now we are in February ......

• Reflection time for yourself as coordinator .Half way through the academic year reflection time for yourself as coordinator is needed: By now the school should be delivering some sequences of lessons and supporting each other to do so .This blog report Getting learning right  (from the start) may help you as the subject coordinator to consider and identify next steps in building a language learning environment that is supportive across the whole of KS2

• Ask your teachers to think of ways they can develop lessons that encourage children to explore simple "role play " in their lessons.This blog post may help you to forward plan Exploring role play  and see how we move from "asking and answering questions" to "engaging in conversations" and how this development takes time. These role play ideas will support staff to find simple ways to plan for role play activities with their classes:

Paper puppets with a purpose - asking and answering simple questions

Changing faces and Pop Art - UKS2 creative approach to basic personal information questions and answers

Totem Pole prompt sticks to help children stage their conversation building

3D Art and practising personal information spoken sentences

Who lives here? Pictures as prompts to create simple imaginative dialogues language

• Continue to plan foreign language learning as an integral part of the school calendar.Coming up this month and at the start of March are Carnival and World Book day

• Plan for a whole school celebration on World Book Day of simple language the children have learnt( greetings , personal information questions and answers, colours, learning a song in a foreign language, listening and responding ) and add a touch of writing and recording this simple language by making mini books. In this blog post there are ideas based around "Elmer the Elephant ", one of the selected books for World Book Day in 2015.Elmer explorers -listening ,speaking and writing

• Encourage staff to celebrate the culture of the target language country.Carnival is one of the best ways to engage the whole school and to introduce some language and culture in KS1 too.Look at these simple ways that you can link foreign language learning to other areas of the curriculum and continue to explore the Learning Objectives in the DfE KS2 PoS during carnival celebrations

Carnival:

Exploring the music of Saint Saens and the carnival of animals

Here is the opportunity to teach a sequence of lessons based on the nouns for animals and link language learning to Art/DT/Music/ICT and Drama

Stretchy sound and letter balloons

Here is an opportunity to continue to explore sound- spelling links and create your own strechy colourful carnival balloons too

Read carefully and understand words,phrases and simple sentences based on fancy dress

Here is an opportunity to begin to introduce the skill of reading and explore the DfE KS2 POS objective of "reading carefully and understanding words".If you are attending our local network meetings then you can access all the resources you need to deliver this activity in French and Spanish here Training Resources