IntroductionNo Pens Day Wednesday lesson plans and activity templates have been created by specialist teachers and speech and language therapists and quality assured by practising mainstream teachers.

Activity templates In addition to lesson plans, we’ve provided activity templates, which are more generic and can be adapted to any lesson. These give some information about the activity and how it can be implemented, highlighting any resources / links that might be useful to support that activity. These activities can be used within any element of a lesson - as a starter activity, main activity, plenary or as methods of recording learning. See also separate guidance on ways of recording without using pens (available on www.hello.org.uk/no-pens-day-wednesday).

Lesson plans These were developed by taking example plans for September from one school’s planning as a starting point (separate download on www.hello.org.uk/no-pens-day-wednesday). As all schools will be covering different topics and have different ways of planning, the lesson plans provide an example for schools to adapt, though they can be used as they are if this fits in with your planning.

Lesson plans aim to follow good practice principles; e.g.

They identify explicit learning objectives Support use of questioning, using Blooms taxonomy, to support learning Include plenary sessions that encourage pupils to reflect on their learning through assessment for learning strategies

Some lessons include reflection on how the “no pens” theme of the day has affected learning. This could be a discussion you could have in any lesson in order to gather pupils’ views on how an emphasis on talk in the classroom has impacted on their learning and enjoyment of lessons.

Each lesson plan also has key vocabulary identified, signposting to the vocabulary section of the activity templates. Vocabulary is key to all pupils, particularly those whose language is not at an age appropriate level or pupils learning English as an additional language. Teaching vocabulary explicitly as part of the lesson, using tried and tested strategies can make a significant difference to these pupils in particular.

A speaking and listening objective has also been identified for each lesson. Some have been taken from QCA guidelines, whilst others have been taken from our Universally Speaking guides (available to download and order for free from www.hello.org.uk/resources), which track language development throughout the primary years.

Plans are available for every lesson in primary school across the year groups.

What?

Think, pair, shareHow?The teacher asks a question, sets a challenge or asks for a response The pupil think alone for a specified time – 1 minuteThe pupils form pairs to discuss their thinkingSome pupils may be asked to share ideas with the class

Why?A cognitive rehearsal structure can be used to help pupils:

recall events make a summary stimulate thinking share responses, feelings and ideas

Resources

What?

Speaking and Listening - rights and responsibilities

How?Teachers and other adults model behaviours that are expected when people speak and listen to each otherThey refer explicitly to such behaviours and offer specific praise

Why?To help promote and establish effective speaking and listening skills

Resources

What?

Round Robin How?In a circle activity pupils give their opinions, thoughts and ideas verbally around the circle or groupAll pupils contribute

Why?All contributions are valuedLess able pupils benefit from hearing opinions, thought and ideas modelled by their peers and from hearing vocabulary modelled

ResourcesObject to hold while speaking - optional

What?

Debate How?Children take a particular point of view in a structured activity and try to persuade others to agree to their point of view. They are encouraged to develop their arguments and reasons and present their ideas either individually or as a group. Use blooms taxonomy of questions to encourage deeper thinking

Why?Build persuasive language skills

Resources

What?

Jigsaw activity How?Group pupils in ‘expert’ groups. Each pupil in the expert group is assigned a numberThe expert groups work together on a research, study or planning task. The pupils are then re-grouped according to number (all 1s, 2s, 3s, etc) and each ‘expert’ then shares with the group what has been learned

Why?Pupils become expert in different aspects of a topicThey develop their communication skills in sharing their expertise

Resources

What?

Stimulating sensory materials How?Use paintings, artefacts, photographs, video clips, interesting objects, tactile objects, sound effects as a starting point for discussion or questioning. E.g. – what is that sound, who/what is making it, why?

Why?Provides a context for talk

ResourcesPaintings, artefacts, photographs, video clips, interesting objects, tactile objects, sound effects. Pictures, video and sound files are easily sourced from the web

What?

Word magicHow?Communication Cookbook template for vocabulary learning, Similar to Word map

Why?Word storage and retrieval is supported when associations are made

ResourcesWord magic template below, taken from I CAN’s Communication Cookbook, available from www.ican.org.uk/cookbook

What?

Verbal Ping PongHow?With partner – take it in turns to say words on a given topic, or in a given category, e.g. – World War 1, water, verbs, animals – or to build a story. If you miss a turn or say a word not in the category, you must start again with a new “serve”. You can play this as a competition between groups or pairs of pupils

Why?Provides a structure for vocabulary activities; provides an opportunity for children to hear vocabulary modelled. Practise activity for verbal fluency.

Resources

What?

Hot SeatingHow?One pupil takes on a role or character – in a play, a text, a time frame (historical figure) or scenario (social situation, an environmental protester, a refugee, a bullied child). Other pupils interview or ask questions of the character and the pupil in role has to try to answer thequestions from the character’s perspective

Why?Empathy, perspectives

Resources

What?

Just a MinuteHow?Like the radio programme of the same name pupils are asked to attempt to talk on a given subject for a minute without, hesitation, repetition, deviationChallenging – not appropriate for younger children

Why?Sustained talk, focus on subject area

ResourcesTimer, buzzer or bell

What?

Conscience AlleyHow?One child pupil in role as a particular character walks between 2 lines formed by the rest of the class. These pupils call out the thoughts for and against a particular decision or action (pros and cons)Can be used in context of drama or for a historical figure (a decision to go to war, to seek divorce, abdicate the throne, etc) as well as for characters in literature

Why?To help pupils explore a character’s thoughts at a moment of crisis or decision

Resources

What?

PodcastHow?Short audio broadcast about the outcome of an experiment, research, what we have learned, questions I might ask

Why?An alternative mean of recording

ResourcesDigital voice recorder or video recorderA talk frame will help to structure and guide the content of the broadcast

What?

Talk frame How?

Bullet points to talk to A series of visual prompts to talk to Key words as an aide memoire A talk frame app

Why?Helps to structure and guide the content oral report

ResourcesTalk frame can be word based, concrete objects, app based, cue cards, key word flash cards, etc

What?

Barrier games How?Pupils sit back to back or with screen between. One gives instructions to the other – e.g. To complete a picture or puzzle, how to perform a calculation, make a model, perform an action – the other listens and follows the instruction. If pupil A is working from a model then they can compare resultsBattleships would be an example of a barrier game

Why?Giving and receiving instructions; explicit expression; active listening

ResourcesDependent on task

What?

Statements game How?Pupils are give cards with statements written on them. They have to place them in order of importance or relevance, creating a triangle or diamond (diamond ranking) shape where several statements are of equal importance

Why?Communication skills (finding out about all the statements), negotiation skills, sequencing skills

ResourcesStatements cards

What?

EnvoysHow?An envoy is elected from each group; after initial discussion the envoy from each group moves on in turn to other groups to share/explain what

his/her group found out

Why?Avoids lengthy feedback from a series of groups; places expectations on the envoys to ask questions, clarify understanding during the group discussion

Resources

What?

Freeze frame How?In a role play or drama activity the action is stopped and ‘freeze framed’. Pupils in role need to pay attention to their body language, attitude, expressionOthers can ask – what are you thinking/feeling?Alternatively a freeze frame can be a one off tableau to illustrate a key event or scenario. Pupils are asked to represent key characters at a significant moment

Why?Help pupils to focus closely on significant moments, interplay of emotions, etc.

Resources

What?

Snowball How?Pupils discuss a particular issue/topic or question in pairs. Pairs join into 4s to share their ideas. Groups join together gradually to form larger groups to share ideas

Why?Smaller groups help pupils with less confidence or weaker language skillsSnowball activities are useful to deal with controversial issues and ideas

ResourcesTalk frame can be word based, concrete objects, app based, cue cards, key word flash cards, etc

What?

ImprovisationHow?Pupils are given a topic in pairs or small groups and – on cue – begin making up a conversation as they go along

Why?Needs good active listening skills to pay attention to what is being said and follow on appropriately.

Resources

What?

Big mikeHow?Children speak into a toy microphone when speaking in front of the class

Why?Focuses attention on performance talk

ResourcesToy microphone – various suppliers

What?

SpotlightHow?Children stand in a ‘spotlight’ or on a ‘spotlight’ spot / dais / plinth / soapbox when speaking in front of the class

Why?Focuses attention on performance talk

Resources‘spotlight’ spot / dais / plinth / soapbox

What?

Information gap activities How?Pupils cooperate to complete a task by obtaining missing information. For example, 2 pupils may have similar pictures but with different items missing. By describing, discussing and listening closely they cooperate to both complete their pictures

Why? The activity provides a structured way of practising active listening, and good expressive language skills

ResourcesDependent on task

What?

The answer is…………What is the question?

How?In a variety of contexts and subject areas, give individuals, pairs or groups answers and ask them to work out a question that can match it. E.g. – The answer is 67, what is the question?- The answer is ‘elbow’ – what is the question?- The answer is ‘evaporation’ – what is the question?- The answer is 10.44pm - what is the question?

Why?Provides a structured focus for communication activities, think/pair/share, rainbow activities

Resources

What?

Thinking cards How?Use the statements on ‘thinking cards’ to stimulate a conversation in pairs or small groups, for think/pair/share activities, response tasks, development of thinking skills and questioning skills, or as writing starters

Why?Provide a structured focus for development of thinking skills, questioning skills,

ResourcesThinking cards ideas, collated from many contributors, are freely available

communication skills on TES resources (author – The Solihull Grid)

What?

Things to do with a………. How?Ask children to think of things to do with common objects – e.g. ‘10 things to do with a brick’, or invent new purposes for objects – e.g. a lolly stick is a label, a bookmark, a glue stick

Why?Provide a structured focus for development of thinking skills, communication skills and imagination. Develops lateral thinking skills

ResourcesPicture cues for objects – see www.senteacher.org for photo cards, a facility that enables you to search and source multiple pictures at a time

What?

Telephone talk How?Pupils sit back to back or otherwise out of view and hold a conversation on a given topic

Why?The focus – as in a real telephone conversation – is on oral language clarity, where non-verbal cues are reduced

ResourcesIf desired – old telephones, mobiles or toys

What?

Discussion cubesHow?The discussion cube has questions on each face to prompt discussion, self evaluation or critical thinking. E.g. ‘Today I found out that…’, ‘I would like to tell you about …….’, ‘the most interesting bit was……….’, ‘I could improve my work by……..’

Why?The discussion cube can be used as a dice to roll and select a question for specific child to answer or can be held by a child to help them focus on structuring their talk

ResourcesDiscussion cube templates www.communication4all.co.uk

What?

Concept web / vocabulary web How?The centre circle contains the main concept or topic. Linking ideas or associations are added in the outer circles as key words. More lines may be added to link the connecting circles to each other as well as to the central circle. Images and colours may also be used.Key Visuals as used with EAL learners see http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/emass/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=27465

Why? The visual image makes connections and helps the pupil organise ideas and understand relationships between different concepts, vocabulary and ideas.

Resources

What?

Show and Tell How?Pupils talk about an object, event, idea or concept with reference to a concrete, contextual or visual cue. E.g.

show and tell about a favourite toy Show and tell about the result of a maths enquiry presented in

graphical form Why?The concrete or visual reference prompts recall and talk is more context embedded.

ResourcesObjects for pupils to talk about

What?

Word mapHow?When teaching new vocabulary, use a word map to embed the word in contextsWord map elements focus on:

Phonology - First sound, last sound, syllables, rhymes with Description Category – what group would it be in? Similarities – what else is like it Context – where would you find it? Function – what does it do?

Why?Word storage and retrieval is supported when associations are made

ResourcesWord map

What?

Talk Partner How?Children work in pairs with opportunities for them to talk to each other, to share ideas and experiences and reflect on what they have learned.

Why?Small group and pair talk opportunities are less threatening

Resources

What?

AccumulatorHow?With a partner or as a circle activity, take it in turns to say as many words on a given topic, or in a given category, or a given sound. E.g. – World War 1, water, verbs, animals.Accumulator can be made more challenging by combining 2 elements – e.g. given category in alphabetical order.

Why?Provides a structure for vocabulary activities; provides an opportunity for children to hear vocabulary modelled. Practise activity for verbal fluency

Resources

What?

Active listening How?Children listen to a story, teaching input, poem, etc having been given an active focus for listening, and respond accordingly E.g. - sound effect story where children provide the sound effect for a particular character or event in a story- children listen for what happens at a particular time or a particular character in a story, or for what happened after a particular event

Why?Active listening is a core skill

Resources

What?

Puppets and theatreHow?A child speaks through a puppet or shadow theatre.

Why?Useful to encourage children to speak and to listen

ResourcesPuppets, soft toys, shadow theatre

What?

On the fence How?Classroom is ‘zoned’ for agree, disagree, on the fence. Teacher reads statements and pupils decide where they will stand - agree, disagree, on the fence. Pupils can be asked to justify their choice.

Why?Good for social skills

ResourcesStatements linked to themes

What?

Line up How?Pupils are given cards with statements, facts, calculations. They need to line up in order of importance, timeline, number order, etc (depending on the focus of the statements)

Why?Communication skills (finding out about all the statements), negotiation skills, sequencing skills

ResourcesStatement cards, calculations

What?

Oral cloud How?Teacher (or pupil leader) starts a sentence missing a key word – ‘It was a …………day’. Pupils offer suggestions for the missing word. Teacher (or pupil leader) adds the next sentence - ‘I overslept, then the bath water was cold.’Ask – which words still fit (context)? E.g. suggestions such as ‘wonderful’, ‘lucky’, etc are not appropriate. Pupils offer suggestions afresh.Teacher (or pupil leader) then adds the initial sound of the missing word – ‘d’. Ask – which words still fit (phonology)? E.g. ‘awful’, ‘unlucky’, ‘bad’ are not appropriate

Why?Comprehension skills; links to written literacy

Resources

What?

Expert in role How?A visiting ‘expert’ or an adult in role as ‘expert’ talks to pupils about a topic and answers questions from them.E.g. an older resident or grandparent talks about what the locality was like in previous decades; a teacher in role as an air raid warden or red Riding Hood’s mother

Why?Provides a focus for providing ‘expert’ perspective and information

ResourcesAdult in role may need props

What?

Listen, Repeat, RecallHow?A group of pupils is given a numbered set of card with facts/statements on a given topic. The teacher chooses a number and that pupil reads their fact aloud as other listen then chooses another number. The pupil with that card recalls and repeats the previous fact, reads their own and calls another number. Repeat till all the numbers are called and all the facts read

Why?Active listening, memory

ResourcesFact cards

What?

PowerPoint presentation How?As an alternative to written recording pupils make a slide show with visual images of what they have learned – e.g. sequenced photos of their experiment, freeze frames of a drama, web sourced pictures representing what they have discoveredThe commentary can be added verbally at a plenary, or added into the presentation in the form of audio files previously recorded by the pupils

Why?Alternative to written recording

ResourcesAccess to computer laptop, digital camera, digital recorder

What?

Clicker 5 talking Book How?As an alternative to written recording pupils make a Talking Book using Clicker 5.Create a template; using edit toolbar use picture palette to drag and drop pictures from – for example - a photo file of photos of an activity, experiment, debate, etc. Add sound buttons from cell palette; use record feature to record captions for pictures

Why?Alternative to written recording

ResourcesAccess to computer / laptop, Clicker 5 software, digital camera

What?

Clicker 5 poster How?As an alternative to written recording pupils make a talking poster using Clicker 5Create a poster template; using edit toolbar use picture palette to drag and drop pictures to populate the poster.Add sound buttons from cell palette; use record feature to record captions for pictures

Why?Alternative to written recording

ResourcesAccess to computer / laptop, Clicker 5 software, digital camera

What?

Do I fit?How?Matching game - give half the class a sentence strip and the other half an adjective card. Ask them to move around and see which of their peers’ sentence strip/s their adjective would inject into, to form a meaningful sentence.

Why?

Extends adjective vocabulary and develops sentence grammar. All children get to judge if a sentence makes sense or not and learns about different types of adjectives.

ResourcesSentence cards and adjective cards

What?

Sound silly?How?In small groups, give one child a sentence strip and the other children adjective cards. Ask the child to say their sentence, and the children with adjectives take it in turns to stand next to them to create a sentence.

If the sentence makes sense, they stay standing and the next child comes up and so on, until a long, meaningful sentence has been made e.g. ‘Ghana is a hot, humid, African, dry, populated country.’

When a child comes up, the produced sentence could sound silly e.g. ‘Ghana is a hot, Auntie country’ and they then sit back down.

See if the group can reflect on why that type of adjective does not work in and think of a sentence it would fit into meaningfully.

Why?Extends adjective vocabulary and develops sentence grammar. All children get to judge if a sentence makes sense or not and learns about different types of adjectives. Reflection on type of adjectives and creation of sentences

ResourcesSentence cards and adjective cards

What?

Think of an adjective......How?Children stand up and silently think of an adjective that can ‘inject’ into a shown sentence. A pupil volunteers their adjective. If another pupil was thinking of this they sit down, followed by who said it out loud.

If no-one else thought of it they stay standing up. A new pupil says their adjective and so on, until only children who thought of an adjective that no-one else thought of stay standing up as the winner/s.

You can type the adjectives into www.wordle.net to create a ‘word cloud’ or make an adjective word wall on the white board.

Or – say a simple adjective e.g. ‘big’ and ask the class to think of another adjective with a similar meaning (e.g. huge) and play the game above.

Why?Extends adjective vocabulary, speaking and listening skills.

ResourcesSentence cards and adjective cards

What?

Sentence creationHow?In small groups, each has a sentence strip. Number children in order of ability (i.e. least able child is number one and so on) Ask them in turn to think of an adjective that would ‘inject’ into the syringe gap e.g. ‘He saw a ? elephant’ where the first child adds e.g. ‘big’. The next child has to think of another adjective e.g. ‘He saw a tall, big elephant’, and so on ‘He saw a tall, big, crazy elephant.’

Why?Extends adjective vocabulary, speaking and listening skills.

ResourcesSentence strips

What?

Diamond rankingHow? Students are given a number of different issues / statements (9 is a

good number) They are then put into groups or pairs where they discuss the

relative importance of each issue; which is most important, which 2 share the next level of importance, etc so that statements form a diamond shape

Students can share their decisions with others and justify their decisions

Why?It provokes discussion or reflection about the relative importance of a range of factors. It encourages a focus on the single most important factor, though allows other items to share importance, so that factors are organised in a diamond shape

ResourcesTemplate belowAn additional template can be found here http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/go/pid/1845

Diamond ranking:

Vocabulary Template

What?

Teach vocabularyHow?Teach vocabulary explicitly – use the following guidelines

Repetition in different situations and contexts is key for true understanding

Link to current knowledge and make it meaningful Use the following structure – it works!

Why? Vocabulary is fundamental to children’s learning Children with poor language are less likely to have good

strategies for learning and remembering vocabulary Vocabulary at age 5 is highly predictive of success at

school and beyond We know what works

ResourcesUse the vocabulary templates to expand on teaching vocabulary using these ideas

Make links – make it stick What does the word sound like: What sound does it begin

with? What does it rhyme with? How many syllables?

Link to meaning: Do you know this word, have you

heard it before? What does it mean? Describe it – what do you do with

it, where might you keep it, what does it look/smell/taste/feel like?

What category does it belong to?

Put it into practice - repetition

Link to grammar: Say it in a sentence Say it in a story /

conversation / question

Link to visuals: Put it up on your word wall Link it to a symbol or gesture

What does the word sound like: What sound does it begin with? What does it rhyme with? How many syllables? What does it mean?

Describe it – what do you do with it, where might you keep it, what does it look/smell/taste/feel like?

What category does it belong to? Say it in a sentence

Word

Concept mapping

What How Templates for supporting learning of new concepts Provides strategies suitable both for pupils with SLCN and EAL

learners as well as all other pupils Provide visual support for learning

Different templates can be used in different ways to support the learning of new concepts

Spidergrammes and mind maps can be used to describe words linked to a specific topic

Category maps can include a category word in the centre, the provide features or examples of that category surrounding it

An attribute map would describe the attributes of a particular object

Word maps are good for information that has a hierarchical structure

Venn diagrams can be used to organise thinking

Resources: Concept mapping templates