Pragmatics and
Social Language

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Sample Activity
Each activity a teacher receives follows the same format as shown below. Here is a sample activity that covers the Pragmatics and Social Language content area.
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OBJECTIVE(S)
  • Respond contigently to peers and adults
  • Maintain topic during conversation through two or more turns
  • Initiate with peers
  • Express a range of speech acts
  • getting ready
    Materials
    • The Snowy Day
    • The Jacket I Wear in the Snow
    • Dear Rebecca, Winter Is Here
    • Time to Sleep
    activity
     Summary Details
    1. Choose a book or more than one book to engage the children in conversation about the events in the book Review the story (stories) with the children by looking at each page and asking the children to help tell the story to you.

    Provide models if the children are having difficulty. Scaffold their responses by repeating what they say and adding to it.

    Use this story-telling activity to help children engage in the following communicative acts: comment on action, give reason, and predict.

    Examples:
    Comment on action (The Snowy Day):
    Teacher: It looks like Peter is having fun. Tell me what he is doing.
    Child: Sliding.
    Teacher: Peter is sliding down the big hill. You told me what Peter is doing.

    Give Reason (The Jacket I Wear in the Snow):
    Teacher: How do you think the little girl feels?
    Child: Sad.
    Teacher: Why do you think that she is sad? Child: She is crying. She made the snowman break.
    Teacher: You told me the reason she feels sad.

    Predict (Dear Rebecca, Winter is Here):
    Teacher: What do you think this woman is doing?
    Child: Drawing a picture.
    Teacher: You are guessing about what the woman is doing.

    Predict (Time to Sleep):
    Teacher: Ladybug says, “But first I must tell bear.” What do you think bear is doing? What do you think will happen?
    Child: Bear is sleeping. He will be grumpy.
    Teacher: You are guessing about what bear will do.

    extension activities
    During the morning circle time, when the conversation focuses on weather, encourage the children to predict what the weather will be like the next day. Write children’s predictions on the board; then, at the next circle time, check children’s predictions for accuracy.
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