Who Are We Talking To?

We are learning to notice how we talk differently to different people.

Before you startAbout 30 minutes · what success looks like · notes for the helper

About 30 minutes. It's fine to stop after the Quick Check and come back another day: the lesson opens where you left it, at the Quick Check.

You'll know you've got it when

I can say hello in a way that suits who I am talking to
I can say one way I talk differently to a grandparent and to a friend
I can act out a short chat with a shop helper

For the helperhow to sit beside this lesson, and what this step is for

This step: Spark

Start with the question at the top and chat about it. There is no wrong answer here: it gets your learner thinking about what they already know.

Getting ready: A few soft toys or figures to play different people (a grandparent, a brother or sister, a shop helper, a teacher), and two or three everyday things for a pretend shop, such as a piece of fruit and a bag. The people in the lesson are examples: if your child has no brother or sister, or no Nan nearby, a cousin, a friend or a neighbour works just as well. For the choices: paper bags or toys for puppets, paper and crayons for drawing, or a phone if you'd like to call a relative. All of it takes about 30 minutes, which is longer than most Prep children sit for; stopping after the check and playing the talking game later in the day works well.
What understanding sounds like: Listen for your child noticing a difference out loud, such as 'I hug Pop, but I just say hello to the lady at the shop', or choosing 'please' and 'thank you' for someone they don't know well.
A likely mix-up, and something that helps: Many children think there is one right way to talk, so either home talk is the 'wrong' way, or everyone gets the same words. You might ask, 'Who are we talking to? How well do we know them?' and say that home talk is good talk too.
If it comes easily: For more of a challenge, you might add a new person, like the doctor or a neighbour over the fence, and ask your child how they would say hello and why.
If it's a struggle: If it is a struggle, one way is to use just two people, a grandparent and a shop helper, act both hellos yourself first, and then swap so your child plays the person being greeted. If your child is shy about acting today, the toys can do all the talking while your child tells them what to say. If your family speaks another language at home, a hello in that language counts fully; the lesson is about choosing, not about English.

Step 1 of 6 · Spark

Lesson 1 of 4 · Voices at Home and Voices Here: Talking and Listening

Knock, knock! Who's at the door?

For the helper

Start with the question at the top and chat about it. There is no wrong answer here: it gets your learner thinking about what they already know.

Helper, read aloud: Knock, knock! Who's at the door? It's Nan! What do you say to Nan? (Let your child answer and show you.) Knock, knock! Now it's a man with a parcel. We don't know him. Do you say hello to him the same way? (Let them answer.) Hmm. Why not? Today we find out.

Knock, knock! Who is it? The person at the door changes how we say hello.