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Activity 1: “Mystery Letter Bag”

(Sensory and tactile learning game)

Goal：

To recognise and name upper- and lower-case letters (graphs) and know the most common sound that each letter represents through a multi-sensory experience (ACARA, 2022, AC9EFLY11).

Activity Rules:

1. Place letter-shaped foam or wooden pieces inside a cloth bag.

2. Children take turns feeling one piece without looking.

3. They guess the letter by touch, then draw or write it on paper.

4. Reveal and check together as a class.

Materials Needed:

Cloth bag

Wooden or foam alphabet letters

Paper and pencils/crayons

Teacher Support:

Give clues for tricky letters (“It has two long lines and one across the middle.”).

Model how to describe shapes of letters.

Help children form the letter on paper after guessing.

Differentiation:

Low-level learners: Identify letter by sight after pulling it out.

Medium-level learners: Guess by touch and write the letter.

High-level learners: Say a word that starts with that letter after writing it.

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Objective:

The educator will model fluent and expressive reading, demonstrating how to track print from left to right, making the concepts of print explicit (ACARA, 2022, AC9EFLA04).

Activity Rules:

1. Select a picture book appropriate for kids.

2. Read aloud to the class, using expressive voice and gestures.

3. Point to words as you read to demonstrate left-to-right progression.

4. Pause to discuss pictures and predict story outcomes.

5. Encourage children to repeat phrases or words after you.

Required Materials:

Picture book with large, colorful illustrations.

A small selection of books or posters in children’s home languages (e.g., Kriol, Tagalog, Greek, Hindi, Vietnamese, Yolgnu Matha).

Visual aids for vocabulary words.

Teacher Support Strategies:

Use think-alouds to model predictions and comprehension.

Highlight and repeat key vocabulary throughout the story.

Include greetings or simple words from children’s home languages (e.g., “kamusta,” “xin chào”) to build connection.

Acknowledge cultural elements in the story and invite children to share familiar traditions or experiences.

Display labels or vocabulary cards in both English and relevant home languages.

Differentiation Techniques:

Emergent Readers: Focus on listening, observing pictures, and joining in repetitive phrases.

Developing Readers: Encourage repeating key words and linking them with home-language equivalents.

Advanced Readers: Prompt predictions, comparisons between stories from different cultures, or character analysis.

Example Picture Book:

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
This repetitive and rhythmic book is excellent for modeling reading and engaging children in predicting and recalling words.

"Dear Zoo" by Rod Campbell
A lift-the-flap book where a child writes to the zoo asking for a pet, reinforcing descriptive language and animal names.

"Silly Sally"by Audrey Woods

a playful, rhyming story about a joyful woman who walks upside down through town, meeting funny friends along the way, perfect for engaging preschoolers in rhythm, rhyme, and laughter.

"Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox
A simple and rhythmic story celebrating that while children live in different places, speak different languages, and look different, their feelings and experiences are the same. Perfect for fostering empathy and cultural awareness.

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Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - Animated Children's Book

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Explicit Teaching：A systematic, direct approach where the educator clearly demonstrates and explains a specific skill or knowledge to a small group or the whole class. The learning intention and success criteria are made clear from the outset.

Modelling：The educator demonstrates the 'how' and the 'why' of a task, making their thinking visible. It goes beyond telling and shows children the exact process or behaviour they are expected to learn.

Scaffolding：Providing temporary support to help a child achieve a task they cannot yet do independently. The support is gradually removed as the child becomes more competent. These activities align with sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978), as children learn through guided interaction and scaffolding within meaningful social contexts.

An Integrated Approach：

These three approaches are not used in isolation. They form a powerful, integrated teaching cycle.

1. I explicitly teach what we are learning.

2. I model how to do it.

3. I scaffold the children's first attempts.

This structured yet responsive approach ensures all children can access and succeed in their learning.

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Goal:

To develop students' interaction skills in structured situations by listening while others speak and using appropriate voice volume, as outlined in the Australian Curriculum for Foundation English (ACARA, 2022, AC9EFLY02).

Activity Rules:

Children sit in a circle.

The teacher introduces a question or topic.

Each child takes turns speaking. Encourage full sentences, but celebrate all attempts to communicate.

Use a “talking ball” or a culturally significant object—only the child holding it can speak.

New Rule: Cultural Respect & Active Listening - We listen with our eyes and ears. We celebrate differences by saying things like "That's interesting!" or "Thank you for sharing!"

Materials Needed:

A talking ball or small, culturally representative object (e.g., a patterned cloth ball, a wooden animal)

Picture cards (related to topics)

Whiteboard or poster to record responses

Optional: "My Sharing Board" - Children can bring a small object, a drawing, or a photo from home to support their sharing.

Teacher Support:

Model Inclusive Language: Use sentence structures that acknowledge diversity. E.g., "My favourite food is pasta, but I know Arjun's family might make delicious curry."

Differentiated Prompting:

For children developing English skills (e.g., Aaliyah, Hunter, Isla): Accept single-word answers and expand on them. "Levi said 'train'! That's great. Levi likes playing with trains because they are fast."

For children comfortable with English: Encourage elaboration with "why" and "how" questions.

Be a Cultural Bridge: Gently explain or celebrate unfamiliar words or customs shared by children. "Zoe said she dances at a 'Greek festival'. That's a special party with music and food from Greece. How wonderful!"

Leverage Student Interests: Use the provided table to ask personalised prompts. "Ethan, can you build your favourite food with blocks?" or "Sienna, is there a dance for your favourite song?"

Educators move flexibly in and out of different roles and draw on different strategies as the context changes.” (Robinson et al., 2018, p. 157).

Differentiation:

Emerging Communicators: Use choice-based questions ("Do you like apples or bananas?"), sentence starters ("I like..."), and encourage them to use their "Sharing Board" or home language words.

Developing Communicators: Encourage 1-2 sentences. Provide visual word banks on the whiteboard (e.g., words like "happy," "fun," "yummy," "because").

Confident Communicators: Challenge them to describe details, tell a short story, or teach the group a word from their home language (e.g., "Chloe, can you teach us how to say 'friend' in Tagalog?").

Topics:

This list is designed to be more inclusive and connect to the children's known backgrounds and interests.

1. What is your favourite food to eat with your family? 🍛

2. What is a song or a story you hear at home? 🎵

3. What do you like to do on a sunny day? ☀️

4. Who is a special person in your family? What do you like to do with them? 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

5. What is your favourite thing to play with? (Toy, blocks, natural object) 🧸

6. What games do you like to play at home or at the park? 🤝

7. What is your favourite animal? What sound does it make? 🦁

8. What do you like to draw or paint? ✏️

9. Share a word from your home language. (e.g., a greeting or a name for a family member)

10. What is your favourite thing to do with your friends?

11. What makes you feel happy? 😊

12. What do you see when you look outside your window? 🌳

13. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

14. What is a favourite place you like to go with your family? 🚗

15. How do you help others at home or school? 🧹

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When completing this section, please evaluate students based on the highest level of participation they consistently demonstrate during the sharing circle.

The spectrum ranges from Level 1: Non-Participation (e.g., refusing the talking object or turning away), which should be recorded as N/O or Δ, to Level 2: Passive Listening (quietly watching the speaker without response), marked as Δ as it is a foundational skill.

Level 3: Non-Verbal Participation (using gestures, pointing, or their sharing board) is a successful communication attempt and merits a ✓.

Level 4: Supported Verbal Participation (e.g., completing a sentence starter) also earns a ✓, as does Level 5: Independent Verbal Participation (offering a single word or phrase independently).

Finally, Level 6: Extended Verbal Participation (using full sentences or providing details) represents a high level of engagement and should be recorded as ✓+. The key is to recognize and value every child's unique effort to engage and connect.

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Songs, Rhymes, and Chants: Example – “Incy Wincy Spider”

Goal:

Develop phonological awareness by recognising and generating rhyming words through the repetitive verse of the rhyme (ACARA, 2022, AC9EFLY09).

Improve vocabulary and sentence rhythm

Enhance memory and motor coordination

Activity Rules:

1. Teacher sings “Incy Wincy Spider” line by line.

2. Children listen and join in, using hand gestures to act out the spider climbing up the water spout, the rain, and the sun coming out.

3. Repeat several times, gradually letting children sing without teacher prompts.

4. Optional: Use a soft toy spider to make the story visual and interactive.

Materials Needed:

Audio recording or teacher singing live

Lyrics chart with simple illustrations of spider, rain, sun, and spout

Small toy spider (optional)

Hand puppets or props to represent water and sun (optional)

Teacher Support:

Demonstrate the hand gestures:

Climbing up: fingers crawl on the hand

Rain: wiggle fingers downward

Sun: open arms up

Sing slowly first, then increase speed as children become familiar.

Encourage children to say the words clearly and match gestures to lyrics.

Repeat lines or provide visual cues for children struggling to remember the words.

Differentiation:

Low-level learners(Ethan, Isla, Arjun, Chloe): Focus on doing the hand gestures while listening or saying single words like “spider” or “rain.”

Medium-level learners(Noah, Mia, Lucas, Ruby, Levi): Sing along with the teacher using full lines, try to match gestures with words.

High-level learners(Grace, Ava, Zoe, Jayden): Perform independently or add extra movements; ask them to retell the story in their own words after singing.

Indigenous Australian children (Aaliyah, Lucas, Jayden, Ruby, Hunter):Connect to stories and nature elements from their culture. Include local words or movements reflecting Country.

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Makaton - INCY WINCY SPIDER - Singing Hands

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Activity 2: “Find and Write the Letter” Game

(A playful alphabet treasure hunt)

Goal：

To write words using clearly formed and consistent letters, practising letter formation after tactile identification (ACARA, 2022, AC9EFLY08).

Activity Rules:

1. The teacher places letter cards around the classroom (e.g., A, B, C...).

2. Children are given a small sheet or whiteboard.

3. When the teacher calls out a sound (e.g., “Find the letter that says /b/!”), children find the correct card and write that letter on their sheet.

4. After each round, children can show their letters to the class.

Materials Needed:

Alphabet cards (A–Z)

Mini whiteboards or writing sheets

Markers or crayons

Optional: stickers or stamps for reward

Teacher Support：

Model pronunciation of each letter sound clearly.

Demonstrate writing strokes slowly and visually.

Give hints for children who struggle (“It’s the letter we use for ball!”).

Encourage teamwork—children can pair up to help each other find letters.

Differentiation:

Low-level learners: Match the spoken sound to a letter card without writing.

Medium-level learners: Write the letter after finding it.

High-level learners: Write both the letter and a word that starts with it (e.g., “B – ball”).

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Assessment for learning enable educators to make informed decisions that result in a clear purpose for learning and intentional teaching.（(Author et al., 2020, p. 307)

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Activity 3: Shop ‘n’ Write

Goal:

To use knowledge of letters and sounds to spell words by generating and writing words that start with the target letter (ACARA, 2022, AC9EFLY13).

Activity Rules

1. Set up a “play store” corner with toy food items, shopping baskets, and play money.

2. Provide writing tools: thick pencils, crayons, and order sheets/shopping lists.

3. Teacher demonstrates: “I’m going to write my shopping list. First, I need M to buy milk.”

4. Children pretend to be shoppers: they choose items and write or draw the first letter of each item on their shopping list.

5. After writing, they go “shopping” and check off items from their list.

6. Encourage children to label items or their baskets with their name.

Materials Needed

Play food, baskets, cash registers

Thick pencils, crayons, chalk, finger paints

Order sheets, mini shopping lists, or blank papers

Name cards for labeling

Optional: alphabet puzzles or playdough to form letters

Multicultural food items (toy or real packaging): dumplings, samosas, sushi, noodles, pasta, etc.Teacher Support

In preschool, pre-writing is not just about practicing copybooks; it’s about building interest and developing writing skills through games and everyday activities. Teachers can support children by:

Encouraging correct pencil grip and proper letter formation.

Helping children sound out the first letters of items or words.

Prompting shy or lower-level learners with visual aids such as pictures or letter cards.

Placing writing tools—such as order sheets, shopping lists, or doctor’s prescriptions—in the play corner to create meaningful writing opportunities.

Providing thick pencils, crayons, chalk, and finger paints to strengthen gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Offering name cards and encouraging children to sign them and label their belongings.

Modeling writing while thinking aloud, for example: “I’m going to write my shopping list. First, I need M to buy milk.”

Including items or words in children’s home languages on labels (e.g., “apple – manzana,” “bread – bánh mì”).

Differentiation：

Low-level learners: Focus on drawing items or writing the first letter only.

Medium-level learners: Attempt to write full words with support or use letter stamps/stickers.

High-level learners: Write full words independently, label multiple items, or create their own mini shopping lists with complete sentences.

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Learning Objective:
To develop foundational reading comprehension skills by encouraging children to interpret pictures and share their understanding, linking to the comprehension strand of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2022, AC9EFLY05).

Activity Rules:

1. Each child chooses one or two books from the classroom library or reading corner.

2. They find a comfortable spot to sit and read quietly for 5–10 minutes.

3. Children may “read” by looking at pictures, retelling the story, or pretending to read words.

4. After reading, they share one thing they liked about the story with a peer or the teacher.

Materials Needed:

A small classroom library or basket with picture books, including multicultural and multilingual titles.

A mix of fiction, nonfiction, and concept books that reflect children’s interests (e.g., animals, machines, art, sports, music).

Reading mats or cushions for a cozy, inviting space.

Optional: Name cards or book boxes for personal book choices.

Teacher’s Role:

Model how to handle books carefully and how to “read” pictures.

Encourage imagination, curiosity, and self-expression during reading.

Observe and support children’s engagement and preferences.

Use children’s home languages for simple greetings or book-related words (e.g., “Kamusta,” “Xin chào”) to build inclusion.

Praise effort and personal connections (e.g., “You chose a book about animals, just like you love dinosaurs!”).

Differentiation Support:

Emergent readers or EAL learners: Provide wordless books or bilingual picture books; pair them with peers or use visual storytelling.

Developing readers: Encourage retelling in their own words and link stories to their personal or cultural experiences.

Advanced readers: Offer repetitive-text or simple-sentence books; invite them to “read aloud” familiar parts or create alternative endings.

Example book:

1. Wordless Picture Books: Books that tell a story entirely through pictures.Children “read” by describing what they see or making up their own version of the story.

Journey by Aaron Becker

Flotsam by David Wiesner

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

2. Concept Book: Books that focus on simple ideas such as colors, shapes, numbers, or emotions.

Press Here by Hervé Tullet (interactive)

The Feelings Book by Todd Parr (emotions)

Counting Kisses by Karen Katz (numbers)

3. Interactive or Touch-and-Feel Books: Books that invite children to touch textures, lift flaps, or press buttons.

That’s Not My Puppy (Usborne series)

Peek-a-Who? by Nina Laden

4. Familiar Character Books: Books featuring characters children already know from songs, TV, or classroom stories.

Peppa Pig simple storybooks

Spot’s First Walk by Eric Hill

Maisy Goes to Preschool by Lucy Cousins

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Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2022). Australian Curriculum: English - Foundation to Year 10 (Version 9.0). https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/

Arthur, L., Beecher, B., & Death, E. (2020). Programming and planning in early childhood settings. Cengage.

Ebbeck, M., & Waniganayake, M. (2016). Play in early childhood education: Learning in diverse contexts. Oxford University Press.

Robinson, C., Treasure, T., & O’Connor, D. (2018). Learning through play: Creating a play-based approach within early childhood contexts. Oxford University Press.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (Vol. 86). Harvard university press.

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Assessment for activity 2&3:

A comprehensive understanding of a child's literacy development is best gathered through multiple assessment approaches. As Ebbeck and Waniganayake (2016) emphasise, observation is "one of the oldest and most effective ways of gathering information about children," which can be powerfully supplemented by other strategies to gain deeper insights into their learning (p. 47). Therefore, the primary method for assessing children's progress in this activity will be structured observation, documented using the following record sheet. This will be supplemented by analysis of the work samples (the letters/words they write) to create a holistic picture of each child's skills.

- Letter Identification: Able to correctly locate the corresponding letter card (✔️ Yes / ❌ No)

- Letter Formation: Letters are clearly formed and consistent in shape (✔️ Good / ➖ Needs Practice / ❌ Difficulty)

- Vocabulary Extension (Advanced): Able to write a corresponding word (✔️ Yes / ➖ Partial / ❌ None)

- Support Required: Needed prompts, peer assistance, or individual demonstration (✔️ Yes / ❌ No)