Languages and literacy
English classroom objects: match and say
Match five classroom objects to actions or written object words by pointing, drawing a line or using a short English sentence.
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Primary EAL specialist teacher
Grace Lim
I support English as an Additional Language across Primary, often from inside the classroom rather than by taking pupils away from their peers.
Explore the collectionA little about me
I support English as an Additional Language across Primary, often from inside the classroom rather than by taking pupils away from their peers. Language support matters most when it helps a child participate in the activity everyone is sharing. I look for the words and phrases that open a way into a game, task or conversation.
Pupils who are new to English may need time to listen before speaking. I want teachers and families to understand that participation can take different forms, and that vocabulary practice is only one part of language learning. A useful prompt should connect words with a real purpose rather than turn them into a test detached from classroom life.
I look for resources that make the language of an activity visible and manageable. A word bank or sentence starter may help, but it should support participation rather than become the goal by itself. I value planning alongside class teachers so that language opportunities fit naturally into the lesson and pupils can contribute in ways that are meaningful to them.
How I approach a lesson
Plan language support within classroom activity where possible.
Choose words that help pupils take part.
Use vocabulary resources as support, not as an end in themselves.
Templates and activities I'd use with my class
Explore these templates and decide what fits your own setting.
Languages and literacy
Tell the Moment: Year 4 EAL writing scaffold
Build five to seven clear sentences about who is present, where the scene happens, how a character feels and what happens next.
Languages and literacy
Plan a classroom task in English
Write a short sequence of connected English sentences that describes how a group begins a classroom task and works together.
Languages and literacy
Classroom English: talk and learning cards
Recognise six classroom participation words and use one in a short spoken sentence.
Languages and literacy
Sentence builder: arrange and revise words
Pupils should arrange words into a meaningful sentence, review word order and punctuation, and explain a change that improves the intended meaning. They should identify a problem the feature checklist cannot reliably judge and revise it through reading and discussion.