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Activities to do at home

Song activities

Starter Level – Level 5 Materials: a song from English Code

Starter Level – Level 3 Materials: a song from English Code; paper; pen

Starter Level – Level 5 Materials: a song from English Code; paper; felt pens or colouring pencils

Play the song for the level of English Code that your child is using. Your child can just listen, or they can join in if they feel able.

Play the song again. This time, pause the song at different points. Encourage your child to remember the song and continue singing the next few words or the next line.

You can play this game again with other songs – more songs can be found in the My School section of the Pearson English Portal.

Play the song for the level of English Code that your child is using. You could also choose a song from the My School section of the Pearson English Portal.

Listen to the song with your child.

Play the song again and encourage your child to join in as much as they can.

Ask your child what they can remember from the song – for example, in the Level 1 Unit 6 song, the key words are mango, apple and orange.

Encourage your child to create their own version of the song. They should replace the key words with other things, for example, pear, banana and pineapple. They can write down the words they’ve chosen to help them as they sing.

Play the song for the level of English Code that your child is using. You could also choose a song from the My School section of the Pearson English Portal.

Listen to the song together.

Encourage your child to draw a picture of the things in the song and label the key words. In earlier levels of English Code, they’ll have three things to label. Later levels will contain more.

Play the song audio again and sing along together, pointing to the things in the picture as you sing.

Continue the song

Sing your own version

Draw the song

108 one hundred and eight

I will learn hobbies.VOCABULARY

I can dance!

111 099 Listen, point, and repeat.

1 dance 2 sing 3 draw 4 paint

5 read 6 play soccer 7 swim

8 ride a bike 9 climb 10 play music

222 100 Look at 1. Listen, say, and mime the action.

333 101 Listen and draw lines.

Ann

Dan

Lucy

Pat

Nick

Jill

M07 English Code SB1 AmE 23008.indd 108 26/02/2020 15:50

If your child is learning with English Code, there are lots of activities that you can do to develop their language skills at home. Whatever level of English Code your child is using, the activities below have been designed so that you can have fun and practise English together.

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Games

Video activities

Starter Level – Level 6 Materials: English Code Class video (available in the My Videos section of the Pearson English Portal)

Starter Level – Level 6 Materials: English Code Phonics lab video (available in the My Videos section of the Pearson English Portal)

Starter Level – Level 6Materials: pen; paper; various items from around the home / downloadable flashcards (available on the Pearson English Portal)

Watch an English Code Class video with your child.

Next, play the video again but explain to your child that they need to join in this time!

For earlier levels of English Code (Starter – Level 3), turn down the volume. Can your child remember what the character is saying? Seeing the video on screen will help them to remember. For example, in the Level 1 video This is my family, can your child introduce the members of Sara’s family?

For Levels 4–6, stop the video and ask your child if they can remember any of the answers to Sophia’s questions. Then play the video to check.

Play an English Code Phonics lab video. Each video shows how to say a sound in English.

Encourage your child to practise saying the sound. They should copy the way the person in the video moves their mouth to make the sound.

Ask your child to write the letter(s) for the sound in the middle of a piece of paper.

Next, ask them to decorate the page with words beginning with or containing the sound. They could write the words and draw or cut out and stick pictures.

Repeat this activity for each unit of English Code. Keep all the pages that your child creates together, so that they have their own phonics ‘book’. This will be useful for them to look back at and will help them to see how much their knowledge is growing.

Collect items that your child has been learning about in class. For example, pieces of fruit or items of clothing. If you prefer, you could print the flashcards from the Pearson English Portal.

Ask your child to think about how the items or flashcards could be sorted into different groups. For example, they could be grouped by size, by colour, or by use (things that you wear and things that you eat). If your child is sorting different animal vocabulary, they could sort them according to how many legs the animal has got or what it can do.

Ask your child to move the items or flashcards into the different groups. Then, ask them to say the items in each group.

Can they think of a different way to sort the same items?

Remember the line!

Make a phonics book

Sort the vocabulary

111012 Listen and match.

1 When are you going to go sailing again?

2 When are you going to see your parents?

3 How long are you going to stay here?

4 When are you going to visit Pirate Bay again?

5 When are you going to start school?

222 Ask and answer about your next vacation with a partner.

1 Press out the cards.

2 Write your name and your partner’s name.

3 Complete the information for you.

4 Ask your partner and complete their information.

333 Play Snap!

A time – at two o’clock

A day of the week – on Monday

A month of the year – in September

An amount of time – for two days

a In September.

b For two days.

c On Monday.

d At two o’clock.

e Tomorrow.

Harry is going on an adventure vacation

in September.Snap!

When are you going on your next vacation?

I’m going in March.

20

COMMUNICATION

twenty

I will ask and answer about future plans.

Time phrases

M01 English Code SB4 AmE 23039.indd 2022/04/2020 18:47

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Craft activities

Starter Level – Level 6 Materials: ball; pen; paper

Starter Level – Level 6 Materials: large piece of paper; scissors; glue; felt pens; paints and other craft materials

Levels 1–6Materials: dice or homemade spinner; pen; paper; downloadable flashcards (available on the Pearson English Portal)

Write letters on separate pieces of paper and spread them around the floor.

Ask your child to bounce a ball so that it lands on a piece of paper.

Your child should say the letter on the paper and a word in English that begins with that letter. If they can think of a word, they pick up the piece of paper. If they can’t think of a word, they leave the paper where it is.

Keep playing until there are no more pieces of paper on the floor.

To make the game more fun, you could play, too. Who has got more pieces of paper at the end of the game?

You could also write topics on the paper instead of letters, for example, food, parts of the body, family, nature words, places, hobbies, types of shops etc. Your child would have to think of a word for each topic that the ball lands on.

Give your child a large piece of paper.

Ask your child to draw and label a map. They should use language they’ve been learning in class. For example, children using English Code Level 1 could draw a map of their classroom and label the door, window, chairs and tables. Children using English Code Level 2 could create a plan of their home. Children using English Code Level 4 could create a map of an adventure camp or a theme park.

Before they start, ask them to make a list of the things they’d like to include.

Encourage your child to use any craft materials available to make their map interesting and colourful.

When they’ve finished, ask your child to describe their map in English, giving as much information as they can.

Give your child two pieces of paper. On each piece of paper, write the numbers 1–6.

Choose a topic and ask your child to write a word next to each number.

If you prefer, you could print out twelve flashcards and number them instead.

Next, take it in turns to roll the dice twice. Make a note of the words for each number, e.g. 2 bananas, 4 watermelon. If you don’t have a dice, you could make a spinner using paper and a split pin.

Ask your child to make a sentence using the words. For example, if they’re using English Code Level 1, they might say I like bananas. I don’t like watermelon. Older children can make up more complex sentences. Encourage them to be creative and make some funny sentences!

Vocabulary bounce

Make a map

Make funny sentences

boat

lake

beach

forest

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Levels 1–6 Materials: card; pen; colouring pencils or felt pens; stamp

Levels 3–6Materials: cardboard box; paper/craft paper; felt pens; glue; paint; other craft materials

Starter Level – Level 3Materials: ice cube tray; red, blue and yellow food colouring (can be replaced with paint); water; clingfilm; toothpicks; tray/plate; piece of white paper; salt (optional)

Give your child a piece of white card, about A5 size.

Ask your child to who they would like to send a postcard to and what they’d like to write about.

They can draw a picture on one side of the card. Divide the other side of the card in half and ask your child to write on the left side.

Encourage your child to use language that they’ve been learning in their English Code lessons. For example, students using Level 1 could write about their toys or hobbies, and children using English Code Level 3 could write about what they’re going to do at the weekend.

When your child has finished writing and decorating their postcard, help them to write the address on the back of the card.

Put a stamp on the back of the postcard and post it together.

Explain to your child that they’re going to make an animal diorama. First, let them choose which animal or animals they’d like to show. For example, if they’re using English Code Level 4, they could show an endangered animal in its natural habitat.

Next, place the box on its side, so the open side is facing them.

Let them decorate the inside of the box. They could use felt pens, paints, craft paper or scraps of material. Encourage your child to be creative and to use the things around them e.g., they could use coffee granules to make a muddy swamp or wholewheat flour mixed with a little oil to make a sandy desert.

Next, they should make the animal(s) for their diorama. They could draw them on card and cut them out or use pictures from magazines. Help your child fold the bottom of the card so that the animals can stand up.

When the diorama is finished, ask your child to talk to you about it, using as many English words as they can. They could also write and stick on labels.

Ask your child to put a few drops of red, blue and yellow food colouring in the ice cube tray.

Add some water and mix with a toothpick without mixing the colours.

Carefully wrap the ice cube tray in cling film.

Use toothpicks to make a handle for each paint colour.

Place in the freezer.

Put the frozen ice cubes on a tray or plate and watch how they slowly melt (a little salt helps).

Encourage your child to paint holding the toothpick handles.

Place two ice cubes of different colours close together and watch as they melt and create new colours. Discuss primary colours (red, yellow, blue) that can’t be made by mixing, and secondary colours (purple, orange, green).

This is a great extension activity to the English Code Level 1 colour mixing experiment, but it works well with other ages too.

Send a postcard

Make an animal diorama

Experiments and projects

Colour mixing ice paintingActivity type: Science and artTime for activity: 20 minsMaterials: Ice cube tray; Red, blue and yellow food colouring (can be replaced with paint); Water; Cling fi lm; Toothpicks; Tray/plate; Piece of white paper; SaltWhole child development: cognitive (experimenting); artistic (painting, mixing colors) Language development: primary colors (red, blue, yellow), secondary colors (green, orange, purple)

• Put a few drops of red, blue and yellow food coloring in the ice cube tray. • Add some water and mix with a toothpic without mixing the colors. • Carefully wrap the ice cube tray in cling fi lm. • Poke small holes through the cling fi lm with toothpicks and leave them in to serve as handles

for the paints later. • Place in the freezer.• Display the frozen ice cubes on a tray or plate and watch how they slowly melt (a little salt

helps) • Encourage your child to paint holding the toothpick handles. • Place two ice cubes of diff erent colors close together and watch as they melt and create

new colors. Mention primary colors (red, yellow, blue - that can’t be made by mixing) and secondary colors (purple, orange, green).

Note: food colouring might stain containers

AcademyPre-Primary

© Pearson Education Limited

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Levels 4–6 Materials: pen; paper; colouring pencils; food

Involve the whole family in English practice by asking your child to make lunch for everyone.

First, agree together what they will make. Sandwiches are a simple option, or you could decide to make tacos or pizzas.

Ask your child to think about the different fillings or toppings that they’d like to offer. Then they can write a menu in English. If your child is using English Code Level 6, encourage them to label the options with the vocabulary that they’ve learnt in class e.g., carbohydrate, protein, fat.

Your child can then ask different family members to choose what they would like from the menu. Make sure they take a note of the orders.

Next, help your child write a list of ingredients. If they don’t have everything they need, they can make a shopping list!

Support your child as they prepare the food. Make sure that they are safe at all times (e.g., not using sharp knives, and only using the oven with adult help).

Enjoy the food together and praise your child’s efforts.

Make lunch

Starter Level – Level 6 Materials: plant pots; sunflower seeds; compost; water; ruler or tape measure; pen; paper

Explain to your child that you’re going to plant some sunflower seeds. Discuss where you could put the pots. Choose three places around your home (for example, on the balcony, on a windowsill and in a dark cupboard).

Ask your child to write down which sunflower they think will grow the tallest.

Ask them to fill the pots with compost, then push one sunflower seed into each pot.

Water the seeds, then put the pots in the places you decided on.

Remind your child to water the seeds regularly. After two weeks, they should see a shoot.

Encourage your child to measure their sunflowers each week and write down how tall they are.

At the end of the experiment, ask your child which sunflower has grown the tallest. Did they guess correctly? Encourage them to tell you about the experiment, using language they’ve learned in their English Code STEAM lessons. Then they could draw the results on a graph.

Grow a sunflower

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Starter Level – Level 6 Materials: a clean jar with a lid; heavy cream (minimum 36% fat)

Ask your child what butter is made from (milk). If they are using English Code Level 2 or above, remind them that it’s a dairy product.

Help your child to pour some cream into a clean jar and put the lid on tightly. The jar should be about a third full.

Ask your child to describe the cream. Encourage them to say that it’s a liquid.

Take turns to shake the jar quickly up and down. This will take between 5 and 10 minutes. You could play some music and encourage your child to dance as they shake the jar. If you prefer, use a timer and take turns to shake the jar for a minute each.

After a few minutes, you’ll see that the cream is starting to form a ball.

Shake the jar until you have a ball of butter with some liquid (buttermilk) around it.

Pour the liquid away – you’re left with butter.

Talk about the experiment together. Help your child to notice that the butter is a solid. You could explain to older children that the fats in the cream have joined together to make butter.

You could taste some of the butter you’ve made.

This experiment works well as a follow-up to the STEAM lesson in English Code Level 2, Unit 5, but it’s fun for all ages.

Make butter