Nativity Yes/No Activity

Description

This resource is aimed at junior/middle pupils or SEN pupils. It is based on the learning and consolidation of pupils’ knowledge of a range of Nativity-based vocabulary. There are 32 cards in this pack. Vocabulary includes: shepherd, manger, donkey, gold, angel, Mary, Joseph etc.

The cards pose a simple question: “Is this a …?” to which the answer is simply “Yes” or “No”. There is both a yes and a no card associated with each image.

Cut up the sheets into 32 separate cards, laminate each of the cards individually and mix them up.

Pupils should read the question on the top of each card if they are able and indicate whether they agree or disagree with the question by placing a clothes peg on either the “yes” or “no”. Alternatively, the teacher/SNA/supporting adult could read the question to the pupil and ask them to place the clothes peg on the correct answer at the bottom of the card.

Yes/No games may be a challenge for pupils with language impairments and yet they present the pupil with great learning opportunities. When the pupil answers the question it gives an opportunity for a conversation to open up between the child and the teacher/SNA/supporting adult based on the answer. So, if the question is “Is this a shepherd?” and the pupil answers “No”, then the teacher can follow up by asking “How do you know it’s not a shepherd?” or “What does a shepherd look like?” or “What does a shepherd wear?”

This activity is especially suitable for pupils who may not be able to write answers but can recognise the various Nativity-themed images. It is also good for fine motor skills in the manipulation of the pegs onto the cards.

This resource could be used with individual pupils in a special class setting, with pupils working with LS/Resource teacher or during a language station in Literacy Station Teaching where each pupil in the group is provided with a set of these cards.

We frequently gave activities such as this for homework to our SEN pupils. It gave them the sense that they had homework like everyone else and it also allowed the parents to see what language topic we were working on. Pupils also considered it as “fun” homework during December.

Activities such as these were also used as Independent work completed by SEN pupils in their work station.