Activities supporting second language development

Activities to Develop Second Language Skills in Early Years

Developing a second language in Early Years requires engaging, play-based activities that integrate vocabulary, sentence structure, and confidence-building. Below are suggested activities, examples, and what they help develop:

1. Messy Play – Focus on Verbs

  • Example: Children explore paint, sand, or water while adults model action words like pour, mix, splash, squeeze.
  • Skills Developed: Understanding and using verbs in context; linking actions to words; promoting expressive language.

2. What’s Missing? – Nouns and Adjectives

  • Example: Show a tray of objects, then remove one and ask, “What’s missing?” Encourage responses like “The red ball is missing.”
  • Skills Developed: Vocabulary for objects (nouns) and descriptive words (adjectives); memory and observation skills.

3. Sensory Games – Adjectives

  • Example: Use textured materials (soft, rough, smooth) and ask children to describe what they feel.
  • Skills Developed: Expanding descriptive vocabulary; connecting sensory experiences to language.

4. Instruction Games – Prepositions

  • Example: Play “Simon Says” with positional language: “Put the block under the chair,” “Stand next to the table.”
  • Skills Developed: Understanding spatial concepts; listening comprehension; following multi-step instructions.

5. Building Together – Vocabulary for Position

  • Example: Construct towers or models and discuss placement: “The blue block is on top,” “The green block is beside the red one.”
  • Skills Developed: Positional vocabulary; collaborative language use.

6. Puppets – Confidence to Speak Out Loud

  • Example: Use puppets for storytelling or dialogue practice. Children can “speak” through the puppet.
  • Skills Developed: Oral confidence; turn-taking; expressive language.

7. Sorting Games – Words for Colour, Shape, Texture, Size

  • Example: Sort objects by colour or shape and name categories: “These are round,” “These are smooth.”
  • Skills Developed: Categorisation; descriptive vocabulary; early classification skills.

8. Animal Activities – Body Parts and Categories

  • Example: Match animals to their body parts or habitats: “The cat has whiskers,” “Fish live in water.”
  • Skills Developed: Vocabulary for animals and body parts; understanding categories.

9. Number and Action – Sentence Structure

  • Example: Combine counting with actions: “Clap three times,” “Jump two times.”
  • Skills Developed: Sentence structure; verb-noun agreement; number recognition.

10. What’s in the Bag? – Adjectives and Everyday Objects

  • Example: Children feel an object in a bag and describe it before guessing: “It’s soft and round.”
  • Skills Developed: Adjectives; inference skills; oral expression.

11. Role Play – Sentence Structure, Turn-Taking, Negotiation

  • Example: Set up a shop or doctor’s office for pretend play. Encourage phrases like “Can I have…?” “How much is…?”
  • Skills Developed: Functional language; conversational skills; social interaction.

What These Activities Develop

  • Vocabulary Expansion: Nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions.
  • Sentence Structure: Understanding word order and grammar.
  • Listening and Comprehension: Following instructions and responding appropriately.
  • Confidence and Social Skills: Speaking in groups, turn-taking, negotiation.
  • Cognitive Skills: Categorisation, memory, problem-solving.

Recommended Resource

Book: 50 Fantastic Ideas for Children with EAL by Natasha Wood
This book offers practical, creative strategies for supporting children with English as an Additional Language through play-based learning.