Preschool Oral English exercises – this/that

Preschool Oral English exercises – this/that

Topic: What is this?

Lesson Objective: To learn to ask for the names of things which are near or far, and answer.

Language Objective: To use demonstrative pronouns (this/that) to ask about names of things which are near and far.

Number of lessons needed: 3 (two for input and one for revision)

Seating/standing arrangement: Students sit during the video watching, but stand up when it is time for production of sentences.

Language items learnt

Vocabulary: pencil, pen, ruler, eraser, paper, book, bag, picture, table, chair.

Sentence Structures:
What is this?
This is a ……….
What is that?
That is a …………...

Grammar: this/that, question form, declarative sentence

Lesson procedure

1. The teacher sings the rhyme ‘what is this’ twice.

The ‘what is this’ rhyme

Tell me, what is this?
Children, what is this?
This is a pencil, teacher,
This is a pencil.
Tell me, what is that?
Children, what is that?
That is a chair, teacher
That is a chair.
Tell me, what is this?
Children, what is this?
This is a book, teacher,
This is a book.
Tell me, what is that?
Children, what is that?
That is a bag, teacher,
That is a bag.

(This rhyme can be continued till the teacher is sure that the structure of the question and the answer are clear to the students, and they are orally producing the question and the answer.)

2. After the second time, students are asked to join in.

3. As the rhyme is being sung, the objects mentioned are pointed out.

4. Now the teacher points out an object and asks a student ‘what is this’.

5. The teacher herself answers ‘This is a pen’.

6. Now the teacher asks a student ‘what is this’, pointing at the pen.

7. Student says ‘this is a pen’.

8. After repeating this a couple of times, the teacher asks the student to ask her a question in this model, and the teacher gives the answer.

Extending the lesson

This lesson and exercises can be extended to include vocabulary outside the classroom. The teacher could ask students to bring a fruit or vegetable each, and do the same exercise using apples, or tomatoes etc. It is better to use authentic, real life objects rather than pictures of things. It is also better to ask students to bring the fruits or vegetables instead of the teacher providing them, since it gives them a sense of involvement in the lesson.