Below we have listed 7 activities for your EYFS literacy lessons which focus on oracy and adaptive teaching.

1. Story Circle with Visual Prompts

• Activity: Children sit in a circle and take turns adding to a story using picture cards. (You can use your Mighty Writer for this!)
• Adaptation: Use Makaton signs, objects, or puppets for children with speech or language delays.
• Focus: Turn-taking, listening, expressive language.

2. Role Play Corners

• Activity: Set up themed areas (e.g., vet clinic, shop, kitchen) where children can act out scenarios.
• Adaptation: Provide sentence starters or visual cue cards to support vocabulary.
• Focus: Social communication, vocabulary building, confidence.

3. Talking Tins or Voice Recorders

• Activity: Children record their thoughts or retell a story.
• Adaptation: Great for shy children or those with limited verbal skills—allows replay and reflection.
• Focus: Expressive language, sequencing, self-assessment.

4. Emotion Exploration with Puppets

• Activity: Use puppets to express different emotions and ask children to respond or mimic.
• Adaptation: Use simplified language or emotion cards for children with SEN.
• Focus: Emotional literacy, empathy, expressive skills.

5. Listening Games (e.g., Sound Lotto or Simon Says)

• Activity: Children identify sounds or follow verbal instructions.
• Adaptation: Use visual aids or slower pacing for children with auditory processing needs.
• Focus: Attention, auditory discrimination, following instructions.

6. ‘Show and Tell’ with Support

• Activity: Children bring an item from home and talk about it.
• Adaptation: Provide a scaffold like a “talking frame” (e.g., “This is my ___, I like it because ___”).
• Focus: Personal expression, sentence structure, confidence.

7. Small Group ‘Chat Time’

• Activity: Daily short sessions where children discuss a topic (e.g., favourite animals).
• Adaptation: Use visual prompts, sentence starters, or peer models.
• Focus: Turn-taking, listening, conversational skills.