Procedure Games Day

Overview

In this 12th lesson of 15 in “Mastering Procedure Writing”, students use short written procedures to play an organised game with peers. They focus on following procedures step-by-step and building confidence speaking about what to do next.

Learning intentions

WALT: Follow procedures to play games.

Success criteria

• I can follow a classmate’s procedure step-by-step to play the game.
• I can use procedure words (for example: first, next, then, last) to show what happens.
• I can answer questions about what I will do next while playing.
• I can make my procedure clearer when my peer gets stuck.

Curriculum links

• Language — explore how texts are organised according to their purpose (for example, procedure texts have a typical step structure).
• Language — understand that words can represent people, places and things (nouns) and happenings (verbs), and details such as when/where/how (adverbs), to make procedures clear.
• Literacy — create and deliver short oral and/or multimodal presentations with an opening, middle and concluding statement to explain a game sequence.
• Literacy — use interaction skills including turn-taking, speaking clearly, active listening, and responding appropriately during group play.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Hook (procedure in action). Teacher shows a picture card sequence (First / Next / Then / Last) for a familiar classroom routine and asks, “What do we do first? Next?” Students chorally respond with one step each, using procedure words.

2. 3–8 min · Explicit instruction (what makes a good procedure). Teacher displays an example procedure on a visual sentence strip with simplified wording and icons:

• First: Put the cards in a pile.
• Next: Take one card.
• Then: Follow the arrow on the card.
• Last: Return cards to the pile. Teacher models how to check clarity: “Can I do this step without asking an adult? Does each step start with a time word? Are the action words clear?” Students point to the “action word” (verb) in each step and say it.

3. 8–14 min · Game setup (teacher-guided practice). Teacher introduces “Procedure Games Day” stations (2–3 groups at once depending on room space). Each station has:

• A short procedure card (teacher-made, dyslexia-friendly)
• Game materials (for example: beanbags + cones, arrow cards, or target hoops)
• A “Follow the Steps” checklist with tick boxes Teacher demonstrates playing for 30–40 seconds while students track with the checklist. Students practise following along using the checklist, then switch roles (Follower/Coach).

4. 14–23 min · Play-based task (follow a peer’s procedure). In pairs or small groups, students choose a procedure card and play.

• One student follows the procedure.
• The other student reads/supports (or points to visuals) and uses interaction skills: asks questions like “What’s the next step?” and listens without taking over. Teacher circulates with a quick observation checklist: “Did the follower complete steps in order? Did they use next/then/last prompts appropriately?”

5. 23–27 min · Quick reflection (oracy link). Teacher asks each group to share one improvement to help others: “What step was tricky? How could we make it clearer?” Students contribute one sentence using a stem: “First…, Next…, Then…, Last…”.

6. 27–30 min · Exit ticket (individual check). Students complete a one-minute “Step Order” task: teacher shows four icons; students place them in order (or circle First/Next/Then/Last). Teacher collects to confirm students understand procedure organisation.

Resources

• Procedure game cards (simplified language) with large font and icons (First/Next/Then/Last)
• “Follow the Steps” tick-checklist (one per group)
• Game materials per station (teacher-selected and easy to reset)
• Picture/arrow cards for action cues
• Observation checklist for teacher
• Exit ticket: icon step-order cards or simple worksheet
• Dyslexia-friendly supports: coloured overlays or dark text on light background; fewer words per card; sound-out/teacher read-aloud option
• Highlighters/colour dots for “time words” and “action words”

Assessment

• Teacher observation during station play: can the student follow steps in order and respond to “next step” prompts?
• Formative check during modelling: can students identify the action words (verbs) and time words (procedure connectors)?
• Exit ticket: correct ordering of First/Next/Then/Last icons.

Differentiation

• Support for students who need it:
• Provide dyslexia-friendly procedure cards with fewer words per step and consistent icons.
• Offer sentence starters/role cards for the Coach (for example: “Your next step is…”).
• Read-aloud option: teacher or learning assistant reads the procedure once before play.
• Use colour coding: time words highlighted in one colour, action verbs in another.
• Extension for advanced learners:
• During reflection, students propose one rewrite to make their procedure clearer (add a detail like “slowly”, “far”, “near”, or “by the line” if relevant).
• Extension option: lead a micro-round by giving oral instructions using opening–middle–conclusion (for example: “Today we will play… First… Next… Last… Thank you!”).
• EAL/SEN considerations:
• Keep procedures short and repeat the same structure at each station.
• Allow pointing to visuals instead of full sentences during play.

Dyslexia-friendly reading options (built into the lesson)

• Procedures printed in large font with high contrast; one step per line.
• Use pictorial cues for each step so students can follow without decoding every word.
• Teacher reads the procedure aloud before play; students track with a finger under each step.
• Provide an “audio option” via teacher speaking (no technology required) and a repeated practice run.