Community Helpers Talk

Lesson Overview

In this 30-minute lesson for preschool students, we focus on developing vocabulary related to community helpers and practising simple questions about their roles. The lesson uses the Touch Chat communication app to engage students interactively, reflecting the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh's emphasis on oral language, vocabulary development, and communication through multimodal means including augmentative and alternative communication methods.

Learning Objectives (WALT)

WALT (We Are Learning To):
- Recognise and name common community helpers (e.g., police officer, firefighter, doctor).
- Use specific vocabulary related to community helpers.
- Practise asking simple questions about the roles of community helpers.
- Use non-verbal communication and Touch Chat to support spoken language.

Aligned with New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (English learning area, oral language strand, Years 0–2) focusing on vocabulary, interpersonal communication, and taking on roles, .

Key Competencies

Using language, symbols and texts: Develop vocabulary and communicative questioning skills.
Relating to others: Practise respectful communication and turn-taking in conversations.
Thinking: Make connections between community helpers and everyday life through role play.

Curriculum Links

English (Oral language): Learning involves understanding and using specific vocabulary and short sentence structures to share information and ask questions.
Learning Languages: Supporting communication development including AAC (Touch Chat) and multimodal ways of expressing meaning.
Social Sciences: Understanding community roles and helpers, fostering recognition of societal functions.

Lesson Plan Breakdown

Time	Activity	Details and Resources	Differentiation & Dyslexia-Friendly Support
0–5 mins	Warm-up / Introduction	- Begin with greetings and a simple introduction to "community helpers". - Show real or picture cards of helpers (police, fire fighter, doctor, teacher). - Model simple sentences: "This is a police officer. What do they do?"	- Use clear, large images with high colour contrast. - Provide tactile or three-dimensional models for sensory learners. - Use simple and repetitive phrases to support memory.
5–15 mins	Interactive Vocabulary Building	- Use Touch Chat app to show symbols and voice output for community helpers. - Students take turns selecting a helper and naming them aloud. - Teacher models asking and answering: "Who helps us in an emergency?" "The firefighter!" - Role-play simple queries using Touch Chat and gestures.	- Provide sentence stems on card: "Who is this?" "What do they do?" - Use visual supports and cues in app for sentence construction. - Scaffold by allowing use of gestures or pointing alongside speech/AAC.
15–25 mins	Role Play / Dramatic Play	- Set up a small dramatic play corner with community helper props (e.g., police hat, stethoscope). - Students take turns role-playing a helper and responding to questions from the teacher or peer using Touch Chat. - Encourage use of simple questions and expressions: "Are you a doctor?" "Yes, I help sick people."	- Simplify roles based on student ability. - Support reluctant communicators with prompted questions. - Use picture cue cards to support student responses.
25–30 mins	Reflection and Assessment	- Recap key vocabulary by pointing and naming community helpers in Touch Chat. - Ask students to show or say one thing they learned. - Provide positive reinforcement. - Teacher notes levels of vocabulary use and ability to ask questions, adapting future lessons accordingly.	- Allow responses through speech, touch, gesture or choice. - Use short, clear questions. - Reinforce with visual praise icons and encouraging visuals.

Teaching Considerations

Use multimodal communication tools like Touch Chat to strengthen expressive language aligned with the curriculum's emphasis on inclusive communication strategies that cater to diverse learners and neurodiversity.
Incorporate non-verbal communication cues — facial expressions, gestures, body language — to enhance understanding and expression, key for preschoolers beginning to expand communication skills.
Foster positive identities as communicators by choosing community helpers meaningful to New Zealand contexts and student experiences, incorporating te reo Māori where appropriate (e.g., kaitiaki for a community helper) .
Follow recommended dyslexia-friendly practices such as using clear fonts, spacing, and consistent colour coding on printed materials or app screens to aid reading and symbol recognition.

Resources

Touch Chat vocabulary app with community helper symbols and voice output.
Picture cards or flashcards depicting community helpers common in New Zealand contexts.
Dress-up props for role play.
Visual sentence stems cards (e.g., "Who is this?", "What do they do?").
Reinforcement icons (smiley faces, stars) for positive feedback.

Assessment

Formative: Observation of student participation and use of vocabulary during activities.
Checklist of vocabulary recognition and ability to ask/respond to simple questions using Touch Chat.
Teacher notes on communication modes used (speech, gesture, AAC) to inform individual learning plans.

This lesson plan thoughtfully aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh's focus on oral language development, vocabulary building within thematic units, multimodal communication, and culturally responsive teaching for early years learners . It balances structured and play-based learning to engage two preschool learners effectively while differentiating for diverse needs including dyslexia and neurodiversity.