Role Play: Shopping

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Use Touch Chat devices to communicate needs and choices in a simulated shopping experience.
• Practice interpersonal communication and vocabulary related to shopping.
• Develop turn-taking and role-playing skills.

---

Curriculum Links

New Zealand Curriculum Refresh – Learning Languages (Preschool Level)

• Develop oral communication skills using assistive technology.
• Use age-appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures related to everyday activities (shopping).
• Practice interpersonal communication through role play and turn-taking.
• Build confidence in expressing needs and preferences.

Key Competencies

• Relating to others: Negotiating and communicating in a social context.
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Using vocabulary and phrases relevant to everyday contexts such as shopping.
• Managing self: Demonstrating confidence in communication using the device and role play.

Te Mātaiaho English Strand (Preschool to Year 1)

• Use concrete nouns and verbs related to everyday contexts (e.g., money, shop, buy).
• Use simple sentences and sentence stems to communicate preferences and needs.
• Use non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and gestures to support communication.
• Participate in interactive play, taking turns and maintaining topics relevant to shared experiences.
• Develop vocabulary within thematic units through explicit teaching and role modelling .

---

Lesson Duration

30 minutes
Class size: 2 students (for personalised interaction and support)

---

Materials Needed

• Touch Chat communication device or app with a shopping vocabulary set.
• Toy items or picture cards representing groceries or common shopping items.
• Play money or tokens.
• Shopping basket or bag.
• Visual aids or pictures for dyslexia-friendly reading (simple font, pictures with labels).

---

Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Warm-up (5 minutes)

• WALT: Understand the shopping scenario and device use.
• Teacher introduces the activity: "Today, we are going shopping! You will use your Touch Chat device to ask for things you want to buy."
• Show the shopping items and money, explaining names and uses with clear, slow speech. Use pictures and visual prompts.
• Model using the device to say simple phrases like "I want bread," "How much?", "Thank you."
• Use sentence stems like:
  • "I want ___."
  • "Can I have ___?"
• Dyslexia-friendly: Use large, clear fonts and coloured backgrounds on cards to reduce visual stress.

---

2. Role Play Activity: Shopping (20 minutes)

• WALT: Use the device to communicate needs and role play shopping.
• Seating arrangement simulates a shop counter and customer area.
• Role 1: Shopper (student uses Touch Chat device to select items and say what they want).
• Role 2: Shopkeeper (teacher or peer prompts questions and responds using simple language).
• Rotate roles after 10 minutes.
• Encourage phrases such as: "I want to buy ___," "How much is that?", "Can I pay with this?" Include vocabulary for numbers or coins if applicable.
• Use visuals of shopping items to support word recognition and choices.
• Scaffold gently with sentence stems if students struggle, eg, "I would like ___ please."
• Include opportunities to practice greetings and farewells, e.g., "Hello," "Thank you," "Goodbye."
• Use gestures and facial expressions modelled by teacher to enhance understanding.
• Differentiation:
  • For students needing more support, pre-teach key vocabulary before activity.
  • For more advanced students, encourage making simple sentences or asking "Why?" for choices.
  • Use repetition and praise to build confidence.

---

3. Reflection and Cool Down (5 minutes)

• WALT: Reflect on what we learned and express feelings about shopping.
• Use the Touch Chat device for students to say how they felt about the activity: "I liked shopping," "It was fun," or "I want to do it again."
• Ask questions like: "What did you buy?" and support answering with sentence stems.
• Celebrate success with positive feedback and encouragement.
• Preview next lesson: "Next time, we will practice shopping for different items!"

---

Assessment

• Observe student use of the Touch Chat device for clear communication during role play.
• Check use of vocabulary related to shopping (items, quantities, simple questions).
• Note turn-taking and use of greetings/farewells.
• Provide verbal and visual feedback to support learning.
• Use anecdotal records or short video for reflection and planning next steps.

---

Differentiation Strategies

• Provide visual scaffolds (picture cards, sentence stems).
• Use consistent, repetitive language structures.
• Allow extra processing time for responding.
• Use multi-sensory cues: visual, auditory, and tactile.
• Support verbal turn-taking with modelling and prompts.
• Adapt vocabulary based on student ability.
• For dyslexic learners, use clear fonts, avoid clutter on screens, and add icons/pictures with text.

---

Teacher’s Notes

• Model communication clearly and slowly, allowing students time to respond.
• Encourage students to make eye contact and use gestures alongside device communication to reinforce meaning.
• Be mindful of student comfort with turn-taking and provide supports as needed.
• Use positive language to support perseverance, self-efficacy, and enjoyment.
• Connect the learning experience to students’ home and community contexts to enhance relevance.

---

This lesson plan aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh learning objectives for preschool language development using assistive technology, focusing on communication, vocabulary development, and role play to build confidence and competence in real-world communication scenarios .